Car Stuff Podcast · Consumer Guide Automotive, Tom Appel, Jill Ciminillo

2027 Kia Telluride, All-New Polestar 4, Plotting the Future of Infiniti

·56 min·3 clips

Tiago Castro says the QX65 is “sporty, it’s sexy, it’s hot” and built with “the look without compromise the cargo.”

1. Car Stuff Podcast episode 301 covers the 2027 Kia Telluride, the Lucid Air, and Infiniti’s product plan with Tiago Castro. 2. Hosts Tom Appel and Jill Simonello steer the show, while Tiago Castro, Vice President of Infiniti of the Americas, explains the brand’s next moves. 3. The episode asks what Infiniti wants to be now, and the answer is a narrower, more deliberate lineup built around one product per year. 4. Tom opens with a Kia Telluride design preview after seeing a clay model and a pre-production X-Pro at Kia’s design studio. 5. Jill says the 2027 Telluride is skipping a model year and that the new SUV looks more Land Rover-esque than the outgoing version. 6. They note that Kia gave no technical details, but the wheelbase is longer and the body has less overhang. 7. Tom and Jill compare the new Telluride to the Hyundai Palisade, including feature differences such as blind-view displays and third-row equipment. 8. Jill says the Palisade still feels more premium, while the Telluride is aimed at design-forward buyers. 9. Tom also talks about driving the Lucid Air Touring, which he describes as quick, smooth, refined, and difficult for him to enter and exit. 10. He says the Lucid Air’s one-pedal driving is the best version he has used, but the low roof and small doors limit comfort for big drivers. 11. In the Infiniti interview, Tiago Castro says he started at the Nissan Technical Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan, designing seats and interiors. 12. Castro says that background helps him now because he has worked in product planning, marketing, sales, and international assignments. 13. He says Infiniti is going back to its roots by being “not for everyone, it’s for you,” and by focusing on a better client experience. 14. Castro says the QX80 is instrumental, not just because it is profitable, but because it is Infiniti’s flagship model. 15. He says the QX80 launched in August 2024 and has logged 16 consecutive months of year-over-year growth. 16. Castro says the upcoming QX65 is based on the FX design idea, but with more cargo space so it avoids the old compromise. 17. He says Infiniti is intentionally avoiding the word “coupe” and prefers a fastback description for the QX65. 18. The interview has a measured, business-focused tone, with Tom and Jill pressing on branding, pricing, and product positioning. 19. Listeners who track Infiniti, Kia, and new SUV design will get the most from it. 20. Listeners seeking pure comedy or a single-model review may skip parts of it.

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