Jeep Grand Wagoneer vs Volkswagen Tiguan

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, sharing its frame and body shell with the standard Wagoneer, presented a traditional SUV aesthetic. It featured a tall hood, broad shoulders, trapezoidal wheel arches, and an upright profile, reminiscent of the smaller 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. Distinguishing itself from the standard Wagoneer, the Grand Wagoneer boasted a standard black roof, a unique hood, front fascia, and grille. The grille leaned forward slightly, with laser-etched knurling in the slots, and the wheel centre caps were protected by acrylic glass. 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 luxurious features, including 24-way power front seats with memory, massage, and lumbar support, along with standard heated seats and a heated steering wheel. Nappa leather upholstery was standard, with higher-grade Palermo leather available. The interior also 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 Volkswagen Tiguan, following updates in 2022, remained largely unchanged. In Canada, it was available in Trendline, Comfortline, Comfortline R-Line Black, and Highline R-Line trims, with R-Line indicating sportier styling. Prices ranged from $36,675 to $47,175, plus a $2,050 destination charge. The test vehicle, equivalent to the Canadian Highline R-Line trim, arrived in Atlantic Blue with Storm Grey leather seats, a combination unavailable in Canada unless ordered in the Highline R-Line trim. Despite six exterior colours, four interior colours, and various wheel designs, choices were restricted by trim level.

The Tiguan's standard equipment included keyless entry with remote start and an 8-way power driver's seat. The Highline R-Line trim, with its sporty appearance and 20-inch machined-finish wheels, appeared more expensive than it was. It featured adaptive front lighting and a light bar across the grille. Inside, the cabin exuded an upscale feel with quality leather upholstery, artificial wood trim, soft-touch materials, digital instrumentation, and a panoramic sunroof. The Tiguan's construction felt solid, and it offered a comfortable ride with a good balance of road feel and compliance.

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. This setup allowed the Grand Wagoneer to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in approximately six seconds, impressive for its 2,900-kilogram weight. The Grand Wagoneer came standard with four-wheel drive, featuring the Quadra-Drive II system with a two-speed transfer case and electronic limited-slip differential. It also included the Selec-Terrain system with five drive modes: Auto, Sport, Rock, Snow, and Sand/Mud.

The Grand Wagoneer boasted a Quadra-Lift air suspension system, height-adjustable for off-roading or reducing aerodynamic drag on highways. 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. Despite its power, the Grand Wagoneer was best driven at a leisurely pace, as its ride became bouncy at higher speeds, and the steering was imprecise. Its size limited off-road capabilities, and it lacked Jeep's "Trail Rated" badge.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan featured a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 184 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. In Canada, the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system was standard, offering Eco, Normal, and Sport driving modes, along with Individual mode for dynamic settings. The AWD system had Onroad, Snow, Offroad, and Custom Offroad settings, varying power distribution between front and rear wheels.

The Tiguan's fuel economy averaged 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving, though testing showed 10.4 L/100 km. The turbo-four engine provided adequate power, but passing slower vehicles required effort, and the automatic transmission occasionally stumbled with delayed downshifts. The Tiguan's dynamic qualities were rewarding, with light and lively steering, excellent tire grip, and stable handling. It offered a compliant ride without unwanted body motions, and road noise communicated road texture. The Tiguan's visibility was excellent, aided by thin windshield pillars and variable-assist steering.

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, Lincoln Navigator, and Infiniti QX80. However, front-row space was more limited compared to the Escalade and Navigator. The Grand Wagoneer provided 775 litres of cargo space with all seats in place and 2,007 litres with the third row stowed. Folding all rear seats yielded 2,667 litres, less than some rivals. It had a maximum towing capacity of 4,472 kilograms, slightly less than the standard Wagoneer due to its extra weight. Standard features included a sunroof, four-zone automatic climate control, and large storage bins.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan offered a roomy interior, with certain configurations featuring a standard third-row seat. However, the third row reduced cargo space, so opting for a two-row configuration provided one of the largest cargo areas in the compact SUV class. The test vehicle had comfortable front seats with eight-way power adjustment, heating, and ventilation, along with a heated steering wheel. Storage space was generous, though the centre armrest bin was small. The dashboard's touch-sensing controls were problematic, with reflective gloss black plastic hampering usability. The Climatronic Touch climate control panel was poorly positioned, and touch-sensing steering-wheel controls were difficult to discern.

The Tiguan excelled in passenger and cargo space, with large rear door openings and a spacious back seat. Legroom, headroom, and foot room were generous, and the test vehicle had air conditioning vents, cupholders, and a USB charging port. The hands-free power liftgate revealed a cavernous cargo area with adjustable load floor height and deep storage wells. With AWD, the Tiguan offered 1,064 litres of cargo space behind the second row and 2,078 litres behind the front seats, comparable to some midsize SUVs.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer featured a standard infotainment system with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, dual touchscreens, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a McIntosh audio system. It supported simultaneous pairing for two Bluetooth-enabled phones and had a 4G-LTE Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight devices. Second-row passengers had a 10.25-inch centre console touchscreen, and an optional rear-seat entertainment system added two 10.1-inch screens. The Grand Wagoneer had a larger touchscreen than the standard Wagoneer, with a second screen for seat massagers. It used the Uconnect 5 infotainment system with an Android-based operating system and over-the-air software updates.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan had digital instrumentation, with R-Line trims featuring a 10.25-inch display. The larger display offered a sophisticated appearance and a full-panel navigation map. The centre touchscreen measured 6.5 inches in lower trims and 8 inches in others, with touch-sensitive main menu buttons and physical control knobs. The top-of-line test vehicle included Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, Car-Net connected services, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and a nine-speaker Fender premium sound system. However, the infotainment system's user interface was complex, with multi-layer processes for simple tasks. The voice-recognition system underperformed, likely due to inactive subscriptions.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer lacked crash-test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA, as it was a newly launched model. 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 Active Lane Management System combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centring, requiring hands on the wheel. A hands-free version was planned for certain highways.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan excelled in safety features and driver assistance technologies. Standard features included Front Assist with forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, Side Assist with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, and an Automatic Post Collision Braking System. The IQ.Drive package, standard on most models, added adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, active blind-spot monitoring, Lane Assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist. The Tiguan's safety technology worked well, with minimal false alerts. However, NHTSA testing was incomplete, and the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating for 2022 did not apply for 2023.