2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs 2024 Kia Seltos

The 2024 Kia Seltos underwent a mid-cycle refresh, resulting in subtle yet effective updates. The exterior featured redesigned headlights and grille, with a light strip connecting the smaller taillight assemblies, giving the vehicle a refreshed appearance without significant cost increases. The test model showcased a striking new "Pluton Blue" paint colour. Inside, the Seltos introduced a new Gentle Brown interior option, although the test model retained the standard black interior. A prominent change was the large digital panel spanning two-thirds of the dash, integrating a fully digital instrument panel and an enlarged touchscreen infotainment system.

In contrast, the 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport emphasized a sportier aesthetic within the Range Rover family. Its taller stance, shorter wheelbase, and chopped top contributed to a more athletic appearance, although it appeared somewhat narrow from certain angles. The SV Edition Two, the highest-performance model, featured 23-inch carbon-fibre wheels and a carbon-fibre hood with an exposed patch. The interior boasted red leather upholstery, sport seats with light-up "SV" inserts, and illuminated steering-wheel paddle shifters. Despite its minimalist design, the Range Rover Sport maintained a luxurious feel, with high-quality materials and a cockpit-like atmosphere.

The 2024 Kia Seltos offered two powertrain options. The base model featured a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 146 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, paired with Kia's Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT). Front-wheel drive was standard, with optional all-wheel drive available. The SX and X-Line trims boasted a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine delivering 195 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, coupled with a new eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. The turbocharged engine provided noticeable acceleration improvements, especially in Sport mode, and handled various road conditions with minimal body roll and responsive steering.

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 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. The plug-in hybrid variant increased output to 454 horsepower and 487 lb-ft. The Autobiography trim offered a more powerful plug-in hybrid with 543 horsepower and 590 lb-ft. The SV Edition Two, with a twin-turbo BMW V8, delivered 626 horsepower, achieving 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. The Range Rover Sport excelled in both performance and off-road capabilities, with sport-tuned air suspension and advanced off-road features.

The 2024 Kia Seltos provided up to 1,778 litres of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 753 litres with the seats in use. It featured an upright seating position, ample headroom, and good rear legroom, accommodating taller occupants comfortably. The front seating area included decently sized in-door cupholders and cubbies, while the centre console offered a tray for small items. A hands-free power liftgate was standard from the EX Premium trim.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, positioned between the Velar and full-size Range Rover, offered a spacious two-row, five-seater configuration. While competitors provided more legroom, the Range Rover Sport's reclining rear seats and 20-way power-adjustable front seats ensured comfort. It offered 835 litres of cargo space behind the second row and 1,860 litres with the seats folded. The Sport's towing capacity reached 3,500 kilograms for turbo-six and V8 models, with plug-in hybrids rated at 3,000 kilograms.

The 2024 Kia Seltos featured a consistent digital bezel across trims, with screen sizes varying. The base model included an 8-inch touchscreen and a 4.2-inch digital instrument panel, while upper trims upgraded to a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument panel and touchscreen. The infotainment system supported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with physical controls for climate and audio functions. The SX and X-Line trims offered an upgraded Bose premium stereo system and Digital Key 2 Touch for smartphone access.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport shared its screen setup with the larger Range Rover, featuring a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen. Standard features included wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration. The minimalist design, while visually appealing, relied heavily on touchscreen controls. The Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive, with natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition Two featured "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers for a unique audio experience.

The 2024 Kia Seltos came equipped with standard driver assistance features, including forward collision avoidance assist, lane keep assist, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The EX Premium trim added smart adaptive cruise control, while the SX included traffic sign recognition and highway driving assist.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered comprehensive driver-assist features, such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring. A 360-degree camera system and digital rearview mirror enhanced parking assistance, although the parking sensors were overly sensitive. Safety ratings from IIHS and NHTSA were unavailable at the time of writing.