2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer vs 2022 Chevrolet Blazer

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer shared its frame and body shell with the standard Wagoneer, resulting in a similar traditional SUV styling. It featured a tall hood, broad shoulders, trapezoidal wheel arches, and an upright profile. The Grand Wagoneer distinguished itself with a standard black roof, model-specific hood, front fascia, and grille. The grille leaned forward slightly with laser-etched knurling, and the wheel centre caps had an acrylic glass covering to protect the “Wagoneer” logo. The vehicle's body-on-frame architecture allowed for independent front and rear suspension, with an aluminum hood and doors, and a composite tailgate to save weight.

Inside, the Grand Wagoneer shared styling features with the Wagoneer, such as an integrated infotainment touchscreen, a large rotary shift knob, and a two-spoke steering wheel. However, it offered more convenience features and higher-quality materials, including 24-way power front seats with memory, massage, lumbar support, and four-way power headrests. Standard heated first- and second-row seats, a heated steering wheel, and optional ventilated second-row seats were available. Nappa leather upholstery was standard, with higher-grade Palermo leather as an option, along with aluminum and American Walnut wood trim. Subtle differences like seat controls placed high on the doors and the “Grand Wagoneer” spelled out on the dashboard further set it apart.

The 2022 Chevrolet Blazer, available in LT, True North, Premier, and RS trims, offered a sporty and appealing design inspired by the Camaro. The LT featured a standard turbocharged four-cylinder engine with front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive, while other trims came with a standard V6 engine and AWD. The RS trim boasted a sophisticated twin-clutch AWD system for improved responsiveness. The Blazer's exterior styling included two-tone paint options and revised bumper and bodyside trim for the Premier version. Inside, the Blazer showcased Camaro-inspired elements in the infotainment and climate control systems, with an 8-inch touchscreen display and innovative temperature adjustment rings on the air vents.

The Blazer's interior featured black leather upholstery with red perforations, lending a sporty appearance. The steering wheel offered power tilt and telescopic adjustment, along with heating for cold weather. Both front seats provided power adjustment, heating, and optional ventilation. The Blazer's back seat was wide and flat, with ample room for legs and feet, and it could slide forward and back to adjust cargo or passenger space. Storage space was impressive, with a large glove compartment, a bin under the centre armrest, and various shelves and bins in the door panels. The power rear liftgate, available with hands-free operation, revealed an 864-litre cargo area, expandable to 1,818 litres with the back seat folded down.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer was powered by a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 engine, delivering 471 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. It featured cylinder deactivation for improved fuel efficiency and was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Grand Wagoneer could accelerate from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in approximately six seconds, despite its hefty weight of around 2,900 kilograms. It came standard with a Quadra-Drive II four-wheel-drive system, including a two-speed transfer case and electronic limited-slip differential, along with Jeep’s Selec-Terrain system offering five drive modes: Auto, Sport, Rock, Snow, and Sand/Mud.

The Grand Wagoneer also featured a Quadra-Lift air suspension system, allowing for height adjustments to enhance off-road capability, reduce aerodynamic drag, or ease ingress and egress. With the suspension raised, it offered 25.4 centimetres of ground clearance, enabling a 25-degree approach angle, 24-degree departure angle, and 22-degree breakover angle. It could ford up to 60 centimetres of water and was equipped with skid plates for protection. Despite its powerful V8 engine, the Grand Wagoneer was best driven at a leisurely pace, as its ride became bouncy at higher speeds, and the steering felt imprecise.

The 2022 Chevrolet Blazer LT came with a standard 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. It was paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, offering front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The Blazer's higher trims featured a 3.6-litre V6 engine, generating 308 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque, with a more sophisticated dual-clutch AWD system available on the RS trim. The V6 engine provided satisfying acceleration, though it could sound loud and unrefined. The Blazer RS felt firm and sporty in city and suburban driving, with decent grip from its 20-inch wheels and tires.

