2022 Jeep Compass vs 2022 Genesis GV70

The 2022 Jeep Compass, despite receiving exterior styling updates and new wheel designs, retained much of its familiar look since its last redesign in 2017. It resembled a smaller version of the Grand Cherokee, with our High Altitude test vehicle featuring attractive 19-inch multi-spoke wheels that matched the paint, giving it an upscale appearance. Inside, the Compass High Altitude impressed with a new dashboard design, updated digital instrumentation, and luxury-grade leather seats, enhancing its premium SUV appeal. The lineup started with the base Sport trim and moved up to the High Altitude, with prices ranging from $26,020 to $35,085, excluding destination charges.

The 2022 Genesis GV70, while inheriting some styling elements from other Genesis models, maintained a unique appearance. It featured quad LED strips for headlights and taillights, a large shield-shaped grille, and a sloping roofline that added a fastback touch. The Sport Prestige models had distinctive styling features, including 21-inch wheels with a web pattern and dark chrome trim. Inside, the GV70 boasted an elliptical theme inspired by an airplane wing, with a minimalistic design and a rotary gear selector. The interior offered a range of color options and luxurious materials, with Nappa leather upholstery and suede seat inserts in the Sport Prestige test car.

The 2022 Jeep Compass was equipped with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 177 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque. Despite its "Tigershark" name, the engine lacked the power to compete with other SUVs. A turbocharger would have improved performance, especially for those seeking mountain adventures. The nine-speed automatic transmission, paired with all-wheel drive, aimed to maximize fuel efficiency but resulted in a busy and unrewarding powertrain. The Compass offered various driving modes and had 8.1 inches of ground clearance, making it suitable for light off-roading. However, the drivetrain was the least appealing aspect of the Compass, with a noisy engine and slow acceleration.

The 2022 Genesis GV70 offered two engine options: a 2.5-liter turbo-four with 300 horsepower and a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with 375 horsepower. Both engines came with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. The GV70 featured a rear electronic limited-slip differential and launch control, emphasizing its sporty character. The Sport+ drive mode enhanced throttle response and kept the engine in its power band. However, the GV70 felt heavy and lacked the sharpness of competitors like the Acura RDX and BMW X3. The ride was firm, even in Comfort mode, and the exhaust sound was not pleasant. The GV70 excelled in highway cruising but fell short of being a luxurious driving experience.

The 2022 Jeep Compass shared similar interior dimensions with the Renegade and Cherokee, offering enough space for four adults and their luggage. The High Altitude trim featured eight-way power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The redesigned dashboard and Uconnect 5 infotainment system improved perceived quality. The Compass provided 27.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, expanding to 59.8 cubic feet with the seats folded down, surpassing the more expensive Cherokee model.

The 2022 Genesis GV70 offered mid-pack interior space for its segment. It provided adequate legroom and good rear-seat visibility. The cargo space measured 28.9 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and 56.9 cubic feet with the seats folded. The daring interior design compromised storage space, with a slim center console and thin door pockets. The front seats in the Sport Prestige test car were heavily bolstered, offering heating, ventilation, massage, and posture-assist functions. However, the massage controls were buried in touchscreen menus, and the posture assist activated unexpectedly.

The 2022 Jeep Compass featured the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, which was five times faster than its predecessor. It offered an 8.4-inch touchscreen as standard, with a 10.1-inch upgrade available. The system supported wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa, along with over-the-air updates. The Compass also offered a navigation system, WiFi hotspot, and a nine-speaker Alpine premium sound system. The voice recognition system was fast and accurate, but some features required extra effort to use.

The 2022 Genesis GV70 boasted a 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The tile-based layout and crisp graphics were user-friendly, and the glass rotary controller added functionality. Higher trims offered a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12-inch head-up display. The GV70 featured a digital-key feature, a fingerprint scanner, and a radar-based rear-seat monitor. Genesis Connected Services included remote camera activation and other features, free for three years.

The 2022 Jeep Compass came with standard safety features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring. Highway Assist, combining adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance, was set to be added later. The adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems worked well, but the forward-collision warning system occasionally gave false positives. Safety ratings from IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of review.

The 2022 Genesis GV70 offered standard safety features such as lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, and blind-spot monitoring. It also included Highway Driving Assist, which added automated lane centering to adaptive cruise control. Optional features included Highway Driving Assist 2 with lane-change functionality. The GV70 impressed with smooth control inputs, but the lane-centering function struggled with curves. Crash-test ratings from IIHS and NHTSA were not available.