Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs Subaru Forester Hybrid

The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid presented a fresh design for its sixth-generation model, adopting a more conventional and cohesive look compared to its predecessor. This redesign resulted in a blockier shape with less body sculpting, giving it a visual heft reminiscent of a compact Ford Explorer. Despite losing some of its distinctiveness, the Forester maintained a rugged appearance with black plastic elements hinting at its off-road capabilities. Inside, the Forester Hybrid featured a beveled dashboard centre section dominated by a large vertical infotainment touchscreen, adding modernity alongside a digital instrument panel exclusive to the Hybrid model. While hard plastics were prevalent, soft-touch materials covered frequently touched areas, and the front seats offered ample cushioning and support, enhanced by ventilation and heated outboard rear seats.

The 2026 Land Rover Range Rover Sport retained its distinctive and elegant appearance, characterized by a steeply angled windshield and rear window, a gently sloping roofline, and minimal creases. The pop-out door handles and wide taillight strip added trendy styling elements, while the clamshell hood and narrow lights contributed to a tall and blunt front end. The Range Rover Sport appeared narrow and tall, enhancing both off-road driving and interior headroom. The SV Carbon variant stood out with exposed carbon fibre elements and enormous 23-inch carbon wheels, showcasing exceptional performance credibility. The interior design evolved from the previous generation, featuring a minimalist aesthetic with black plastic dominating the centre stack and console. Despite the lack of physical controls, the look and feel of the seat controls, steering wheel, and seats remained top-notch, with Ultrafabrics offering a practical alternative to leather.

The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid was powered by a 2.5-litre horizontally opposed flat four-cylinder "boxer" engine, paired with a new parallel hybrid system featuring two motor/generators and a 1.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. This combination produced 194 horsepower, surpassing the standard Forester's 180 hp. The all-wheel drive system, combined with a traditional driveshaft, promised better traction and consistent reactions off-road. While acceleration was adequate, the hybrid transmission made it feel slower than it was, with the engine emitting a monotone groan at higher speeds. The hybrid system functioned smoothly, with seamless transitions between electricity and the engine. The Forester Hybrid excelled off-road, thanks to Subie's X-Mode drive programming and hill descent control, offering a desirable balance between on-road comfort and off-road capability.

The 2026 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered three powertrains, each with two states of tune. The standard engine was a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six with 355 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, while the Dynamic SE added an electric supercharger for 395 hp and 406 lb-ft. A plug-in hybrid powertrain with a 32-kilowatt-hour battery pack allowed up to 85 kilometres of gas-free driving, with a total output of 454 hp and 487 lb-ft. The BMW-built V8 engine, available on higher trims, delivered 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, while the SV trims boasted 626 hp. The Range Rover Sport featured adaptive dampers and air springs, allowing for impressive off-road capabilities and a smooth ride. The SV Carbon's handling was exceptional, with grippy tires and a revised air suspension system providing precise wheel control and reduced body roll.

The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid offered an unimpeded forward view from the driver's seat, thanks to thinner front roof pillars. The front seats provided ample space and comfort, while the rear seats offered generous legroom and headroom. The panoramic sunroof added to the sense of openness. Storage options included a wireless charging pad, cup holders, a deep centre armrest bin, and door pockets. The Forester Hybrid could hold up to 779 litres of cargo, with a hands-free power liftgate and power remote seatback releases for added convenience.

The 2026 Land Rover Range Rover Sport provided ample legroom and headroom in all outboard positions, with heated and electrically reclining seats. The cargo space behind the rear seats measured 592 litres, with a cargo divider and buttons to raise or lower the vehicle for easier loading. However, the 1,267 litres available with the rear seats folded was small for a midsize SUV. The narrow door opening for rear passengers was a drawback, but the towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms was impressive. The lack of physical controls was a functional issue, with most functions hidden in the touchscreen.

The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid featured an 11.6-inch vertical infotainment touchscreen with built-in navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Subaru Starlink infotainment system received high marks for its user-friendly interface, with large on-screen buttons and easy-to-navigate menus. The X-Mode off-road drive menu and external camera views were particularly useful for off-roading. The Forester Hybrid also came with an 11-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system.

The 2026 Land Rover Range Rover Sport's 13.1-inch display offered advanced features like the Wade Sensing app and 4x4i app, but basic functionality was challenging due to the lack of physical controls. Apple CarPlay and the factory navigation worked well, and the instrument panel offered configurable layouts. The surround-view cameras were clear, and the Meridian Signature stereo provided good sound quality, though not as impressive as the full-size Range Rover's system.

The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid earned five stars in NHTSA crash tests, except for rollover protection, where it received four stars. The IIHS awarded the non-hybrid model top scores in most categories, earning it a Top Safety Pick award. Standard safety features included Subaru's EyeSight suite, with frontal collision warning, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist. The top-trim Forester Hybrid added rear automatic braking, blind spot monitoring, and a driver attention monitor.

The 2026 Land Rover Range Rover Sport came with standard safety features like automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and adaptive cruise control. However, it lacked front knee airbags and rear side airbags. No crash-test ratings from IIHS or NHTSA were available, but the Euro NCAP gave it a five-star rating.