MG ZS vs Nissan Qashqai

What's the difference?

The MG ZS Essence with the 1.5-litre petrol engine has many strengths - price and value for money, practicality and space, good looks… and the only area where it really struggles to match its rivals is its underpowered engine. 

The good news is the Essence also comes with a turbo engine and while this isn’t a race car by any means, turbocharging is a way to add the oomph needed in a car this size. 

Stepping up to the MG ZS Essence Turbo costs an extra $2000, but if you can make the budget stretch you’ll have the complete package of value, looks, practicality, safety and much better performance for more enjoyable driving.

The facelifted Nissan Qashqai N-Design e-Power is a well-rounded package. It offers comfort, style and decent efficiency. The on-road experience will be the winning factor as it’s sure-footed and easy going to drive. You’ll have the best of both worlds in the city with the hybrid powertrain and small SUV size, which makes this a winner in my books.

The ZS's good looks is another strength.

The new-gen ZS arrived in Australia late in 2024 and this petrol version landed in February 2025. The styling looks more expensive and premium than its price tag would suggest. The sleek nose, the refined tail-lights, a pleasing profile all make for a good looking small SUV.

There are many interesting elements in the design - the grille and its aggressively looking flanking 'air intakes', the crease through the door panels, the little fin that meets the tail-light.

Squint and it looks like a mini Ford Territory. Sort of…

The cabin of the ZS Essence is equally refined with a modern design and soft touchpoints throughout. It’s a minimalist and spacious place free from button clutter.

The ZS is 4430mm long, 1818mm wide and 1635mm high. Ground clearance is 161mm, in case you’ve been lying in bed wondering.

The Qashqai is sharply styled with crisp pleating across the body panels and the N-Design comes with unique 20-inch alloy wheels, sequential turn signals and extra black accents across its body which adds to its sporty road-side presence. Our test model’s Fuji Sunset Red paintwork also adds a bit of spice to the kerb appeal.

The cabin immediately feels high end with the mix of synthetic leather and suede that is scattered liberally across the seats, dashboard and doors. The black headliner makes the cabin feel cosy but it becomes bright and airy when you open it to reveal the panoramic sunroof.

The dashboard features both traditional and modern elements with its buttons and dials and the dual 12.3-inch displays, which will satisfy fans of both.

The design looks great, it's plush and well-built inside. The only drawback is how the synthetic leather on the seat feels as it’s a bit too plasticky for my liking but otherwise, the Qashqai has a lovely cabin that should appeal to a lot of people.

Practicality is a big strength, too, with a proximity key that’ll unlock the car when you touch the door handle, and a cabin with good legroom and headroom even for me at 189cm tall.

There's also a wonderfully simple charging pad for your phone - it's a large area on the centre console which works well in terms of connection but also in terms of wasy access. Many rivals will hide phone chargers away is small crevices that make them hard to extract or even pop in.

You'll find four USB ports, too plus a 12V charger, too.

Clever storage like a shelf built into the dash for loose objects, four cupholders and big door pockets are also on hand.

The boot is also a decent size for a small SUV at 443 litres which is bigger than many rivals, including the Subaru Crosstrek.

While the cabin of the Qashqai isn't huge, there's room enough for four adults to be relatively comfortable on a longer trip, providing the adults in the rear seat aren't pushing too far above the six-foot mark.

Access is good for both rows because of the 175mm ground clearance and wide door apertures. There will be absolutely no grunts or groans getting in and out of this model.

Both rows offer comfortable seating with deep seat beds and thick padding. The front passenger seat isn't powered but still offers decent adjustment, including lumbar support, for even a choosy passenger to feel at ease. I particularly like the two-seat memory position on the drivers' side if you regularly share your vehicle with your other half.

Individual storage is about what you'd expect of a small SUV with the front row getting the best of it. The glove box holds more than a manual, the middle console features a separate shelf for smaller items and you get a dedicated phone cradle which also doubles as the wireless charging pad.

