Nissan Qashqai vs MG ZS

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
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
VS
MG ZS in South Africa

MG ZS

1.5L 4AT Luxury Petrol 4-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 309,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 84 kW 🔧 150 Nm ⛽ 14.08 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Nissan Qashqai vs MG ZS: the short answer

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

Recorded price context Qashqai: last listed from ZAR 495,000 · ZS: current from ZAR 289,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Qashqai ZS
Maximum Power Qashqai110 kW ZS84 kW
Maximum Torque Qashqai270 Nm ZS150 Nm
Engine Size Qashqai1332 cc ZS1498 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Qashqai17 km/l ZS14.08 km/l
Ground Clearance Qashqai180 mm ZS175 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

Qashqai

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Efficiency Published Practicality

ZS

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: General Use

Which One's Right for You?

Qashqai

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

ZS

  • Buyers who prefer this derivative's confirmed specification mix

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 Qashqai ZS
Model Introduced Year 2007 2025
Facelift History Latest generation redesign improved styling and tech Current South African ZS specification introduced with MG's market return in 2025.
Tare Mass Kg 1450 kg -
Generation Not confirmed Current local value-positioned ZS compact SUV, sold alongside rather than replaced by the larger turbocharged ZS Pro.
Facelift Launched Since Not confirmed 2025
Facelift Version Ending Not confirmed Current
Body Style Not confirmed Five-door compact SUV
Model Year Not confirmed 2024
Production Status Not confirmed active
Segment Not confirmed Compact SUV
Vehicle Type Not confirmed SUV
Spec Qashqai ZS
Length 4425 mm 4314 mm
Width 1835 mm 1809 mm
Height 1625 mm 1624 mm
Wheelbase 2665 mm 2585 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 180 mm 175 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 55 l 48 l
Boot/Cargo Space 504 l 359 l
Kerb Weight 1450 kg 1258 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 1980 kg 1695 kg
Towing Capacity 1800 kg 500 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) Not confirmed Not Officially Disclosed
Payload Capacity Not confirmed 437 kg
Number of Rows Not confirmed 2 rows
Doors Not confirmed 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius Not confirmed 5.6 m
Front Headroom Not confirmed 1043 mm
Rear Headroom Not confirmed 995 mm
Front Legroom Not confirmed 1070 mm
Rear Legroom Not confirmed 850 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Qashqai and ZS 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: Qashqai 53 vs ZS 37.

Efficiency index: Qashqai 65 vs ZS 55.

Safety-equipment index: Qashqai 87 vs ZS 87.

Practicality index: Qashqai 68 vs ZS 52.

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

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

Qashqai leads by 7 points

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

Evidence leader 64 /100
Lead 7 points
Data 87% source coverage
64
#1 Evidence leader

Qashqai

87% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 87 Check Ownership 42
Performance 53
Efficiency 65
Safety 87
Practicality 68
Ownership 42
Leads by 7 points
57
#2

ZS

73% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 87 Check Performance 37
Performance 37
Efficiency 55
Safety 87
Practicality 52
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Qashqai +16 Efficiency Qashqai +10 Safety Level Practicality Qashqai +16

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Qashqai

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

ZS

Performance 37/100
Efficiency 55/100
Safety 87/100
Practicality 52/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Nissan Qashqai leads the specification evidence index with 64 pts vs 57 pts for ZS

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

Qashqai vs ZS 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.