2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe vs 2022 Volkswagen Atlas

The 2022 Volkswagen Atlas carried over with minor modifications from the previous year, simplifying its lineup to six trim levels: SE, SE with Technology, SEL, SEL R-Line, SEL R-Line Black, and SEL Premium R-Line. Most models came with more standard features than before. Pricing ranged from $34,355 to $51,505, plus a $1,195 destination charge. The SEL Premium R-Line trim, with extra-cost Aurora Red paint and second-row captain’s chairs, brought the price to $53,790. The SEL Premium featured R-Line design elements, including 21-inch wheels that enhanced the SUV's upscale look. Despite its big and boxy appearance, the Atlas had an appealing design, though some wheel choices did not match its bold styling. The interior displayed simplicity with a premium flair, but the use of low-cost materials and hard, shiny plastics was disappointing for an SUV nearing $54,000.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe introduced a new 30th Anniversary edition, expanding the lineup to six trims: base, 30th Anniversary, Trailhawk, Overland, Summit, and Summit Reserve. Prices started at $61,660, with the Summit Reserve costing $80,320 before upgrades. Our test vehicle, a Trailhawk trim, included a panoramic sunroof, Luxury Tech Group II, and Advanced ProTech Group II, bringing the MSRP to $72,630. A federal income tax credit of $3,750 could reduce the cost to $68,880. The Trailhawk featured sky blue exterior detailing, a matte-black hood decal, unique wheels with all-terrain tires, and the Trail Rated badge. However, the interior fell short of expectations, with too much plastic and glossy surfaces that attracted dust and fingerprints. The leather and artificial suede upholstery were nice, but the overall quality did not convey luxury.

The 2022 Volkswagen Atlas offered a standard turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine for the SE, SE with Technology, and SEL trims, producing 235 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 258 pound-feet of torque at 1,600 rpm. This engine required premium fuel for maximum output and had an eight-speed automatic transmission with FWD or AWD. The turbo-four's towing capacity was 2,000 pounds, with an EPA fuel economy rating of 22-23 mpg combined. The 3.6-liter V6 engine, standard on higher trims and optional on others, produced 276 hp at 6,200 rpm and 266 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. It could tow up to 5,000 pounds but had a leisurely acceleration and a gritty feel. Fuel economy estimates were 19-20 mpg combined, with our test vehicle averaging 19.6 mpg. The Atlas featured Eco, Normal, Sport, and Individual driving modes, with additional Active Control calibrations for AWD models. Ground clearance was 7.1 inches for the turbocharged Atlas and 7.5 inches for the V6.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe combined a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a 17.3-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack and an 8-speed automatic transmission, producing 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. The Trailhawk could tow up to 6,000 pounds and had a standard 4WD system with a two-speed transfer case. Selec-Terrain technology provided Auto, Sport, Mud/Sand, Rock, and Snow modes, along with off-road cruise control and hill descent control. The Trailhawk also featured a front-axle sway bar disconnect system and a height-adjustable air suspension with semi-active damping, offering 10.9 inches of ground clearance. The Grand Cherokee 4xe had an EPA-estimated 25 miles of all-electric range and 23 mpg combined as a hybrid. Our test vehicle traveled 21.2 miles on electric power before the gasoline engine activated, averaging 19.3 mpg in Auto mode. The Trailhawk excelled off-road but had an unrefined gas engine, uneven power delivery, and a regenerative braking system that made smooth stops difficult. The steering response was too fast for the all-terrain tires, making handling feel sketchy.

The 2022 Volkswagen Atlas no longer offered cloth seats, with V-Tex leatherette seating standard, along with heated front seats and a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. Higher trims added features like tri-zone automatic climate control, ambient cabin lighting, an eight-way power-adjustable front passenger’s seat, and a panoramic sunroof. The SEL Premium R-Line trim included genuine leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated second-row seats. The Atlas excelled in interior space and comfort, seating seven people comfortably, even in the third row. The step-in height was low, making it easy to enter and exit. Cargo space was exceptional, with 20.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 55.5 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 96.8 cubic feet with the second row folded.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe had eight-way power-adjustable front seats wrapped in leather and artificial suede, with heating and ventilation. The interior was only available in black. The front seats were firm and relatively flat, while the rear seat cushion was low and lacked support. Rear legroom was tight, and the protruding plastic hooks on the front seatbacks could dig into knees. The power liftgate revealed 37.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seat, accommodating four full-size suitcases and additional bags. Folding the back seat down provided a maximum of 70.8 cubic feet of cargo space, which was small for a midsize SUV.

The 2022 Volkswagen Atlas came standard with the Volkswagen Digital Cockpit instrument cluster, featuring an 8-inch display that expanded to 10.25 inches on higher trims. The SE trim had a 6.5-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and two USB ports. Higher trims featured the MIB3 infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and Car-Net connected services with Amazon Alexa integration. The MyVW smartphone app provided access to Car-Net services, roadside assistance, and maintenance scheduling. The SEL Premium R-Line trim included a 12-speaker Fender premium sound system. However, the infotainment system had a slow startup, a cumbersome tuning process, and unreliable voice recognition.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe featured up to six screens, including a head-up display and dual-screen rear-seat entertainment system with Amazon Fire TV compatibility. The Trailhawk trim had a 10.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, a 10.3-inch front passenger infotainment screen, and a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Uconnect 5 technology. This system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, a navigation system, and Jeep Connect services. The Trailhawk also had an Alpine premium sound system. The Uconnect 5 interface was simple but had low-contrast graphics that were hard to read. The voice recognition system was average, and the wireless smartphone charger was optional. The Trailhawk also had a 10.3-inch infotainment screen for the front passenger, which went unused during testing.

The 2022 Volkswagen Atlas offered a comprehensive list of safety features, including automatic post-collision braking, Front Assist, Side Assist, and Rear Traffic Alert. Higher trims added adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, lane-centering assistance, and Emergency Assist. The SEL Premium R-Line trim included a surround-view camera system and Park Assist technology. However, the parking sensors were overly sensitive with a full load, and the Lane Assist technology struggled with old construction markings. The Atlas received decent crash-test ratings but did not earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and had four-star ratings for frontal-impact tests from the NHTSA.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe came with adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and a reversing camera with rear parking sensors. The Trailhawk trim added active blind-spot monitoring, intersection assist, a surround-view camera, front parking sensors, automatic reverse braking, and a Night Vision system. Some versions offered Jeep Active Drive, a semi-autonomous driving assistance system, but it was unavailable on the Trailhawk. The lane-departure warning system issued false alerts, and the lane-keeping assist was intrusive in curves. The Grand Cherokee 4xe received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, though the latter did not specifically test the 4xe model.