There are a total of eight drink holders (four in the front, four in the rear) in the car, a couple of map pockets in the rear and a boot capacity that's as large as it's non-hybrid siblings at 404 litres.

The boot space is practical with a wide and squarish shape, level loading space and powered tailgate. There is a raised cover over some hybrid stuff that sometimes gets in the way and a dicky-looking cargo cover but otherwise the boot is sufficient for the everyday stuff.

Great to see Nissan including a temporary spare wheel in the hybrid Qashqai, rather than the tyre repair kit that's found in many hybrids and electric cars.

Technology is on the simple side as it lacks the ability to customise much in both the multimedia system or digital instrument cluster but everything still feels logical and easy to use. Also the graphics are clear, so there are no complaints from this party.

The built-in satellite navigation pulls through directions to the coloured head-up display and the wireless Apple CarPlay was easy to connect to and maintained a strong connection this week. There is also wireless Android Auto for those users.

Charging options are solid with each row getting two USB-C ports, while the front also gets a wireless charging pad and 12-volt socket. Another 12-volt socket is found in the boot space.

With the mid-life upgrade comes a reshuffle of trim levels and you now have five to choose from, with the second-from-the-top Ti-L available with a choice of two powertrains.

The car on test for this review is the flagship N-Design e-Power, which is a hybrid and its $54,365 before on-road costs price positions it above its small hybrid SUV rivals the Toyota Corolla Cross Atmos 2WD ($47,030 MSRP) and the Hyundai Kona N Line Premium ($46,500 MSRP).

The top grade enjoys a host of premium equipment including synthetic leather and suede upholstery, an electric drivers' seat, heated front seats, a heated leather steering wheel with mounted controls, a panoramic sunroof, one-touch open/close windows (all windows) and keyless entry and start.

Practical equipment feels well-rounded with a handsfree powered tailgate, rain-sensing front wipers and dusk-sensing LED headlights, tilt and telescope adjusting steering wheel, temporary 18-inch spare tyre, and an intelligent key fob with driver memory storage (driver's seat, mirrors, audio and remote tailgate opening).

The technology looks high-end with dual 12.3-inch displays, touchscreen functionality on the multimedia system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, built-in satellite navigation, Bluetooth, AM/FM and digital radio. There's also four USB-C ports (2/2), two 12-volt sockets and a wireless charging pad to take care of charging requirements.

There is a 'but' coming though and that's the fact that the N-Design e-Power is meant to be the top grade and yet the model below it, the Ti-L, has more standard equipment for less money ($2K less to be exact)!

The Ti-L includes power adjustment for both front seats as well as a massage function. It also has a 10-speaker Bose premium sound system compared to the six-speaker 'no-name' system of our test car.

Okay, we've listed a lot of strengths for the MG ZS but the engine isn’t one of them. The 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine makes 81kW and 140Nm.

Really, power needs to be at least 100kW and torque closer to 200Nm in something weighing 1330kg otherwise acceleration is going to feel woeful - which it is.

Seriously, the first time I tried to overtake I looked down to see if the handbrake was still on.

Not helping performance is a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) which, while good for fuel economy, seems to have trouble getting power to the road effectively.

The flagship N-Design is a hybrid and pairs a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and a single electric motor. Together they produce up to 140kW of power and 330Nm of torque but how they interact is the fun part.

Usually hybrids use both components to drive the wheels but this uses the petrol engine to charge its battery so the electric motor can drive the front wheels. What does this mean? Think of engine as a generator. It translates to a driving experience that leans more towards the EV than internal combustion (ICE), especially around town.

The N-Design e-Power has a single-speed reduction-gear transmission, or an ‘e-CVT’ and it’s a very smooth example.

Official fuel consumption for the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 6.7L/100km, which isn’t outstanding, especially compared to the hybrid version which can get 4.7L/100km.

