Volkswagen Caddy vs Nissan Qashqai

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Includes a historical vehicle

Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Nissan Qashqai Discontinued model
Volkswagen Caddy in South Africa

Volkswagen Caddy

Caddy Maxi 2.0 TDI Manual Diesel Current
ZAR 722,650 ex-showroom
⚡ 81 kW 🔧 300 Nm ⛽ 18.2 km/l
VS
Nissan Qashqai in South Africa

Nissan Qashqai

1.3 Tekna CVT Petrol CVT Discontinued model
ZAR 545,000 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 110 kW 🔧 270 Nm ⛽ 17 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Volkswagen Caddy vs Nissan Qashqai: the short answer

Caddy and Qashqai are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Recorded price context Caddy: current from ZAR 573,200 · Qashqai: last listed from ZAR 495,000

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Caddy Qashqai
Maximum Power Caddy81 kW Qashqai110 kW
Maximum Torque Caddy300 Nm Qashqai270 Nm
Engine Size Caddy1968 cc Qashqai1332 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Caddy18.2 km/l Qashqai17 km/l
Ground Clearance Caddy144 mm Qashqai180 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

Evidence for Nissan Qashqai 1.3 Tekna CVT

Source type: Hagalu catalogue record

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

Caddy

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Efficiency

Qashqai

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

Caddy

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Qashqai

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec Caddy Qashqai
Model Introduced Year 2021 2007
Generation SA5 fifth generation on MQB platform – major improvement over previous generation Not confirmed
Facelift History Fifth generation launched in SA in 2021 – completely new platform and design Latest generation redesign improved styling and tech
Facelift Launched Since 2021 Not confirmed
Facelift Version Ending Current Not confirmed
Body Style Van Not confirmed
Color Note White, Silver, Black Not confirmed
Dealer Stock Note Top grade in the South Africa lineup Not confirmed
Drivetrain Note 4x2 configuration for the local line-up Not confirmed
Model Year Current Not confirmed
Production Status published Not confirmed
Segment Van Not confirmed
Tare Mass Kg 1707 kg 1450 kg
Vehicle Type Van Not confirmed
Spec Caddy Qashqai
Length 4853 mm 4425 mm
Width 1855 mm 1835 mm
Height 1823 mm 1625 mm
Wheelbase 2970 mm 2665 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 144 mm 180 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 50 l 55 l
Boot/Cargo Space 446 l 504 l
Kerb Weight 1707 kg 1450 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2250 kg 1980 kg
Payload Capacity 543 kg Not confirmed
Towing Capacity 1500 kg 1800 kg
Seating Capacity 7 seats 5 seats
Doors 5 doors Not confirmed
Minimum Turning Radius 12.1 m Not confirmed

In depth: how these cars differ

This Caddy and Qashqai comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Caddy 44 vs Qashqai 53.

Efficiency index: Caddy 72 vs Qashqai 65.

Safety-equipment index: Caddy 88 vs Qashqai 87.

Practicality index: Caddy 66 vs Qashqai 68.

Ownership-cover index: Caddy not separately scored vs Qashqai 42.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Caddy leads by 3 points

Caddy and Qashqai are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 67 /100
Lead 3 points
Data 55% source coverage
67
#1 Evidence leader

Caddy

55% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 88 Check Performance 44
Performance 44
Efficiency 72
Safety 88
Practicality 66
Leads by 3 points
64
#2

Qashqai

87% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 87 Check Ownership 42
Performance 53
Efficiency 65
Safety 87
Practicality 68
Ownership 42
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Qashqai +9 Efficiency Caddy +7 Safety Caddy +1 Practicality Qashqai +2

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Caddy

Performance 44/100
Efficiency 72/100
Safety 88/100
Practicality 66/100

Qashqai

Performance 53/100
Efficiency 65/100
Safety 87/100
Practicality 68/100
Ownership 42/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Volkswagen Caddy leads the specification evidence index with 67 pts vs 64 pts for Qashqai

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Caddy leads. However, Qashqai may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Caddy vs Qashqai questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.