2024 Kia Sorento vs 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2024 Kia Sorento underwent a significant visual transformation, marking its first major update since the current generation debuted in 2021. Previously overshadowed by the popular Telluride, the Sorento adopted design cues from its siblings, featuring a robust new front end, elegant taillights, and a more sophisticated interior. The exterior boasted a bold grille, vertically stacked LED headlights, and wing-like daytime running lights, giving it a larger and more commanding presence. The rear received subtle updates, with higher trims showcasing attractive LED taillights and new bumpers. The Sorento's trims in Canada included LX, EX, X-Line, X-Line Limited, and the new X-Pro, each offering distinct visual elements and features.

Inside, the Sorento featured a redesigned dashboard with a horizontal layout reminiscent of the EV9, providing a cleaner and more upscale appearance. The gauge cluster and infotainment displays were integrated under a single pane of glass, with higher trims offering twin 12.3-inch displays. The cabin materials were upgraded, with faux open-pore wood grain and quality stitching enhancing the luxurious feel. A brown interior colour option added character, and the overall assembly felt solid and more upscale compared to competitors like the Chevrolet Blazer and Honda Passport.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport emphasized its sporty identity within the Range Rover family, presenting a taller stance with a shorter wheelbase and chopped top for a more athletic look. Large front air intakes and fake vents contributed to its sporty appearance, though it appeared somewhat tall and narrow from certain angles. The lineup included Dynamic SE, Dynamic HSE, Autobiography, and SV Edition Two trims, with the SV Edition Two being the highest-performance model. This trim featured 23-inch carbon-fibre wheels and a carbon-fibre hood, enhancing its performance credentials.

Inside, the Range Rover Sport offered a minimalist aesthetic with a focus on luxury. The interior featured red leather upholstery, sport seats with light-up "SV" inserts, and illuminated steering-wheel paddle shifters. The console, dash, and door panels created a cockpit-like feel, though the high placement made the front seats feel slightly cramped. Material quality met luxury standards, but the use of reflective piano black plastic was excessive. The Range Rover Sport's interior design prioritized a clean and uncluttered look, with a touchscreen, stubby shifter, and engine start button as the main dashboard elements.

The 2024 Kia Sorento retained most of its mechanical components, with the base engine being a 2.5-litre four-cylinder producing 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, struggled with the Sorento's weight, resulting in underwhelming performance. The EX and higher trims featured a turbocharged 2.5-litre engine generating 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, mated to a dual-clutch eight-speed automatic transmission. Turbocharged Sorentos offered lively acceleration and ample passing power, with zero-to-100 times in the mid-seven-second range. All Sorentos in Canada came with all-wheel drive, with varying ground clearance depending on the trim.

The Sorento's handling was confident, with well-weighted steering and effective brakes. The X-Line and X-Pro trims excelled in light off-road conditions, with the X-Pro offering improved engine cooling and a higher towing capacity of 2,040 kilograms. While the gas-powered Sorentos had average fuel economy, the hybrid and PHEV versions offered better efficiency. The X-Pro's performance in challenging conditions, such as a near-blizzard mountain pass, demonstrated its capability.

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 producing 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The plug-in hybrid variant delivered 454 horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque. The Autobiography trim offered a more powerful plug-in hybrid powertrain with 543 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. The SV Edition Two, equipped with a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8, produced 626 horsepower, making it the most powerful Range Rover model.

The SV Edition Two's performance was impressive, with a 0-100 km/h time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 290 km/h. The Range Rover Sport's sport-tuned air suspension, four-wheel steering, and brake-based torque vectoring contributed to its agile handling. The carbon-ceramic brakes provided excellent stopping power. The Terrain Response system, hill descent control, and ascent control enhanced its off-road capabilities, with the Autobiography trim offering a two-speed transfer case for low-range off-roading. The Range Rover Sport's ground clearance and approach, departure, and breakover angles ensured it could tackle various terrains.

The 2024 Kia Sorento's cabin was modern and comfortable, with ample space in the first two rows but limited room in the third row. It offered advantages over smaller SUVs with optional third-row seating, such as the Mitsubishi Outlander and Volkswagen Tiguan, while being nearly as roomy as larger alternatives like the Toyota Highlander. The Sorento provided 1,052 millimetres of front legroom and 1,060 millimetres in the second row, surpassing many two-row SUVs in its class. The third row offered 752 millimetres of legroom, which was competitive for its size.

The Sorento's cargo space was compromised when the third row was in use, offering only 357 litres. However, folding the third row expanded the cargo capacity to 1,090 to 1,274 litres, depending on the trim. With all seats folded, it provided up to 2,139 litres of cargo space. The Sorento's controls were ergonomic, and higher trims featured noise-insulating acoustic glass and ventilated front seats. The optional captain's chairs in the second row allowed for easy access to the third row.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport positioned itself between the Range Rover Velar and the full-size Range Rover in terms of size. It offered more room than the Velar but remained a midsize two-row SUV. Front-seat occupants enjoyed similar headroom to other midsize luxury SUVs, while rear-seat headroom was only slightly impacted by the sloping roof. The Range Rover Sport provided 835 litres of cargo space behind the second row, which was competitive with the Lexus RX but less than some rivals.

The Range Rover Sport's interior featured deep door pockets and large centre console cupholders for storage. The maximum towing capacity for turbo-six and V8 models was 3,500 kilograms, while plug-in hybrids were rated at 3,000 kilograms. The Range Rover Sport's towing capacity exceeded that of competitors like the Acura MDX, Genesis GV80, Lexus RX, and Volvo XC90. The power-operated tailgate and "access height" setting for the air suspension facilitated loading and unloading cargo.

The 2024 Kia Sorento featured a single-pane, twin-screen setup with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and a digital gauge cluster. The new "Connected Car Navigation Cockpit" (CCnC) software prioritized popular features on the home screen, offering a user-friendly experience. Navigation was standard from the X-Line trim up, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity were available across all trims. The system supported over-the-air updates and included USB-C outlets in all three rows.

Higher trims offered a Bose 12-speaker surround sound system, while the X-Line Limited and X-Pro models featured Digital Key 2.0, allowing smartphone access to the vehicle. The Sorento's infotainment system was easy to learn, though voice commands were occasionally unreliable.

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 for infotainment. Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration were standard. The Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive, with natural-language voice recognition. The minimalist design of the dashboard left most functions to the touchscreen, which could be less convenient than physical controls.

The Range Rover Sport SV Edition Two featured "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers, providing a unique audio experience. The Meridian audio system offered up to 29 speakers, depending on the configuration. While the seat transducers added an amusement park-like element, they were not universally appealing.

The 2024 Kia Sorento offered an extensive suite of standard and optional safety features, including adaptive cruise control, forward automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring. The Highway Driving Assist 2 system, available on higher trims, included automated lane changes. The Sorento's adaptive cruise control systems learned from driver behaviour, though sensors could be obstructed by dirt and snow. The IIHS had not fully evaluated the 2024 Sorento, but it received "Good" ratings in some tests. The NHTSA had not yet rated the 2024 model.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport included standard driver-assist features such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring. The 360-degree camera system and digital rearview mirror aided parking, though parking sensors were overly sensitive. The IIHS and NHTSA had not released safety ratings for the current-generation Range Rover Sport.