Kia Telluride Luggage Test | How much fits behind the third row?

This test has been a long time coming. Although my experience on the Kia Telluride first drive plus Zac Palmer's Telluride-vs-Enclave luggage test pointed to the ultra-popular three-row crossover being a luggage-lugging champ, I haven't had the opportunity to test it here at Luggage Test Headquarters in Portland. Alas, the time has come. Huzzah.

Now, as with the luggage tests of all three-row vehicles, I will only be looking at the space behind the third row. On paper, the Telluride has 21 cubic feet back there, which compares to the 16-to-18 range of most rival crossovers. That includes the mechanically related Hyundai Palisade, which has 18. The only vehicle that approaches it is the Volkswagen Atlas at 20.6 cubic-feet (see video at page bottom). Let's see how it does with actual bags.

First off, maybe there's a bit more depth than normal, and the Telluride's slightly boxier shape might help it in this endeavor. But, is it really that much bigger than competitors? Let's find out.

As with every luggage test, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D).

This is the best I could do. The biggest bag and one of the medium roller bags is left behind. That's worse than the Palisade and only slightly better than the Toyota Highlander. What gives?