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 the new "Pluton Blue" paint, adding a sharp aesthetic. Inside, the Seltos introduced two new interior colors, "Gentle Brown" and "Midnight Green," though the test model retained the standard black interior. A significant interior update was the large digital panel spanning two-thirds of the dash, integrating a fully digital instrument panel and a larger touchscreen infotainment system.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport emphasized a sportier SUV design within the Range Rover family, with a taller stance and shorter wheelbase for an athletic look. Large front air intakes and faux vents contributed 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 the Dynamic SE offering a Stealth appearance package. The SV Edition 2, the highest-performance model, featured carbon-fiber wheels and hood, with a subtle exterior in Marl Grey. Inside, the SV Edition 2 boasted red leather upholstery, sport seats with light-up "SV" inserts, and illuminated steering-wheel paddle shifters, maintaining a minimalist aesthetic with a focus on luxury and sportiness.

The 2024 Kia Seltos offered two engine options. The base engine was a 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with Kia's Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT). The base LX trim came standard with all-wheel drive, while the S and EX trims offered front-wheel drive with optional all-wheel drive. The X-Line and SX trims featured a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 195 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, paired with a new eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. The turbocharged engine provided noticeable acceleration improvements, especially in 40-to-60 mph situations, 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 SE model featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six 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 plug-in hybrid powertrain rated at 454 hp and 487 lb-ft. The Autobiography trim increased the plug-in hybrid output to 543 hp and 590 lb-ft, with an optional twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 producing 523 hp and 553 lb-ft. The SV Edition Two used the same V8, tuned to 626 hp, achieving 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph. The Range Rover Sport excelled in both performance and off-road capabilities, with sport-tuned air suspension, four-wheel steering, and brake-based torque vectoring.

The 2024 Kia Seltos provided up to 62.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, and 26.6 cubic feet with the seats in use. The SX trim offered a hands-free power liftgate. The Seltos featured an upright seating position with ample headroom and good rear legroom, accommodating taller occupants comfortably. The front seating area included decently sized in-door cupholders and cubbies, with a removable cargo cover in the SX trim.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, positioned between the Velar and full-size Range Rover, offered a midsize two-row, five-seater configuration. It provided 31.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and 53 cubic feet with the seats folded. The Sport featured power operation and an "access height" setting for easier loading and unloading. The interior included deep door pockets and large center-console cupholders, with a maximum towing capacity of 7,716 pounds for turbo-six and V8 models.

The 2024 Kia Seltos featured a consistent large digital bezel across trims, with screen sizes varying by trim. The base infotainment system included an 8-inch touchscreen, while higher trims upgraded to a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument panel and touchscreen. Both systems supported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Seltos retained tactile controls for volume and climate, with a responsive screen and optional eight-speaker Bose premium stereo system in the SX trim. Digital Key 2 Touch allowed smartphone-based 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 had functional limitations, with most controls requiring screen interaction. The Pivi Pro infotainment system offered improved responsiveness and natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition 2 featured "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers for a unique audio experience.

The 2024 Kia Seltos included standard driver assistance features such as forward collision avoidance, lane-departure warning, lane-follow assist, automatic high beams, and driver attention warning. The S trim added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safe Exit Warning. The SX trim offered smart cruise control, traffic sign recognition, highway driving assist, and a junction-turning function for forward collision warning.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport provided standard driver-assist features, including 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, though parking sensors were overly sensitive. Safety ratings from IIHS and NHTSA were unavailable at the time of publication.