2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe vs 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe was a testament to Jeep's commitment to its iconic design heritage. The vehicle featured the brand's signature seven-slot grille, now enhanced with active shutters for improved aerodynamics and fuel efficiency. The Grand Cherokee 4xe was available only as a two-row, five-passenger SUV, with a trim lineup that included the base 4xe, Trailhawk, Overland, Summit, and Summit Reserve. The Overland trim, which we tested, boasted a silver exterior with a contrasting black roof and 20-inch wheels, along with signature surf blue tow hooks. Inside, the Grand Cherokee 4xe offered a comfortable and upscale feel, with leather seats, wood and metal accents, and heated and ventilated front seats. However, the presence of hard plastic materials in the interior raised concerns about durability and noise over time.

In contrast, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe presented a more conservative exterior design compared to some of Hyundai's recent models. The SUV maintained the same look as the 2022 model, with a wide upper and lower grille and thin LED headlights. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim, which we tested, featured a Stormy Sea paint and a black interior with Nappa leather seats. The cabin exuded a high-quality feel, though it was somewhat dark and monotone. The Santa Fe offered a spacious interior with ample rear-seat legroom and cargo space, thanks to its two-row configuration. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim came with a host of comfort and convenience features, including a panoramic sunroof, head-up display, and Remote Smart Parking Assist.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe stood out with its plug-in hybrid powertrain, combining a 2.0-litre turbo inline four-cylinder engine with a 400-volt, 17-kWh battery pack. This setup delivered an impressive 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, surpassing the output of Jeep's 5.7-litre V8 engine. The Grand Cherokee 4xe featured a standard four-wheel drive system managed by an eight-speed automatic transmission, offering a total driving range of 719 kilometres. The vehicle's fuel efficiency was notable, with a rating of 4.2 litres-equivalent per 100 kilometres, assuming ideal conditions and a fully charged battery. The Grand Cherokee 4xe also offered 42 kilometres of all-electric driving range and featured E Select powertrain modes, including Hybrid, Electric, and eSave. The vehicle's off-road capabilities were enhanced by two available 4x4 systems, Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II, and the Select-Terrain traction system.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe offered two engine options: a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine producing 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged version delivering 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The turbocharged engine, available in the Urban and Ultimate Calligraphy trims, provided brisk acceleration and passing power, with no discernible turbo lag. The Santa Fe featured a drive-mode selector with Comfort, Sport, Snow, and Smart modes, and the Ultimate Calligraphy trim included steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The turbocharged Santa Fe had a towing capacity of 1,587 kilograms, while the non-turbo version could tow 907 kilograms. The vehicle's handling was smooth, with minimal body lean during cornering, and the dual-clutch transmission performed without any low-speed clunkiness.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, unlike its gas-powered counterpart, was not available in a three-row configuration, but it offered ample space for passengers in its two-row setup. The vehicle provided 1,067 litres of cargo space, expandable to 2,004 litres with the second row folded down. The Grand Cherokee 4xe's air suspension allowed for quick adjustments, making loading and unloading easier. The vehicle's interior was comfortable, with plenty of head and legroom for passengers.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, with its two-row configuration, offered generous rear-seat legroom of 1,060 millimetres and competitive cargo space of 1,032 litres, expandable to 2,041 litres with the second row folded. The Santa Fe's interior was designed for comfort, with standard features like an eight-way power driver's seat and heated front seats. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim added luxury features such as ventilated front seats, a power driver seat cushion extension, and a hands-free smart liftgate. The vehicle also included a panoramic sunroof and a head-up display, though the latter required navigating vehicle-settings menus for adjustments. Some minor drawbacks included limited driver leg and hip space due to the wide centre console and potential headroom issues when raising the driver's seat to its maximum height.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe featured the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, an Android-powered interface with customization options like the My Pages feature. The vehicle included a standard 10.1-inch touchscreen front-passenger display and a 10.25-inch digital driver information display. A wireless charging pad and four USB ports were standard, and optional dual rear-seat entertainment screens with Amazon's Fire TV for Auto were available. The Grand Cherokee 4xe's 19-speaker McIntosh stereo, standard on the Overland trim and above, was highly praised for its audio quality.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in in-vehicle technology, offering a 4.2-inch colour LCD multi-information display in the Preferred and Urban trims, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in the Luxury and Ultimate Calligraphy trims. All trims featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Bluetooth. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim included a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system and wireless device charging. The Santa Fe's infotainment system was user-friendly, with clearly marked icons and logical arrangement, though voice-recognition capabilities were mixed, particularly for music requests and cabin temperature adjustments.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe offered a range of standard and optional advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. Blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were available starting at the Overland trim. The vehicle received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), though the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had not yet published its crash-test results.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came equipped with a comprehensive suite of standard safety-related ADAS, such as forward-collision avoidance, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim included Highway Driving Assist, which combined adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability. The Santa Fe received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and was awarded the "Top Safety Pick+" rating by the IIHS, earning the highest-possible Good ratings in all crashworthiness tests.