2024 Volkswagen Atlas vs 2023 Toyota Sequoia

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was a striking presence on the road, blending the bold aesthetics of the Toyota Tundra with a newly sculpted SUV body. Its traditional grille and front bumper gave it a distinct look, setting it apart from the Tundra's more unconventional design. Inside, the Sequoia shared much with the Tundra, featuring an industrial theme with luxurious touches in the Capstone trim, such as leather, wood, and metallic finishes. The 14-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system dominated the dashboard, and the interior's cream white-over-black two-tone colour scheme added a touch of elegance. However, some materials reminded occupants of its pickup truck origins.

In contrast, the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas underwent a styling refresh, enhancing its original design with new lighting elements, including light-up VW logos and a front light bar. These changes gave the Atlas a more American swagger, moving away from its European roots. The Atlas offered new wheel designs across its trim levels, with the Peak Edition adding an outdoorsy flavour. Inside, the Atlas featured a revised look with a freestanding infotainment touchscreen and a minimalist interior design. While the interior aimed for an upscale feel with improved materials, some areas still felt less premium than expected for a top-tier model.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was powered by a hybrid powertrain, combining a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine with a 36-kilowatt electric motor/generator and a 1.87 kilowatt-hour nickel-metal hydride battery pack. This setup delivered 437 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 583 pound-feet of torque at 2,400 rpm. The Sequoia's towing capacity increased to 4,137 kilograms, and it achieved better fuel efficiency, rated at 11.7 L/100 km with 4WD. The Sequoia offered various driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+, but its steering was slow, and the regenerative braking system felt unresponsive.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas, on the other hand, simplified its powertrain options to a single 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, producing 269 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard AWD in Canada. The Atlas was quicker than its predecessor, reaching 100 km/h in approximately 8.5 seconds. While the Atlas prioritized comfort and frugality over performance, it offered a smooth ride and decent power delivery. However, its 4Motion AWD system was more suited for pavement than off-road adventures, and its towing capacity remained at 2,268 kilograms.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia excelled on highways, offering a quiet cabin with comfortable front seats, a JBL premium audio system, and a triple-zone climate control system. However, the Sequoia's interior space was compromised by its hybrid powertrain, resulting in reduced cargo capacity compared to its predecessor. The third-row seats were less comfortable, and the cargo area was smaller than its rivals. Despite these limitations, the Sequoia provided ample storage options with an adjustable cargo shelf.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas offered more standard features, including heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and ventilated front seats. It provided seating for seven with a flexible second-row bench that could accommodate three child seats. The Atlas boasted competitive headroom and legroom across all three rows, with the third-row legroom being the best in its class. While cargo space was reduced with all seats in place, the Atlas still offered more cargo capacity than most rivals, making it a practical choice for families.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia featured a new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system, with a 14-inch touchscreen in higher trims. It offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with connected services and an Intelligent Assistant. However, the system had some quirks, such as glare on the display and occasional issues with Bluetooth pairing. The Capstone trim included a 10-inch head-up display and a surround-view camera system, enhancing the driving experience.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas came equipped with a 12-inch touchscreen and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster as standard. It offered wireless phone charging, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Atlas featured a Harman Kardon premium audio system in higher trims, providing a pleasant audio experience. While the infotainment system was user-friendly, the reliance on haptic touchpads for controls made them less intuitive to use.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia came with a comprehensive suite of driver-assistance features, all standard under the Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 package. This included forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and more. While crash test ratings were not available, the Sequoia's platform-mate, the Tundra, received high marks from the IIHS.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with strong performance in side crash tests. It offered standard driver assistance features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. The Atlas also included emergency features like automatic post-collision braking and a crash response system.