2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs 2022 Kia Sorento

The 2022 Kia Sorento, particularly in the X-Line trim, presented a stylish and rugged appearance. This midsize SUV featured rugged bumpers, matte-finish wheels, black lower body cladding, and robust roof rails, enhancing its already attractive design. Our test vehicle, equipped with the X-Line package, showcased a quality interior with leather upholstery and simulated wood trim, exuding a sense of luxury. The Sorento's cabin was well-constructed, with attention to design detail evident even in the most affordable models. Despite its traditional cable-operated transmission shifter, the Sorento maintained practical storage space, making it a versatile choice for families.

In contrast, the 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport embraced a modernist and reductive design philosophy, focusing on clean and simple aesthetics. Our test vehicle, finished in Eiger Grey with silver 23-inch wheels and a Black Exterior Pack, exuded understated luxury. Inside, the Deep Garnet over Ebony theme, paired 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 technology taillights. While it offered a luxurious and high-tech interior, the Range Rover Sport's design leaned towards subtlety rather than flashiness.

The 2022 Kia Sorento offered a range of engine options, starting with a standard 191-horsepower 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine. However, this engine's performance was unremarkable, taking nearly 9.5 seconds to reach 100 km/h. The more satisfying choice was the turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, generating 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. This engine, paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission, provided a more engaging driving experience, accelerating to 100 km/h in about 7.5 seconds. The Sorento's suspension offered a blend of compliance and composure, making it feel more like a sports sedan than an SUV. Fuel consumption was a concern, with real-world figures averaging 11.5 L/100 km, higher than the official estimates.

The 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport aimed to balance refinement and driver-focused engagement. It featured a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine with mild-hybrid technology, producing 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. This engine allowed the Range Rover Sport to accelerate to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. The SUV's Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system and eight-speed automatic transmission contributed to its performance. While the Range Rover Sport excelled in off-road capabilities, it struggled to match the agility of sport-tuned SUVs from competitors like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Fuel efficiency was reasonable, averaging 10.5 L/100 km on evaluation routes.

The 2022 Kia Sorento's interior offered a luxurious feel, with features like heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. Second-row captain's chairs were standard from the EX trim, providing comfort and convenience for passengers. However, the third-row seat was cramped, making it less suitable for adults. Cargo space was limited with all seats in use, but folding the third-row seat expanded it to 1,274 litres, and folding the second-row seats increased it to 2,139 litres. The Sorento's "smart" power tailgate added convenience for loading and unloading.

The 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport maintained the Range Rover Command Driving Position, offering a tall and airy feel. The air suspension could kneel for easier entry and exit, and the front seats were comfortable with 20-way power adjustments. However, the rear seat was less accommodating, with limited legroom and narrow door openings. Cargo space measured 903 litres, expandable to 1,500 litres with the rear seats folded. The Range Rover Sport featured a power liftgate and convenient storage solutions, but the rear seat's reclined angle and hard front seatback panels were drawbacks.

The 2022 Kia Sorento offered an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system on lower trims, while higher trims featured a 10.25-inch display with navigation, satellite radio, and smartphone integration. The infotainment system was intuitive, but the voice recognition system lagged behind its Hyundai counterpart. A 12-speaker Bose premium sound system was reserved for the SX trim, and a wireless phone charger was standard from the LX Premium trim.

The 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport boasted a 13.7-inch digital instrumentation display and a 13.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with haptic feedback. It included wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and a Meridian audio system with up to 29 speakers. However, the Pivi Pro infotainment platform was often confusing and frustrating to use. The Range Rover Sport's voice recognition system struggled with basic commands, and the digital assistant was unreliable. Despite these issues, the SUV offered advanced noise cancellation and a wireless smartphone charging pad.

The 2022 Kia Sorento came equipped with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including a rear-seat reminder system, Junction Assist, and a Blind View Monitor. The Highway Driving Assist technology provided Level 2 semi-autonomous driving capabilities. The Sorento received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, with a four-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA.

The 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured a range of safety technologies, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring. It also offered Remote Park Assist and adaptive cruise control with steering assist. However, the adaptive cruise control was slow to respond, and the steering assist was unreliable, especially on highway curves. The Range Rover Sport's safety features were comprehensive, but some systems required improvement.