2024 Hyundai Palisade vs 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade stood out with its distinctive styling, setting it apart from the typical family-friendly SUVs. While its design might not have appealed to everyone, those who appreciated its aesthetics likely found much to enjoy in other aspects of the vehicle. The Palisade was available in several trims, including the SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, Calligraphy, and the new-for-2024 Calligraphy Night Edition. Prices ranged from $36,650 to $53,850, excluding the $1,395 destination charge. The Calligraphy Night Edition, which we tested, featured a blacked-out appearance with dark chrome and gloss black exterior trim, badges, and wheels, available only in Abyss Black or Hyper White paint colors. Inside, it boasted a luxurious black interior with leather and artificial suede inserts, an artificial suede headliner, and sophisticated metal speaker grilles, making it feel like a luxury SUV.

In contrast, the 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport emphasized a sportier aesthetic within the Range Rover family. Its taller stance and shorter wheelbase gave it an athletic appearance, although from some angles, it appeared a bit too tall and narrow. The 2025 lineup included SE, Dynamic SE, Autobiography, and SV Edition Two trims, with a Stealth appearance package available for the Dynamic SE. Our test car, the SV Edition 2, was the highest-performance model, featuring 23-inch carbon-fiber wheels and a carbon-fiber hood. The interior was adorned with red leather upholstery, sport seats with light-up “SV” inserts, and illuminated steering-wheel paddle shifters. Despite its minimalist aesthetic, the Range Rover Sport offered a cockpit-like feel with high-quality materials, although the use of reflective piano black plastic was a bit excessive.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade was powered by a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard, but all-wheel drive was available, offering a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds and eight inches of ground clearance. The Palisade featured multiple driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Sport, Smart, and Snow, with the ability to lock the AWD system for off-road conditions. However, it was best suited for less challenging terrain. The V6 engine provided ample power and smooth acceleration, with the transmission always in the right gear. The AWD system adeptly distributed power on dirt and gravel roads. The EPA estimated 21 mpg in combined driving for the AWD model, but our test averaged 18.8 mpg in Comfort mode. The Palisade offered a quiet ride, thanks to acoustic window glass, and displayed surprising agility on mountain roads, with reliable brakes and predictable handling.

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 pound-feet 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 had a plug-in hybrid with 543 hp and 590 lb-ft, or 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 could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 180 mph. The Range Rover Sport excelled in cornering with its sport-tuned air suspension, four-wheel steering, and brake-based torque vectoring, offering a luxurious ride and impressive agility. Off-road capabilities were enhanced by the Terrain Response system, hill descent control, and ascent control, with air suspension providing up to 11 inches of ground clearance.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade offered a range of seating options, from cloth seats in the base SE trim to premium Nappa leather with microfiber inserts in the Calligraphy Night Edition. Heated and ventilated front seats were available, with memory settings and massage functions in higher trims. The Calligraphy Night Edition provided a comfortable interior with configurable storage, including a large bin, cupholders, and wireless charging. Second-row passengers enjoyed captain’s chairs with heating and ventilation, while the third row offered more space than most rivals. The Palisade featured a hands-free power tailgate and provided 18 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 86.4 cubic feet with seats folded.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, positioned between the Velar and full-size Range Rover, offered a two-row, five-seater configuration. Front-seat occupants found adequate headroom, while rear-seat headroom was comparable to competitors. The Range Rover Sport provided 31.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, expanding to 53 cubic feet with seats folded. It featured power operation and an “access height” setting for easier loading. The Range Rover Sport had a maximum towing capacity of 7,716 pounds for turbo-six and V8 models, with plug-in hybrids rated at 6,614 pounds.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, Bluelink+ connected services, Wi-Fi access, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a rear-seat Quiet Mode. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto required a USB-A cable, while wireless charging was standard from the SEL trim. The Harman Kardon premium sound system provided excellent audio quality. Additional technologies included a digital key function, digital rearview mirror, semi-autonomous remote parking system, and an available head-up display.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport had a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment, with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration. The Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive, with natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition 2 featured “Body and Soul Seats” with embedded transducers for a unique audio experience. The Meridian audio system offered up to 29 speakers, depending on configuration.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade came equipped with the SmartSense collection of driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and more. Highway Driving Assist provided a hands-on driving system for highway travel. The Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, with incomplete crash tests from the NHTSA.

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