2024 Chevrolet Trax vs 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax underwent a significant transformation, shedding its previous image to emerge as a more stylish and modern vehicle. The design team embraced a "longer, lower, wider" philosophy, resulting in a vehicle that was 28 centimetres longer, 10 centimetres lower, and 5 centimetres wider than its predecessor. This redesign borrowed elements from the midsize Chevy Blazer, such as a prominent grille and distinctive rear styling, giving the Trax a unique presence among small vehicles. The base Trax LS featured 17-inch steel wheels, while higher trims offered 18-inch and 19-inch aluminum options. The interior, though entry-level, incorporated interesting design features like a freestanding touchscreen and large air vents, with higher trims offering Evotex upholstery and additional styling touches.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport positioned itself as a sportier SUV within the Range Rover family, boasting a more athletic appearance with a shorter wheelbase and chopped top. The SV Edition Two, the highest-performance model, featured 23-inch carbon-fibre wheels and a carbon-fibre hood. Despite its subtle exterior, the interior was adorned with red leather upholstery, sport seats, and illuminated steering-wheel paddle shifters. The minimalist design included a touchscreen, stubby shifter, and engine start button, creating a cockpit-like feel. While the high console and dash contributed to a sporty atmosphere, they also made the front seats feel somewhat cramped. Material quality was up to luxury standards, though the use of reflective piano black plastic was a bit excessive.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax featured a new 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, a slight decrease from the previous model's 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Despite the reduction in power, the new Trax was estimated to reach 100 km/h about a second faster than its predecessor. The engine's flat torque curve provided strong response, and turbo lag was minimal. The six-speed automatic transmission carried over, and the Trax was available only with front-wheel drive. The handling was tuned to be more car-like, with a wider track for a planted feel, though limited grip and body roll reminded drivers of its econobox nature. Active noise cancellation improved refinement, though ride quality was a bit rough.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered multiple powertrain options, all with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive. The base Dynamic SE model featured a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six engine with 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The plug-in hybrid variant produced 454 hp and 487 lb-ft, while the Autobiography model increased output to 543 hp and 590 lb-ft. The SV Edition Two boasted a twin-turbo BMW V8 with 626 hp, making it the most powerful Range Rover model. It accelerated from 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, with a top speed of 290 km/h. The sport-tuned air suspension and four-wheel steering enhanced agility, while the Terrain Response system and off-road capabilities maintained Land Rover's traditional strengths.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax, despite its larger size, offered mixed results in terms of interior space. Rear-seat legroom increased by 7.6 cm, but first-row headroom remained unchanged, and second-row headroom decreased by 1.7 cm. Shoulder room also decreased, resulting in a snugger fit. The Trax provided more rear legroom than its rivals, the Nissan Kicks and Hyundai Venue, and featured a car-like driving position with low window sills for excellent visibility. Cargo space increased by 12% to 725 litres with the rear seats in place and 1,532 litres with them folded, surpassing the Venue but only slightly better than the Kicks.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, positioned between the Velar and full-size Range Rover, offered a midsize two-row configuration. Front-seat headroom was comparable to other midsize luxury SUVs, though the Acura MDX and Audi Q7 had slightly more legroom. The sloping roof didn't significantly impact rear-seat headroom, and reclining rear seats were standard. Cargo space measured 835 litres behind the second row and 1,860 litres with the seats folded, less than some competitors but still substantial. The Sport's towing capacity was 3,500 kilograms for turbo-six and V8 models, with plug-in hybrids rated at 3,000 kilograms.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax saw significant infotainment upgrades, with an 8-inch touchscreen standard on LS and 1RS trims, and an 11-inch touchscreen with an 8-inch digital instrument cluster on higher trims. Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and phone charging were available for the first time. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with crisp graphics and a logical menu layout. However, the screen's tilt towards the driver made it less accessible for passengers. The optional digital instrument cluster provided a modern design, and information could be transferred from the main touchscreen. USB ports were standard, with additional ports and wireless charging available on higher trims.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment, with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration. The screens offered a clean, minimalist design, though the reliance on touch controls for functions like climate control and drive mode selection was less convenient. Steering wheel controls provided limited alternatives, but the Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive, with natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition Two included "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers for a unique audio experience, though it felt somewhat gimmicky.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax's crash-test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were unavailable at the time of publication. However, it offered a decent array of driver-assist features, including automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic high beams, and a following distance indicator. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear park assist. The Teen Driver system was standard, providing safety features and monitoring teen driving behaviour.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport included standard driver-assist features such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver attention monitor. A 360-degree camera system and digital rearview mirror aided parking, though the parking sensors were overly sensitive. Safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of writing.