Jeep Grand Wagoneer vs Kia Sportage Hybrid

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer presented a traditional SUV aesthetic, sharing its frame and body shell with the standard Wagoneer. This resulted in a tall hood, broad shoulders, trapezoidal wheel arches, and an upright profile reminiscent of the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. The Grand Wagoneer distinguished itself with a standard black roof, model-specific hood, front fascia, and grille. Its grille leaned forward slightly, featuring laser-etched knurling in the slots, and the wheel centre caps were protected by acrylic glass, showcasing the “Wagoneer” logo. The vehicle's body-on-frame architecture, shared with the Wagoneer, allowed for independent suspension and incorporated lightweight materials like an aluminum hood and doors.

Inside, the Grand Wagoneer shared styling cues with the Wagoneer, such as an integrated infotainment touchscreen and a two-spoke steering wheel. However, it offered more luxury with 24-way power front seats, Nappa leather upholstery, and optional Palermo leather. The interior featured aluminum and American Walnut wood trim, with seat controls placed high on the doors, reminiscent of Mercedes. The dashboard prominently displayed “Grand Wagoneer” to remind occupants of the vehicle's identity.

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid, built on the N3 platform shared with the larger Kia Sorento, was longer, taller, and wider than its predecessor, enhancing rear-seat legroom. Its bold styling included angular LED headlights and “boomerang” LED daytime running lights, creating a distinctive front end. The Sportage Hybrid EX came with 17-inch alloy wheels, while the SX featured 18-inch wheels, both with unique designs and subtle badging. The interior was centred around a large infotainment display, flanked by air vents that echoed the design of the door handles. The minimalist cabin was more elegant than the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and contrasted with the rugged look of the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

The Sportage Hybrid offered SynTex artificial leather upholstery, marketed as an “animal-free” alternative, though it felt somewhat cheap. The steering wheel retained real leather wrapping. The SX trim included gloss black plastic trim and silver metallic finishes, which initially looked appealing but quickly showed fingerprints and glare. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Sportage Hybrid's interior was well-designed and functional.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer was powered by a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 engine, delivering 471 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. This engine 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 km/h in approximately six seconds, impressive for its 2,900-kilogram weight. 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.

The Grand Wagoneer also featured a Quadra-Lift air suspension system, adjustable for off-roading or highway driving, with a maximum ground clearance of 25.4 centimetres. It could ford up to 60 centimetres of water and was equipped with skid plates for protection. Despite its power, the Grand Wagoneer was best driven at a leisurely pace, as its ride became bouncy at higher speeds, and its steering was imprecise.

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid utilized a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and an electric motor, producing 227 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. It featured standard all-wheel drive in Canada. The powertrain provided smooth and predictable acceleration, with seamless transitions between electric and gasoline power. The transmission was well-tuned, offering smooth shifts and quick responses, contributing to a quiet and comfortable ride.

While not designed as a driver’s car, the Sportage Hybrid offered a pleasant driving experience, though it felt less composed in corners compared to the Honda CR-V Hybrid. Its steering was nonlinear, becoming artificially heavy in Sport mode. The Sportage Hybrid had a towing capacity of 907 kilograms, slightly less than the non-hybrid version.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer accommodated seven passengers with standard second-row captain’s chairs or eight with an optional third-row bench seat. It offered more third-row headroom and second-row legroom than competitors like the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator. However, front-row space was more limited compared to these rivals. The Grand Wagoneer provided 775 litres of cargo space with all seats in place and 2,007 litres with the third row stowed. With all rear seats folded, cargo space was 2,667 litres, less than some competitors.

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. Forward visibility was somewhat limited by the hood, but the standard 360-degree camera system helped mitigate this issue.

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid offered slightly less headroom and cargo space than the non-hybrid version but remained competitive in its segment. It provided more front-seat headroom than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 hybrids, though less for second-row passengers. Rear-seat legroom was best-in-class, tied with the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. The Sportage Hybrid featured a dual-level cargo floor, offering 1,118 litres of space with the rear seats up and 2,087 litres with them folded.

Kia made efficient use of space between the front seats, with a rotary shift knob and a large bin for phones, equipped with USB ports and wireless charging. The cupholders had adjustable rings for different cup sizes, and the centre console storage bin offered ample space.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer featured 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 a 10.25-inch touchscreen for climate control, and an optional rear-seat entertainment system added two 10.1-inch screens. The Grand Wagoneer also offered a 10.25-inch touchscreen for the front passenger, capable of controlling navigation and entertainment.

The Uconnect 5 infotainment system, with an Android-based operating system, supported over-the-air updates. While the screen was sometimes slow to respond, the head-up display was clear and legible.

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid came with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, while the SX trim added a panoramic display combining the touchscreen with a digital instrument cluster. The panoramic display was visually impressive and user-friendly, though Android Auto didn’t utilize the entire screen. Kia included touch controls below the screen, which could switch between audio and climate functions, and analog knobs for volume and temperature adjustments.

Hybrid models featured four USB-C ports, with two additional rear ports and an upgraded Harman Kardon audio system available on the SX trim.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer had not yet been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA. Standard safety features included a 360-degree camera system, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. Optional features included intersection collision assist, driver-attention monitor, night vision, and traffic-sign recognition. The Active Lane Management System combined adaptive cruise control with lane centring, with a hands-free version planned for future release.

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid also lacked crash-test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA at the time of testing. The base EX trim included forward collision avoidance, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and safe-exit warning. The SX trim added a blind-spot view monitor, 360-degree camera system, Remote Smart Parking Assist, and Highway Driving Assist, offering advanced driver-assist technologies.