2022 Kia Seltos vs 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan stood out among its competitors with a design that was both creased and symmetrical, leaning towards a conservative aesthetic. This approach, while not eliciting strong emotional responses, was appreciated for its simplicity and minimalism, ensuring the vehicle aged gracefully. The refreshed front styling aligned the Tiguan with Volkswagen’s larger models, featuring a restyled grille with the new VW logo and available illuminated grille bar. Standard LED headlights, new nameplate lettering on the rear liftgate, and redesigned aluminum wheels added to its refined look.

Volkswagen simplified the Tiguan lineup for 2022, offering it in S, SE, SE R-Line Black, and SEL R-Line trims with either FWD or AWD. Prices ranged from $25,995 to $36,995, with a destination charge of $1,195. The SEL R-Line test vehicle, priced at $37,970 MSRP, featured a sportier look with Atlantic Blue Metallic paint and 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the Tiguan SEL R-Line boasted a richer cabin with leather upholstery, new technology, touch-sensing controls, and ambient lighting. However, the hard plastic in the lower half of the cabin revealed its mass-market status. Standard features included keyless entry, push-button start, and heated front seats, with additional options like remote engine start and a panoramic sunroof available on higher trims.

The 2022 Kia Seltos was positioned between the smaller Soul and the larger Sportage, available in five trims: LX, S, EX, Nightfall Edition, and SX. All but the Seltos S included standard AWD, with prices ranging from $22,590 to $28,080, excluding a $1,255 destination charge. The Nightfall Edition test vehicle, priced at $28,045, featured matte-black 18-inch alloy wheels, a turbocharged engine, a dual-clutch transmission, a black grille, added body cladding, and robust roof rails.

The Seltos was an appealing small SUV, though the headlights were not favored, and the intricate wheels were barely visible due to their matte finish. Inside, the Seltos displayed a stylish interior with contrast-color dashboard panels, exposed stitching, gloss-black trim, and metallic accents. However, the abundance of shiny hard plastic made the interior look cheap, despite excellent build quality. The controls were logically arranged, with knobs and buttons for commonly adjusted features. The infotainment system's purple accent color was not widely appreciated, but the Seltos was larger, more useful, refined, and powerful than many of its direct rivals.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan retained its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 184 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 221 pound-feet of torque at 1,900 rpm. An eight-speed automatic transmission transferred power to the front wheels, with an optional 4Motion AWD system that could send up to half the power to the rear wheels. The Tiguan offered Eco, Normal, Sport, and programmable Individual driving modes, with additional Offroad settings for AWD models. However, with just 7.6 inches of ground clearance, the Tiguan was best suited for well-traveled paths.

The Tiguan's suspension system included MacPherson struts in front and a multi-link independent rear suspension, with vented front discs and solid rear discs. The variable assist steering lightened at low speeds and firmed up at highway speeds. Despite some turbo lag when accelerating from a stop, the Tiguan was enjoyable to drive, though it could benefit from more power. The EPA rated the R-Line with 4Motion at 24 mpg in combined driving, and our test drive in Malibu, California, averaged 24.7 mpg. The Tiguan felt nimble and responsive in normal driving situations but lacked the fun factor when pushed hard.

The 2022 Kia Seltos offered a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque in the LX, S, and EX trims, paired with a CVT. The Nightfall Edition and SX trims featured a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 175 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). The turbo engine's torque arrived 3,000 rpm sooner than the base engine, making a significant difference in performance.

The Seltos offered Normal, Sport, and Smart driving modes, with Smart mode balancing fuel efficiency and responsiveness. However, the transmission's eagerness to upshift in Smart mode led to uneven acceleration. Sport mode quickened the powertrain's response, but the transmission sometimes struggled to find the right gear. The Seltos Nightfall Edition returned 27 mpg in combined driving during our Southern California test loop. The AWD system included a Lock function for even power distribution at lower speeds, but the 7.3-inch ground clearance limited its off-road capabilities. The Seltos' suspension tuning was less appealing, with poor handling of speed humps and bumps, and a bouncy ride on uneven roads. Despite these issues, the Seltos felt lively in urban environments and secure on the highway.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan was a giant among compact crossover SUVs, with an interior spacious enough to compare to smaller midsize SUVs. FWD models featured a standard third-row seat, while AWD models did not. The SEL R-Line test vehicle offered exceptional comfort with leather-wrapped, eight-way power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation. The second row was roomy and comfortable for adults, with rear air conditioning vents, a USB charging port, and ample storage.

