Volkswagen Tiguan vs Jeep Compass

What's the difference?

The third-generation Volkswagen Tiguan is likely to be the most important new vehicle Volkswagen launches in 2025.

The popular mid-sizer has proven to have impressive staying power for the brand, with the outgoing version still impressing buyers despite being nearly a decade old. 

What does this ground-up new version change? Does it have what it takes to maintain the nameplate’s reputation in one of Australia’s most hotly contested market segments? And what are some surprises this time around?

We went to its local launch to find out.

The Jeep Compass is something of a unicorn among the long list of small SUVs sold in Australia. It is now the only model in either the light or small-SUV category that is available with a diesel engine.

That diesel is found under the bonnet of just one variant – the rugged Trailhawk which is also the flagship of the range.

Aside from Suzuki’s adorable Jimny light SUV, the Compass Trailhawk is the only small SUV with some off-road ability.

After going on sale in Australia in late 2017, the second-generation Compass was overhauled as part of a mid-life update in 2021. Aside from subtle styling tweaks, the biggest change was a new multimedia system.

Has Jeep done enough to lift the Compass from an also-ran to a model that buyers should consider, or was the update too little, too late?