However, the Blazer's performance was less impressive on winding roads, as it tended to bounce on its suspension, and the nine-speed automatic transmission was slow to downshift. In Sport mode, the steering felt artificially heavy, and the vehicle struggled to maintain composure in higher-speed curves. Despite its sporty styling, the Blazer's driving dynamics fell short of expectations. The Blazer RS AWD had a fuel consumption rating of 11.0 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving, but our test vehicle averaged 11.5 L/100 km, likely due to heavy traffic conditions.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer offered seating for seven with standard second-row captain’s chairs or eight with an optional third-row bench seat. It provided more third-row headroom and second-row legroom than competitors like the Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, and Infiniti QX80, though front-row space was more limited. The Grand Wagoneer boasted 775 litres of cargo space with all three rows in place and 2,007 litres with the third row stowed. However, its total cargo capacity of 2,667 litres with all rear seats folded was less than its rivals.

The Grand Wagoneer had a maximum towing capacity of 4,472 kilograms, slightly less than the standard Wagoneer due to its extra weight. It featured a standard sunroof, four-zone automatic climate control, and large storage bins in the first and second rows. Forward visibility was somewhat limited by the hood, but the standard 360-degree camera system helped mitigate this issue.

The 2022 Chevrolet Blazer offered a comfortable and practical interior, with black leather upholstery and red perforations in the RS trim. The steering wheel provided power tilt and telescopic adjustment, along with heating for cold weather. Both front seats featured power adjustment, heating, and optional ventilation. The Blazer's back seat was wide and flat, with ample legroom and the ability to slide forward and back to adjust cargo or passenger space.

Storage space in the Blazer was impressive, with a large glove compartment, a bin under the centre armrest, and various shelves and bins in the door panels. Rear passengers had access to seatback pockets, small trays in the armrests, bottle holders in the door bins, and a centre armrest with cupholders. The power rear liftgate, available with hands-free operation, revealed an 864-litre cargo area, expandable to 1,818 litres with the back seat folded down.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer featured a comprehensive infotainment system with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, dual touchscreens, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a McIntosh audio system, and a 4G-LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. Second-row passengers had access to a 10.25-inch centre console touchscreen for climate control, while an optional rear-seat entertainment system added a pair of 10.1-inch screens. The Grand Wagoneer also offered a separate 10.25-inch touchscreen for the front passenger, allowing for navigation control and screen sharing.

The Grand Wagoneer used the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, featuring an Android-based operating system and over-the-air software update capability. While the system offered a range of features, the touchscreen was occasionally slow to respond, and the instrument cluster's graphics were considered plain. However, the head-up display was clear and legible.

The 2022 Chevrolet Blazer's infotainment system included an 8-inch touchscreen display with simple physical controls, large round centre air vents with innovative temperature adjustment rings, and a strip of climate buttons. The Blazer's interior featured black leather upholstery with red perforations, lending a sporty appearance. The steering wheel offered power tilt and telescopic adjustment, along with heating for cold weather.

Both front seats provided power adjustment, heating, and optional ventilation. The Blazer's back seat was wide and flat, with ample room for legs and feet, and it could slide forward and back to adjust cargo or passenger space. Storage space was impressive, with a large glove compartment, a bin under the centre armrest, and various shelves and bins in the door panels. The power rear liftgate, available with hands-free operation, revealed an 864-litre cargo area, expandable to 1,818 litres with the back seat folded down.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer had not yet been rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at the time of its launch. Standard safety features included a 360-degree camera system, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. Optional features included intersection collision assist, driver-attention monitor, night vision, traffic-sign recognition, and two levels of driver-assistance systems.

The Grand Wagoneer offered an Active Lane Management System, combining adaptive cruise control with automated lane centring, though it required drivers to keep their hands on the wheel. Jeep planned to introduce a hands-free version at a later date, which would work on certain stretches of highway and include driver monitoring to prevent misuse.

The 2022 Chevrolet Blazer came standard with the Chevy Safety Assist suite, which included forward-collision alert, pedestrian detection, low-speed automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Blazer also featured a rear-seat reminder system and Teen Driver technology, which monitored young drivers and provided a report card for parents.

Available safety upgrades included a vibrating Safety Alert Seat, adaptive cruise control with enhanced automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Blazer's LED headlights did not receive high ratings from the IIHS, preventing it from earning a "Top Safety Pick" designation. However, the Blazer's advanced driving assistance systems were effective and user-friendly, making them more likely to be used by drivers.