Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 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
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport in South Africa

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

2.4L DI-DC 8-speed A/T 4X4 Exceed Diesel 8-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 904,990 ex-showroom
⚡ 133 kW 🔧 430 Nm ⛽ 12.3 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

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport vs Nissan Qashqai: the short answer

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

Recorded price context Pajero Sport: current from ZAR 789,990 · Qashqai: last listed from ZAR 495,000

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Pajero Sport Qashqai
Maximum Power Pajero Sport133 kW @ 3500 rpm Qashqai110 kW
Maximum Torque Pajero Sport430 Nm @ 2500 rpm Qashqai270 Nm
Engine Size Pajero Sport2442 cc Qashqai1332 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Pajero Sport12.3 km/l Qashqai17 km/l
Ground Clearance Pajero Sport218 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

Pajero Sport

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

Qashqai

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

Which One's Right for You?

Pajero Sport

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

Qashqai

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

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 Pajero Sport Qashqai
Model Introduced Year 2017 2007
Generation Third-generation Pajero Sport, 2025 facelift Not confirmed
Facelift History South African facelift launched in May 2025. Latest generation redesign improved styling and tech
Facelift Launched Since Current specification Not confirmed
Facelift Version Ending Current Not confirmed
Body Style SUV Not confirmed
Model Year 2026 Not confirmed
Production Status active Not confirmed
Segment Seven-seat ladder-frame SUV Not confirmed
Vehicle Type Passenger vehicle Not confirmed
Tare Mass Kg - 1450 kg
Spec Pajero Sport Qashqai
Length 4825 mm 4425 mm
Width 1815 mm 1835 mm
Height 1805 mm 1625 mm
Wheelbase 2800 mm 2665 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 218 mm 180 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 190 mm Not confirmed
Fuel Tank Capacity 68 l 55 l
Boot/Cargo Space 193 l 504 l
Kerb Weight 2080 kg 1450 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2775 kg 1980 kg
Payload Capacity 695 kg Not confirmed
Towing Capacity 2850 kg 1800 kg
Seating Capacity 7 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 3 rows Not confirmed
Doors 5 doors Not confirmed
Minimum Turning Radius 5.6 m Not confirmed
Front Headroom 1022 mm Not confirmed
Rear Headroom 957 mm Not confirmed
Front Legroom 1067 mm Not confirmed
Rear Legroom 880 mm Not confirmed

In depth: how these cars differ

This Pajero Sport 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: Pajero Sport 65 vs Qashqai 53.

Efficiency index: Pajero Sport 49 vs Qashqai 65.

Safety-equipment index: Pajero Sport 72 vs Qashqai 87.

Practicality index: Pajero Sport 71 vs Qashqai 68.

Ownership-cover index: Pajero Sport 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

Pajero Sport leads by 1 points

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

Evidence leader 65 /100
Lead 1 points
Data 83% source coverage
65
#1 Evidence leader

Pajero Sport

83% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 72 Check Efficiency 49
Performance 65
Efficiency 49
Safety 72
Practicality 71
Leads by 1 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 Pajero Sport +12 Efficiency Qashqai +16 Safety Qashqai +15 Practicality Pajero Sport +3

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Pajero Sport

Performance 65/100
Efficiency 49/100
Safety 72/100
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 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport leads the specification evidence index with 65 pts vs 64 pts for Qashqai

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

Pajero Sport 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.