2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport showcased a refreshed design that mirrored the updates seen in its three-row sibling, the Atlas. It featured new lighting elements at both the front and rear, with the Volkswagen logos on the grille and tailgate now illuminated in white and red, respectively. This lighting innovation was first introduced on the all-electric Volkswagen ID.4. The front of the Cross Sport was enhanced with a light bar connecting the daytime running lights, part of the new standard LED headlights, giving it a modern appearance. The rear of the vehicle, with its reshaped taillights blending into a rear light bar, was particularly distinctive. The Cross Sport's silhouette, with its lower roofline, resembled the "crossover coupes" of German luxury brands, setting it apart from other two-row midsize crossovers. The vehicle was 13 centimetres shorter than the standard Atlas and sat lower, contributing to its unique profile.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport emphasized a sportier aesthetic within the Range Rover family. It stood tall on the road, yet its shorter wheelbase and chopped top lent it an athletic appearance compared to the traditional Range Rover. Large front air intakes and fake vents on the hood and front fenders added to its sporty look, although from certain angles, it appeared a bit too tall and narrow. The Range Rover Sport lineup for 2025 included Dynamic SE, Dynamic HSE, Autobiography, and SV Edition Two trim levels. The SV Edition Two, the highest-performance model, featured 23-inch carbon-fibre wheels and a carbon-fibre hood with an exposed patch. Despite its subtle exterior, the interior was adorned with red leather upholstery, sport seats with light-up “SV” inserts, and illuminated steering-wheel paddle shifters. The minimalist design of the dashboard and centre console was interrupted only by a touchscreen, stubby shifter, and engine start button, creating a cockpit-like feel.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport was powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard 4Motion all-wheel drive in Canada. This engine delivered 269 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque on regular fuel, offering slightly less horsepower but more torque than the previous 3.6-litre VR6 engine. The new engine's peak torque arrived earlier, at 1,550 rpm, compared to 3,600 rpm for the VR6. Although Volkswagen expected the 2024 Cross Sport to be quicker from zero to 100 km/h than the 2023 model with the VR6, the driving experience was not particularly engaging. The Cross Sport's maximum towing capacity remained at 2,268 kilograms, standard for a midsize crossover.

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 was equipped with a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six engine producing 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. A plug-in hybrid powertrain based on this engine delivered 454 hp and 487 lb-ft. The Autobiography model, available with the plug-in hybrid powertrain, increased output to 543 hp and 590 lb-ft. A BMW-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8, producing 523 hp and 553 lb-ft, was available for Dynamic SE and Autobiography models. The SV Edition Two used the same V8 but with output pushed to 626 hp, making it the most powerful production model to wear the Range Rover badge. It could accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, with 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 and luxurious ride.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport added more standard equipment for 2024, including heated side mirrors, two-zone automatic climate control, a power liftgate, a tow hitch, and a heated steering wheel. The front seats were ventilated and heated as standard, while heated second-row seats and leather upholstery were standard on the Highline. The Cross Sport's roofline impacted rear-seat headroom, but legroom was competitive with rivals. It offered 1,141 litres of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 2,197 litres with the seats folded. The cabin was functional, with ample storage space in the centre console and door pockets.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, positioned between the Range Rover Velar and the full-size Range Rover, offered more room than the Velar while remaining a midsize SUV. It was a two-row five-seater, with front-seat headroom comparable to other midsize luxury SUVs. The sloping roof did not significantly impact rear-seat headroom, and reclining rear seats were standard. The Range Rover Sport provided 835 litres of cargo space behind the second row and 1,860 litres with the rear seats folded. The standard air suspension's "access height" setting facilitated loading and unloading cargo. The Sport's maximum towing capacity was 3,500 kilograms for turbo-six and V8 models, with plug-in hybrids rated at 3,000 kilograms.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport came standard with a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and wireless charging for smartphones. The infotainment setup was user-friendly, but the haptic touchpads for controls were less intuitive than conventional buttons. Six USB-C ports were standard, and the Execline trim included a head-up display and a Harman Kardon premium audio system.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment functions, with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration. The screens were visually appealing, but the minimalist design limited physical controls, making some functions less convenient. The Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive, with natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition Two test car included "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers, offering a unique, albeit somewhat gimmicky, experience.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport earned a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side-impact crash testing and four stars in frontal and rollover tests. The IIHS had not released ratings for the 2024 model, but the 2023 model earned top "Good" scores in most crash tests. Standard driver assistance features included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and Travel Assist. The Execline trim added park assist and a surround-view camera system.

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, although the parking sensors were overly sensitive. The IIHS and NHTSA had not released safety ratings for the current-generation Range Rover Sport.