- Kia returns to the all-women off-road navigational challenge for fourth year in a row
- Custom 2024 Telluride X-Pro outfitted by Baja Forged set to compete in X-Cross class
- Newly matched teammates Verena Mei and Susie Saxten ready to test their mettle and put the 2024 Telluride X-Pro through its paces
Kia America is returning to the Rebelle Rally off-road navigational challenge for the fourth consecutive year, and it has its sights set on conquering the rugged off-road course with its winningest and most awarded SUV to date, the Telluride. After its rally debut in 2020, the Telluride is back for more, this time in X-Pro guise. Teammates Verena Mei (driver) and Susie Saxten (navigator) will be piloting the 2024 Telluride X-Pro across roughly 1,600 miles through the California and Nevada deserts.
The modified Telluride X-Pro has been bolstered with an off-road treatment by BAJA FORGED, which includes a custom roof rack and front- and rear bumpers to increase approach and departure angles. Tow points have also been added. Skidplates help protect the Telluride’s undercarriage, while 18-inch KMC716 wheels are wrapped in BFGoodrich® All-Terrain T/A K02 tires. A 1.5-inch lift on top of the X-Pro’s increased ground clearance gives it nearly 10 inches of ground clearance to get through the rough stuff.
“After a second-place win in the X-Cross class in its first year of competition, we are eager to see what more the Telluride X-Pro can do,” said Steven Center, COO and EVP, Kia America. “With BAJA FORGED modifications and a stellar team leading the way, we are confident the Telluride X-Pro will reach new heights of off-road capability and prove itself as a tough competitor once again.”
In 2020, the Telluride narrowly missed first place in the X-Cross class. In the years following, two 2022 Sorento PHEVs earned second-and third place finishes, and last year, the 2023 Sportage X-Pro finished among the top five. Follow this year’s team on RebelleRally.com from Oct. 12-21.
