2024 Hyundai Kona vs 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2024 Hyundai Kona was designed with an electric vehicle (EV) focus, evident in its sleek, modern appearance. The front grille closely resembled that of the Ioniq 5, featuring a single-piece design that highlighted its electric powertrain. The Kona adopted the "seamless horizon" styling seen in the new Sonata, with a prominent skinny LED headlight at the front. Despite its increased size, the Kona maintained its recognizable silhouette, with new creased "parametric surface" doors and more substantial black body cladding on the SE, SEL, and Limited trims. The N-Line trim featured body-colored wheel arches, adding a sporty touch. Standard LED headlights, taillights, and daytime running lights were part of the package, with 17-inch wheels standard and larger options for higher trims. Inside, the cabin was updated with a driver-oriented center stack, a relocated gear shift, and a curved display housing both driver-information and infotainment screens.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport emphasized a sportier SUV aesthetic within the Range Rover family. It stood tall on the road, with a shorter wheelbase and chopped top for a more athletic look. Large front air intakes and fake vents on the hood and fenders added to its sporty appearance, though it appeared somewhat tall and narrow from certain angles. The lineup included SE, Dynamic SE, Autobiography, and SV Edition Two trims, with a Stealth appearance package available for the Dynamic SE. The SV Edition 2, the highest-performance model, featured 23-inch carbon-fiber wheels and a carbon-fiber hood. Inside, the SV Edition 2 boasted red leather upholstery, sport seats with light-up "SV" inserts, and illuminated steering-wheel paddle shifters. The minimalist interior design included a touchscreen, stubby shifter, and engine start button, creating a cockpit-like feel. Material quality met luxury standards, though the use of reflective piano black plastic was excessive.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona retained its predecessor's engine lineup, with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine for the SE and SEL trims, producing 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The N-Line and Limited trims featured a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, now coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Paddle shifters were available on the N-Line and Limited trims, and the SEL Convenience Package added them for the CVT. During a test drive from Baltimore to the Maryland countryside, the Kona Limited and N-Line demonstrated intuitive steering and nimble handling, though pickup was slightly slow even with the turbo. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available for an additional $1,500, affecting fuel economy estimates.

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 SE model featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine with 355 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. The Dynamic SE offered a higher output of 395 hp and 406 lb-ft, along with a six-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain rated at 454 hp and 487 lb-ft. The Autobiography trim had a plug-in hybrid powertrain with 543 hp and 590 lb-ft, and a BMW-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 producing 523 hp and 553 lb-ft. The SV Edition Two used the same V8, but with 626 hp, making it the most powerful Range Rover model. It achieved 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph. The Range Rover Sport excelled in handling with sport-tuned air suspension, four-wheel steering, and brake-based torque vectoring, providing a luxurious ride. Off-road capabilities included the Terrain Response system, hill descent control, and ascent control, with varying ground clearance and approach angles.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona's increased length enhanced rear-seat legroom to 38.2 inches, three inches longer than the 2023 model, and six inches more than the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross. The narrower, molded front seats improved comfort and space for rear passengers. Headroom increased to 38.3 inches front and rear with the sunroof. Cargo capacity expanded from 19.2 to 25.5 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 63.7 cubic feet with them folded down. The Kona Limited featured a power hands-free liftgate for easy access. Inside, a handy shelf on the passenger's side of the dash provided storage, and a "guardrail" kept phones secure on the wireless charging pad. The Kona offered cloth seats on SE and SEL trims, a leather/suede combination for N-Line, and H-Tex leatherette for Limited. Ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel were standard on the Limited trim.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, positioned between the Range Rover Velar and 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 didn't significantly impact rear-seat headroom, and reclining rear seats were standard. The Range Rover Sport provided 31.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, more than a Lexus RX but less than competitors like the MDX, X5, GLE, or GV80. With the rear seats folded, it offered 53 cubic feet of cargo space. The vehicle featured power operation and an "access height" setting for the air suspension, facilitating loading and unloading. Deep door pockets and large center-console cupholders provided storage. The Range Rover Sport's towing capacity was 7,716 pounds for turbo-six and V8 models, and 6,614 pounds for plug-in hybrids.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona introduced several technological enhancements. A 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen display became standard across the lineup, replacing the previous 8-inch display. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were available on lower trims, with an over-the-air update promised for higher trims. N-Line and Limited trims featured wireless device charging and a new Wi-Fi hotspot. The upgraded stereo system was provided by Bose, and every Kona had two USB-C ports in the front and two at the back for rear-seat passengers. Dual 12.3-inch screens created a panoramic view in the curved housing, optional with the Convenience Package and included with N-Line and Limited trims. Hyundai's Bluelink connected services were standard, with a subscription included for the vehicle's life.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport shared the same screen setup as the larger Range Rover, with 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 screens looked impressive, but the minimalist design limited physical controls, requiring screen widgets for functions like climate control and drive mode selection. Steering-wheel controls offered limited alternatives. Land Rover's Pivi Pro infotainment system was more responsive, with improved natural-language voice recognition. The gauge cluster provided various configurations for information. The SV Edition 2 featured "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers for music or relaxation programs, though the experience felt somewhat gimmicky.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona offered advanced driver-assistance safety features across its lineup. Standard features included Safe Exit Warning, blind-spot collision avoidance, and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance. High-beam assist was standard, and adaptive cruise control was available on N-Line and Limited trims. The Limited trim also featured Surround View Monitor and blind-spot view monitor. Hyundai's Highway Driving Assist suite impressed with smooth lane-keep assist, though it was slightly resistant to cancellation on backroads.

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. The standard 360-degree camera system and digital rearview mirror aided parking, though parking sensors were overly sensitive. Safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of publication.