The Tiguan's cargo space was among the best in its class. FWD models with the third-row seat had 12 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 33 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 65.5 cubic feet with the second row folded. The AWD test vehicle offered 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seat and 73.4 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. However, the switch to touch controls on the steering wheel and dashboard was less user-friendly than traditional buttons and knobs.

The 2022 Kia Seltos excelled in form and function, offering a roomy interior that was easy to live with daily. The Nightfall Edition featured a six-way manually adjustable driver's seat and a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel for a comfortable driving position. The front passenger seat was not height-adjustable but provided proper leg support. The Nightfall Edition included cloth upholstery with Sofino simulated leather bolsters, single-zone automatic climate control, and heated front seats. However, the hard plastic upper door panel trim was unkind to elbows.

The Seltos' rear seat was spacious enough for adults, with generous legroom and footroom. The Nightfall Edition included rear air conditioning vents, a USB charging port, and a center armrest with cupholders. However, the seatback angle was slightly too reclined for comfort. The Seltos offered decent storage space, including a smartphone shelf under the climate control panel. Cargo space measured 26.6 cubic feet behind the back seat and 62.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded, with plastic grocery sack hooks to prevent items from rolling around.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan featured standard digital instrumentation, with most versions using an 8-inch display and the SEL R-Line featuring a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro system. The MIB3 infotainment system, introduced last year, was standard on all but the base Tiguan S, which used MIB2 with a 6.5-inch touchscreen. The MIB3 system included an 8-inch touchscreen, Car-Net connected services, App-Connect smartphone mirroring, and SiriusXM 360L satellite radio. The SEL R-Line added a redesigned navigation system and a nine-speaker Fender premium audio system.

However, the natural voice recognition feature of the MIB3 system required a Plus Speech upgrade and an active Car-Net Hotspot subscription, which was not active in the evaluation vehicle. Car-Net offered a Remote Access plan with complimentary services for five years, including remote engine start, door lock operation, and vehicle location tracking. The Safe & Secure plan included automatic crash notification and emergency assistance, while the Hotspot plan provided a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Tiguan also offered an available Park Assist system for autonomous parking.

The 2022 Kia Seltos expanded the availability of its 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system to the S trim level, where it was an option. This system was standard on the EX, Nightfall Edition, and SX trims, with the SX trim pairing it with a Bose premium sound system. The system included Bluetooth, navigation, connected services, satellite radio, and a six-speaker stereo, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto requiring a cable connection. The standard 8-inch touchscreen in the LX and S trims offered wireless smartphone connectivity.

The Seltos' infotainment system was intuitive to use, with volume and tuning knobs and physical buttons for quick access to primary functions. However, the lack of a native conversational voice recognition system was a drawback. The system's voice recognition was more effective with an active subscription to connected services, but it was still frustrating to use. Launching Apple CarPlay or Android Auto was recommended for better voice recognition performance.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan came standard with Front Assist (forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection) and Side Assist (blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert). The Tiguan's IQ Drive collection of advanced driving assistance systems included Travel Assist, which combined adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assistance, and Emergency Assist, which operated when Travel Assist was active. The 2021 Tiguan earned a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS, and the 2022 model's standard LED headlights and advanced driver aids were expected to improve that score.

The 2022 Kia Seltos was equipped with numerous driving assistance systems, including forward-collision avoidance, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Seltos also featured a Rear Occupant Alert system. The EX trim added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, while the SX trim included adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, Highway Driving Assist, and Safe Exit Assist.

The Seltos' connected services platform offered safety-related functions such as 911 Connect and programmable alerts for teen drivers. The 2022 Kia Seltos SX earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, while other versions did not qualify due to inferior headlight performance. The NHTSA gave the Seltos an overall rating of four stars, with a four-star performance in the front-passenger, frontal-impact crash test.