Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs Chevrolet Bolt

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport was designed to project a sportier image within the Range Rover family. Its tall stature was complemented by a shorter wheelbase and a chopped top, giving it a more athletic appearance compared to the traditional Range Rover. The front featured large air intakes and faux vents on the hood and fenders, enhancing its sporty look. However, from certain angles, the Sport appeared somewhat tall and narrow, lacking the wide, planted stance of some other luxury SUVs. The lineup included SE, Dynamic SE, Autobiography, and SV Edition Two trims, with the Dynamic SE offering a Stealth appearance package. Our test car, the SV Edition 2, boasted high-performance features, including 23-inch carbon-fiber wheels and a carbon-fiber hood. Inside, the SV Edition 2 featured red leather upholstery, sport seats with illuminated inserts, and a minimalist dashboard design. Despite its sporty mission, the interior felt a bit cramped, though material quality was up to luxury standards.

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt retained a familiar look with slight styling changes, resembling a conventional gas-powered car more than an EV. It featured a thin slot behind the Chevy Bowtie logo and an integrated grille insert. The Bolt straddled the line between a large hatchback and a subcompact SUV, offering a single body style for 2027. Its tall and narrow design prioritized utility and interior space over a sporty stance. The interior received a more dramatic makeover, with a larger digital instrument panel and infotainment touchscreen. The push-button gear selector was moved to the steering column, freeing up storage space. The cabin was dominated by hard plastic surfaces, reinforcing its budget feel, though the RS trim added synthetic leather with red stitching. The rear seating area featured hard plastics and lacked padding for the door armrests.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered multiple powertrain options, all paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive. The base SE model featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine producing 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 six-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain rated at 454 hp and 487 lb-ft. The Autobiography trim increased the plug-in hybrid's output to 543 hp and 590 lb-ft, and could also be equipped with 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 output pushed to 626 hp, making it the most powerful production model to wear the Range Rover badge. It could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and had a top speed of 180 mph. The Range Rover Sport's sport-tuned air suspension, four-wheel steering, and brake-based torque vectoring contributed to its agile handling and luxurious ride. Off-road capabilities were enhanced by the Terrain Response system, hill descent control, and ascent control.

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt featured a new 65-kilowatt-hour lithium-iron phosphate battery pack, reducing costs and requiring fewer rare earth minerals. A new motor from Chevy's Equinox EV delivered 210 horsepower and 169 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels, with 0-60 mph acceleration similar to the previous Bolt EV, typically in the low seven-second range. The Bolt's acceleration was quick compared to gas-powered subcompact SUVs, with immediate pedal response. One-pedal driving was available, with medium or high levels of brake regeneration. The ride was firm but not overly stiff, and the Bolt was surprisingly agile on curvy roads due to its low center of gravity. The EPA estimated a range of up to 262 miles on a full charge, with a Tesla-derived NACS charge port standard on all models. Charging speed increased to 150 kW, allowing the Bolt to recharge from 10% to 80% in 25 minutes.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport sat between the Range Rover Velar and the full-size Range Rover in terms of dimensions. It offered more room than the Velar but remained a midsize SUV. The Sport was a two-row, five-seater, with front-seat occupants enjoying similar headroom to other midsize luxury SUVs. Rear-seat headroom was not significantly impacted by the sloping roof, and reclining rear seats were standard. The Sport provided 31.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, with 53 cubic feet available with the rear seats folded. It lacked a split tailgate but featured power operation and an "access height" setting for easier loading. The Sport's towing capacity was 7,716 pounds for turbo-six and V8 models, with plug-in hybrids rated at 6,614 pounds.

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt offered an upright driving position with ample space for larger occupants. Taller drivers might have wished for more telescoping extension from the steering wheel. The rear seats were also upright, with plenty of headroom and adequate thigh support. The Bolt provided 16.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, with a large bin underneath the floor for additional storage. The rear seatbacks folded flat with the cargo floor, and release latches were easily accessible. While there was no frunk, the Bolt offered ample storage for personal items, including a large bin with movable dividers, a big floor tray, and a deep center armrest bin.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment functions. Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration were standard. The screens looked great, but the minimalist design left few options beyond the touchscreen, making some functions less convenient. Steering-wheel controls provided limited alternatives, but the Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive and offered natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition 2 test car included "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers for a unique audio experience, though it felt a bit gimmicky.

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt came with an 11-inch digital instrument panel and an 11.3-inch center touchscreen, running on a Google-based operating system. Apple CarPlay and standalone Android Auto were not supported, but some Android Auto features were integrated. The optional Technology package added a surround-view camera system, digital rear-view mirror, and wireless charging pad. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with logical menus, sharp graphics, and quick responses. The Bolt's navigation system could help find charging stations and precondition the battery for optimal charging rates. Vehicle-to-load charging was also available, allowing the Bolt to serve as a backup power source.

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. A 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.

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt's crash test results were not yet published, but it was expected to achieve high scores based on its platform. Standard safety features included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitors, and a safety alert seat. The optional Technology package added a surround-view camera system, digital rear-view mirror, and additional safety features. GM's Super Cruise hands-free driving system was available for an additional cost.