2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs 2022 Cadillac XT5

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 presented a unique blend of design elements, positioned between the futuristic angularity of the Lexus NX and the more conventional styling of the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC. It featured Cadillac’s signature design cues, such as a bold grille, distinctive daytime running lights, and vertical taillights reminiscent of classic Cadillacs. However, this combination resulted in an awkward mix with the XT5’s compact size and tall profile, making it unmistakably a Cadillac, albeit an ungainly one. The Premium Luxury and Sport trims offered distinct exterior styling, with the former showcasing bright chrome for a traditional look and the latter featuring darker trim and a mesh grille for a sportier appearance. The interior, while luxurious with the optional Platinum Package, lacked a strong design theme and brand-specific markers, leaving little to remind occupants they were in a Cadillac.

In contrast, the 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport embraced a modernist and reductive design philosophy, emphasizing clean and simple lines. While it offered limited options for those seeking a flashy appearance, such as Firenze Red paint and diamond-turned 23-inch wheels, our test vehicle in Eiger Grey with silver wheels and a Black Exterior Pack exuded understated luxury. Inside, the Deep Garnet over Ebony theme, combined with aluminum and shiny black trim, created a sophisticated atmosphere. The Range Rover Sport’s design highlights included premium LED headlights, flush-mounted door handles, and surface LED taillights, contributing to its excellent aerodynamics. The interior boasted a luxurious, high-tech appearance, with sustainable Ultrafabrics and Windsor leather upholstery, providing a decadent and fragrant cabin experience.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 offered two engine options: a standard 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and an optional 3.6-litre V6 engine delivering 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Our test vehicle, equipped with the V6, felt reasonably quick, with smooth power delivery and quick shifts. The optional Platinum Package included a performance suspension with adaptive dampers, providing a comfortable and controlled ride. The steering was well-suited to a luxury vehicle, offering nimbleness without excessive nervousness, and the cabin remained impressively quiet.

The 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine with mild-hybrid technology, producing 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) drivetrain was available, offering 434 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The sold-out SV Edition One boasted a 523-horsepower twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 engine. The Range Rover Sport’s inline-six provided ample power, with a claimed 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 5.7 seconds. It featured an eight-speed automatic transmission and an Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system, with a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms. The SUV’s adaptive damping air suspension and advanced driving modes contributed to a comfortable and composed ride, although it didn’t match the sportiness of similarly priced SUVs from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Off-road, the Range Rover Sport excelled, with impressive ground clearance, wading depth, and advanced off-road technologies.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 offered competitive interior space compared to German luxury crossovers, with more front headroom than the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC, but less than the BMW X3. It provided more legroom in both rows, although it trailed the Lincoln Corsair in front legroom. The seats were comfortable but not up to luxury standards, with narrow bottom cushions and insufficient rear cushioning. The XT5 boasted 850 litres of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 1,784 litres with them folded, surpassing the Q5, X3, and GLC. A hands-free power liftgate was available, and the centre console featured a small cubbyhole for storage.

The 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport retained the Range Rover Command Driving Position, offering a tall, airy feel with a low dashboard and thin roof pillars. The air suspension could kneel for easier entry and exit, and the front seats were comfortable with adjustable armrests. Our test vehicle featured Windsor leather, 20-way power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, and available massage and air purification features. The rear seat, while improved, remained tight for taller passengers, with hard front seatback panels and narrow door openings. The cargo area offered 903 litres of space, expandable to 1,500 litres with the rear seats folded. A power liftgate, full-size spare, and storage solutions were included.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. An optional Technology Package added an 8-inch digital instrument cluster and a head-up display. While usability was improved, the tech remained adequate compared to competitors with larger screens and more sophisticated features. The touchscreen was easy to navigate, but secondary controls were cumbersome, and the rotary controller and capacitive touchpads lacked physical feedback. The optional Bose Performance Series 14-speaker system delivered excellent sound quality.

The 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured a 13.7-inch digital instrumentation display and a 13.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with haptic feedback. Standard features included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Amazon Alexa compatibility, SiriusXM satellite radio, and connected services. While the screens were generally intuitive, the Pivi Pro infotainment platform proved confusing and frustrating, with difficulties in accessing features and using the digital assistant. The Range Rover Sport offered impressive Meridian audio systems, Active Noise Cancellation, and a wireless smartphone charging pad.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 came with standard safety features such as forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, park assist, automatic high-beam headlamps, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. The Safety Alert Seat was standard, vibrating when warnings were triggered. An optional Driver Assist Package added adaptive cruise control and enhanced emergency braking, while the Technology Package included rear pedestrian alert, a surround-vision camera, night vision, and automatic parking assist. The XT5 received top scores in IIHS crash tests and a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA.

The 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport was equipped with numerous safety features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. It also featured automatic high-beam headlights, a driver monitoring system, parking sensors, and a surround-view camera system. Remote Park Assist was available, allowing the SUV to park itself via a smartphone app. The adaptive cruise control and steering assist were less satisfactory, with slow responses and poor performance on curves.