Renault Duster 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
Renault Duster in South Africa

Renault Duster

1.2 Turbo Zen 4WD Mild Hybrid Petrol Mild Hybrid 6-Speed Manual Current
ZAR 549,999 ex-showroom
⚡ 96 kW 🔧 230 Nm ⛽ 17.5 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

Renault Duster vs Nissan Qashqai: the short answer

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

Recorded price context Duster: current from ZAR 489,999 · Qashqai: last listed from ZAR 495,000

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Duster Qashqai
Maximum Power Duster96 kW Qashqai110 kW
Maximum Torque Duster230 Nm @ 2000 rpm Qashqai270 Nm
Engine Size Duster1200 cc Qashqai1332 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Duster17.5 km/l Qashqai17 km/l
Ground Clearance Duster217 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

Duster

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

Qashqai

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

Which One's Right for You?

Duster

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Qashqai

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain 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 Duster Qashqai
Model Introduced Year 2026 2007
Generation Current South Africa Duster range Not confirmed
Facelift History Current South Africa version listed by official source Latest generation redesign improved styling and tech
Facelift Launched Since 2026 Not confirmed
Facelift Version Ending Current Not confirmed
Body Style SUV Not confirmed
Model Year 2026 Not confirmed
Production Status active Not confirmed
Segment SUV Not confirmed
Tare Mass Kg 1451 kg 1450 kg
Vehicle Type SUV Not confirmed
Spec Duster Qashqai
Length 4343 mm 4425 mm
Width 2095 mm 1835 mm
Height 1661 mm 1625 mm
Wheelbase 2658 mm 2665 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 217 mm 180 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 217 mm Not confirmed
Fuel Tank Capacity 50 l 55 l
Boot/Cargo Space 594 l 504 l
Kerb Weight 1451 kg 1450 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 1950 kg 1980 kg
Payload Capacity 499 kg Not confirmed
Towing Capacity 1500 kg 1800 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows Not confirmed
Doors 5 doors Not confirmed
Minimum Turning Radius 5.35 m Not confirmed
Front Headroom 1007 mm Not confirmed
Rear Headroom 974 mm Not confirmed
Front Legroom 1050 mm Not confirmed
Rear Legroom 892 mm Not confirmed

In depth: how these cars differ

This Duster 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: Duster 50 vs Qashqai 53.

Efficiency index: Duster 72 vs Qashqai 65.

Safety-equipment index: Duster 91 vs Qashqai 87.

Practicality index: Duster 71 vs Qashqai 68.

Ownership-cover index: Duster 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

Duster leads by 6 points

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

Evidence leader 70 /100
Lead 6 points
Data 65% source coverage
70
#1 Evidence leader

Duster

65% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 91 Check Performance 50
Performance 50
Efficiency 72
Safety 91
Practicality 71
Leads by 6 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 +3 Efficiency Duster +7 Safety Duster +4 Practicality Duster +3

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Duster

Performance 50/100
Efficiency 72/100
Safety 91/100
Practicality 71/100

Qashqai

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

What the evidence means

Evidence index Renault Duster leads the specification evidence index with 70 pts vs 64 pts for Qashqai

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

Duster 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.