Our own testing after city driving and motorways saw 7.9L/100km. Not the most efficient engine in the range, so if it’s saving petrol you want then go for the hybrid, or better still, the electric version of the ZS.

The N-Design e-Power has a claimed combined fuel cycle usage figure of 4.8L/100km, which is slightly higher than its rivals but it does have a larger fuel tank of 55L which means you should get a theoretical driving range of up to 1145km.

After doing a mix of open-road and city driving this week, my real world fuel use has popped out at 6.2L/100km and that’s based on my kilometres travelled and litres filled at the bowser. I’m happy with that result overall because I’ve certainly not been shy with pushing and testing this model out.

Nissan recommends a minimum of 95 RON unleaded petrol to be used but 91 RON is also acceptable.

The lack of oomph from the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine affects the driving experience of the ZS. This lack of accleration is hampered not just by the low outputs of the engine but also by the transmission, which is a CVT and these don't favour getting power to the road as effectively as torque convertor transmissions.

Handling is good for this class, with the ZS feeling stable under most conditions. Steering is excellent, with a nice weight and accuracy to it.

And while the ZS is no prestige car, the ride is comfortable, composed and better than many small SUVs at this price point.

Other pluses include its smaller size which makes it easy to manoeuvre in city traffic and park in tight spaces.

The final driving score however is dragged down by the engine and transmission which fail to provide the acceleration needed to easily overtake, merge or move quickly when needed at stop signs or out of car spaces on busy roads.

Driving the flagship grade feels the same as sliding a hot knife through butter - smooth and effortless. The steering has been direct for everything I’ve thrown at it - a winding coast road, quick city lane changes and navigating small car parks.

The N-Design handles happily on the open road and the city. Around town it stays primarily in EV mode with small interjections from the engine when you accelerate quickly. The switch between the two can deliver a loud burring sound but it’s otherwise quiet.

The only time it gets a little loud inside is at higher speeds and you’ll notice some tyre noise but it’s not enough to warrant raising your voice to chat. Ride comfort is up there with the best and despite a firm-feeling suspension, it doesn’t translate to a stiff ride.

The visibility is good from my driving position and power is delivered promptly, making this feel sure footed and capable. There is a tendency to over-rev at higher speeds but it doesn’t feel underpowered.

Parking the Qashqai is a simple affair because of the clear quality 360-degree camera system, as well as the front and rear parking sensors. You can fit it anywhere and it has a tight 11.1m turning circle, which makes it a friend in the city.

The Qashqai has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2021 and features seven airbags which include a front centre airbag.

The robust safety equipment list includes intelligent seat belt reminder (all seats), blind-spot monitoring, manual rear child door locks, driver attention alert, rear collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic alert, emergency lane keep assist, lane keeping aid, lane departure alert, 360-degree view camera system and front and rear parking sensors.

The Qashqai has ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top tether anchor points but two seats will fit best.

Auto emergency braking (AEB) with forward collision warning, car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction turning assist is standard and operational from 10 to 80km/h (up to 130km/h for car) but it's more common to see that starting figure hover around 5.0km/h.

The only safety item that feels intrusive when in use is the lane centring aid on the adaptive cruise control. It really hugs the inside line and sits too close for my liking, which made me feel like I was fighting the car when it was activated. The traffic sign recognition technology also got the speed sign wrong more times than not.

Ownership costs are a strength, too. The MG ZS is covered by a 10-year/250,000km warranty.

MG’s ‘Precise Price’ service plan locks in the cost of servicing with 12-month/15,000km intervals and a cost of about $1200 over five years.

The Qashqai is covered by Nissans new 10-year/300,000km warranty which is class leading but you have to service on time and with a Nissan service centre, otherwise it’s the standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. On those same terms, you also get auto-renewal on every service for roadside assistance.

There is a five-year capped-price servicing program which costs a flat $1995 and is competitive for the class, while servicing intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first.