2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs 2022 Hyundai Kona

The 2022 Hyundai Kona received a significant makeover, enhancing its sophistication with a longer body, revised grille, and new LED lighting. The sporty character lines and alloy wheel designs added to its appeal, while the interior updates, such as the separated instrument panel and centre console, created a more spacious look. The addition of ambient lighting further elevated the Kona's interior sophistication. The introduction of the N Line and Kona N trims brought unique styling elements, including body-colour cladding and exclusive wheel designs, making the Kona appear more athletic. The Kona N, in particular, featured wide fenders, a front lip spoiler, and a double-wing roof spoiler, enhancing its sporty appearance. Inside, the N Line offered black seats with red stitching and alloy sport pedals, while the Kona N boasted N sport bucket seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport embraced a modernist and reductive design, focusing on clean and simple aesthetics. While it offered limited flashy options, such as Firenze Red paint and diamond-turned 23-inch wheels, the Eiger Grey test vehicle 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 luxurious atmosphere. The Range Rover Sport was available in various specifications, including Dynamic SE, Dynamic HSE, and Autobiography, with the SV Edition One already sold out. The test vehicle featured heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and other premium features, pushing the MSRP beyond $120,000. The Range Rover Sport's design highlights included premium LED headlights, flush-mounted door handles, and surface LED technology in the taillights, contributing to its excellent aerodynamics.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona offered a diverse range of powertrains, catering to different performance preferences. The Essential and Preferred trims featured a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a CVT. For those seeking more power, the N Line trim provided a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine with 195 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, coupled with a seven-speed DCT. The Kona N took performance to another level with a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine delivering 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque, paired with an N eight-speed wet DCT. The Kona N also featured exclusive driving features like N Grin Shift and N Power Shift, along with launch control and high-performance brakes. The test vehicle, a Kona N Line with the 1.6-litre engine and AWD, offered ample power and agility, making it enjoyable to drive in both city and highway settings. The Kona's handling was composed, and its low ride height contributed to its stability.

The 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport aimed to balance refinement and driver engagement. It offered a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine with mild-hybrid technology, producing 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The Autobiography trim featured a PHEV drivetrain with 434 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The SV Edition One, now unavailable, had a 523-horsepower twin-turbo V8 engine. The Range Rover Sport's 395-horsepower engine provided impressive acceleration, reaching 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. It featured an eight-speed automatic transmission and Intelligent AWD, with a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms. The Range Rover Sport's fuel efficiency was notable, averaging 10.5 litres per 100 kilometres. The SUV's new architecture increased torsional stiffness, and its adaptive damping air suspension enhanced ride comfort and handling. However, the Range Rover Sport's steering lacked involvement, and its Dynamic mode exhibited drivetrain clunkiness. Off-road, the Range Rover Sport excelled, with advanced suspension and impressive ground clearance.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona, despite its compact size, offered commendable front-seat comfort with ample headroom and legroom. The N Line's front seats provided excellent support during spirited driving. However, rear-seat occupants faced challenges due to small door openings and limited head- and legroom. The Kona's cargo space, at 544 litres with all seats up, was tight, accommodating only a large duffel bag or roller bag. Folding the rear seats expanded cargo space to 1,296 litres, but towing was not recommended.

The 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport maintained its Command Driving Position, offering a tall and airy feel. The air suspension facilitated easier entry and exit, while the front seats provided comfort with adjustable armrests. The test vehicle featured Windsor leather, 20-way power-adjustable seats, and available massage and air purification features. The rear seat, though improved, remained tight for taller passengers, with narrow door openings. The cargo area offered 903 litres of space, expandable to 1,500 litres with the rear seats folded. The Range Rover Sport included a power liftgate and convenient storage solutions.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona introduced more tech features, starting with an 8-inch display for the base trim and a 10.25-inch touchscreen for higher trims. The Kona N Line and Kona N offered a premium audio system and navigation. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were standard with the base screen, while the larger screen required wired connections. The Kona's infotainment system was user-friendly, and Hyundai BlueLink provided connected services for three years.

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. It offered wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. However, the Pivi Pro infotainment system was often confusing and frustrating to use. The Range Rover Sport's Meridian audio systems impressed, and the Active Noise Cancellation system enhanced the driving experience. A wireless smartphone charging pad was included, though accessing it could be challenging.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona offered standard safety features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, and driver attention warning. Optional features included adaptive cruise control and blind-spot warning. The Kona received five stars from the NHTSA for overall crash protection and "Good" ratings from the IIHS in crashworthiness tests. However, its child-seat anchors received a "Marginal" rating.

The 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport came equipped with numerous safety features, including forward-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. It also featured automatic high-beam headlights, a driver monitoring system, and a surround-view camera system. The adaptive cruise control and steering assist were less satisfactory, with slow responses and steering issues. Remote Park Assist was available, allowing the SUV to park itself using a smartphone app.