2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport was designed to emphasize a sportier aesthetic within the Range Rover family. It stood tall on the road, yet its shorter wheelbase and chopped top lent it a more athletic appearance compared to the traditional Range Rover. The large front air intakes and faux vents on the hood and fenders contributed to its sporty look, although from certain angles, it appeared somewhat tall and narrow, lacking the wide, planted stance of some luxury SUVs. 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 elements and a minimalist interior with red leather upholstery and illuminated accents, creating a unique yet slightly cramped cockpit-like feel.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, available in five trims, maintained its chunky, boxy design from its 2024 debut. Its long wheelbase, flat hood, and snub nose gave it a distinctive look, complemented by pixelated H-shaped LED headlamps. The rear design, however, suffered from mismatched proportions, with taillights positioned lower than ideal. Each trim had specific wheel sizes, with the off-road-focused XRT trim adding chrome and black trim. Inside, the Santa Fe offered seating for seven, except for the Calligraphy trim, which featured captain's chairs. The interior boasted a range of materials from basic cloth to luxurious Nappa leather, with some squeaks and rattles noted during testing. The inclusion of physical dials for HVAC temperature was appreciated, though the fan speed buttons were less intuitive.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered a variety of powertrains, all paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard 4WD. The base SE model featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine producing 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 option rated at 454 hp and 487 lb-ft. The Autobiography trim could be equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain delivering 543 hp and 590 lb-ft or a BMW-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with 523 hp and 553 lb-ft. The SV Edition Two used the same V8, tuned to 626 hp, making it the most powerful Range Rover model. It accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 180 mph. The Range Rover Sport excelled in both on-road performance and off-road capabilities, featuring a sport-tuned air suspension, four-wheel steering, and brake-based torque vectoring.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a standard 2.5-liter turbocharged engine producing 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, with FWD or AWD options. The XRT trim was AWD only, featuring an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Santa Fe Hybrid combined a 1.6-liter engine with an electric motor for 231 hp and 271 lb-ft. The Santa Fe offered stable cornering, firm brakes, and responsive steering, though it experienced noticeable turbo lag and occasional transmission delays. The XRT trim included 30-inch all-terrain tires and 8.3 inches of ground clearance, enhancing its off-road geometry. While not a rugged rock crawler, the Santa Fe handled graded dirt roads and small obstacles well.

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 enjoyed similar headroom to other midsize luxury SUVs, with adequate rear-seat headroom despite the sloping roof. The Range Rover Sport provided 31.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and 53 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. It featured power operation and an "access height" setting for easier loading. The Sport's towing capacity reached 7,716 pounds for turbo-six and V8 models, with plug-in hybrids rated at 6,614 pounds.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, with its spacious interior, offered the most third-row legroom in its class. The second-row seats had adjustable cushion angles, and both the second and third rows could be folded for increased cargo space. With all seats occupied, it provided 14.6 cubic feet of space, expanding to 79.6 cubic feet with the second row folded. The Santa Fe's rear opening was widened to 50.2 inches, facilitating the loading of large items. Most trims could tow 3,500 pounds, with the XRT trim capable of towing 4,500 pounds.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured 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 minimalist design, while visually appealing, limited physical controls, requiring screen widgets for functions like climate control. The Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive, with natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition 2 included "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers for a unique audio experience, though it felt somewhat gimmicky.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment, with the top trims also featuring a digital gauge cluster. The system was user-friendly, with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Upper trims offered Amazon Music, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and Hyundai Pay. Charging options included multiple USB-C ports and wireless charging. The Santa Fe also featured a digital key and an available fingerprint scanner for added security. The Bluelink app provided remote connectivity and over-the-air updates.

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

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, including adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-keeping assist. Higher trims added features like rear parking collision avoidance assist and Highway Drive Assist. The top trims included a blind spot avoidance feature and Blind-View Monitor. The NHTSA awarded the Santa Fe a four-star overall safety rating, while the IIHS rated it as Good in most categories.