When you think of rally racing, the first thing that comes to mind are probably words like 'Subaru' or 'Colin McRae'. What does not spring to mind is the 2020 Kia Telluride. Yet this Korean SUV has just successfully completed the Rebelle Rally, a grueling eight-day race, winning several significant stages throughout. The Telluride competed against Ford's Bronco Sport which clinched a victory in the X-Cross class. Driver Alyssa Roenigk and navigator Sabrina Howells took advantage of the Telluride's strong points and proved that Kia cars are not only practical, reliable, and affordable, but highly capable as well.

"This is a momentous achievement for Kia," said Sean Yoon, CEO of Kia Motors North America. "Thanks to Alyssa and Sabrina's grit in the arduous Rebelle Rally, they helped raise the Telluride's credibility to new heights. Their huge accomplishments will go down in Kia history and we couldn't be more proud of our team."

The race, which starts in Lake Tahoe, crosses some of America's harshest terrain, pushing cars to their maximum, before finally finishing on the border of Mexico. The team managed to clinch a second-place spot on the podium after an excellent performance in the sand dunes. The car features minor modifications such as an underbody skid plate and all-terrain tires.

"We are so proud of our overall performance and our comeback to take second in the X-Cross category at the 2020 Rebelle Rally," said Alyssa and Sabrina. "On the final day, when we pulled up to checkpoints deep in the Imperial Sand Dunes and saw the look on the faces of the 4x4 teams when we beat them there - that is a memory that will stick in our minds for a long time. The Telluride was an incredibly capable third teammate and we were grateful for the opportunity to take her on such an awesome adventure."

Kia was a first-time competitor in the fifth annual Rebelle Rally, and it surely won't be its last.