2023 Mitsubishi Outlander vs Nissan Qashqai

What's the difference?

The Mitsubishi Outlander LS Black Edition scores big marks for practicality as long as you don’t think of it as a conventional seven-seater. Treat it as a five-seater, with the super-handy option of squeezing a couple of kids into the occasional third row for short trips, and you’ll be laughing.

It’s comfortable, refined and fuel-efficient, but it isn’t perfect. Side curtain airbags not covering those ‘+2’ third row seats is a safety miss. The exterior design, especially at the front, is polarising (my guess is mostly to one pole). And the lengthy warranty hand-cuffing you to Mitsubishi network service to enable an ‘extra’ five years’ cover feels awkward.  

However, the closer is solid value-for-money. It not only passes the family practicality and flexibility test, it’s keenly priced and well-equipped relative to mid-size competitors.   

As mentioned we need more time behind the wheel for more accurate drive impressions, but it appears, once again, that Nissan has stepped up its game and made significant improvements over the model it replaces.

The new Qashqai is far more refined than the old model, and indeed much more refined than a bunch of other top-selling small SUVs.

A larger and more premium interior, huge uptick in standard gear and much needed safety boost are the icing on the cake.

Nissan is well and truly on a winning streak. 

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

Say what you like about the current Mitsubishi Outlander, but there’s no doubt the design of the car’s ‘face’ is distinctive.

The large grille section consists of an upright lower panel and sloping, broadening, slotted upper piece. Big splashes of curved chrome run down the sides, at the same time defining the slim, angular daytime running lights above.

Then, more upright headlight units sit on top of separate fog lights, the entire combination topped by ‘Outlander’ script in proud relief along the bonnet’s leading edge, the latter obviously inspired by Range Rover’s long-established badge treatment.   

The rest of the exterior is more conventional, with - surprise, surprise - the Black Edition defined by a whole bunch of black stuff.

Everything from the 20-inch alloy wheels to the front and rear skid plates, exterior mirror housings and the grille are blacked out.

And the theme carries over inside with a sleek and comfy combination of black synthetic suede and synthetic leather on the seats (with contrast stitching), a black laser-etched panel in the front centre console around the gearshift, black headlining and black front pillar trim.

Overall, the interior is simple, understated and functional with a common-sense mix of physical and digital controls, as well as soft-touch materials where it counts.

After recently spending quite a bit of time with Nissan’s other two new SUVs, the X-Trail and Pathfinder, there’s a clear family resemblance to the new Qashqai.

It represents an evolution of the second-gen model it replaces, but brings it bang up to date. Interesting touches include a floating roof, which is two-tone on some grades, LED boomerang-style headlights, lashings of chrome, and a ‘Qashqai’ imprint stamped into the front quarter panels.

Nissan didn’t stray too far from the formula of the larger X-Trail with the interior, which makes sense given the two models share Nissan’s CMF-C platform.

The new Qashqai is longer, wider, taller and has a longer wheelbase than the old model.

There’s been a focus on tactility of the controls and the design is elevated. The clean, modern look and feel is a welcome departure from the dated look of the previous Qashqai.

We only sampled the higher grade ST-L and Ti, but ST and ST+ make do with a cheaper looking plastic steering wheel. The leather D-shaped steering wheel with stitching in higher grades is a nice touch. 

At just over 4.7m long, close to 1.9m wide and 1.75m tall, the Outlander is a ‘large’ medium-size SUV.

There’s lots of breathing room up front and the car is wide enough that the driver and front passenger aren’t bursting each other's personal space bubbles.  

Within the car’s overall footprint, a 2.7m wheelbase (the distance between the axles) is pretty generous and rear seat room is good, too.

Sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position I enjoyed more than adequate head, leg and shoulder room.

Three full-size adults across the second row are okay for up to medium length trips, thanks in no small part to a flat rear floor. And depending on the child seats or boosters you’re working with, three-abreast for smaller humans should be do-able, as well.

Storage options in the front include a medium-size lidded box between the seats (which doubles as a centre armrest), a reasonable glove box, two big cupholders in the centre console and generous bins in the doors with space for large bottles.

The wireless charging pad is handy for your phone (even when it’s not charging) as well as other bits and pieces. And an overhead bin flips down for your sunnies.

There are directional air vents for those in the rear with storage running to a shelf underneath the vents, map pockets on both front seat backs, two large cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest and slots in the doors, again with space for larger bottles.

Move to the third row, and… you’ll be cramped. Mitsubishi is up front in positioning this car as a ‘5+2’, meaning full-time seating for five and (very much) part-time seating for two.

Those two in the way-back seats will be small kids, on short trips, and even then, the sliding (and reclining) middle row will need to move forward quite a bit to accommodate their legs. Adults? Forget it.

Power and connectivity options include primary USB-A and USB-C sockets for media in the dash plus another two outlets in the rear for power only. There are 12-volt plugs in the front and the boot.

Speaking of which, the boot will accommodate 163 litres (VDA) worth of stuff (to the top of the seats) with the third row upright, which is enough for some shopping bags, school bags, etc.

Folding that 50/50 split-folding row down means removing the ludicrously long (but undoubtedly effective) head restraints for a flat-floor load space of 478 litres (VDA).

We were able to load in the large CarsGuide pram, with room to spare, and our three-piece luggage set (36L, 95L and 124L) was also swallowed easily.

Lower the 40/20/40 split-fold second row seat and you have 1461 litres (VDA - to the roof) at your disposal. 

There are small storage areas either side of the load space behind the wheel tubs and tie-down anchors to help keep loose loads under control.

The Outlander LS Black Edition is rated to tow a 1.6-tonne braked trailer (750kg unbraked) with ‘Trailer Stability Assist’ standard, and the spare is a space-saver.

Following last month’s X-Trail launch, it was clear as soon as I jumped behind the wheel of the Qashqai that the two models are related.

The dash layout and design are the same, which is not a criticism, with some elements like the gear shifter mirrored in both models. The Qashqai misses out on the under-console storage tray found in the X-Trail and Pathfinder.

There may be far fewer than the old model, but I’m glad Nissan hasn’t completely ditched physical buttons like some brands are trying to do. It’s much faster to change air-con settings that way, rather than via a touchscreen menu.

Speaking of, the 12.3-inch multimedia screen is responsive and has a relatively logical menu structure - the graphics are much more visually appealing than the old model, too. There was no ST at the launch so I’m not sure what the 8.0-inch system is like.

On higher grades, the digital instrument cluster is easy to customise, while the head-up display is crisp. 

The front USB-A and USB-C ports are found in the central bin which is a decent size for the segment, but the glove box - like in the X-Trail - is smaller than expected. Big bottles fit in the front doors, and storage is best described as good for the segment, without being exceptional. 

The front seats in ST-L and Ti don’t have a huge amount of thigh support, but chunky side bolsters. 

There is more rear head and legroom than before and I sat comfortably behind my 183cm (six foot) frame, with loads of toe room and plenty of headroom, even in the Ti with the massive sunroof.

In terms of amenities in the rear, it has knee-level air vents, USB-A and C ports, map pockets, smaller bottle holders in the doors, a fold-down centre armrest (in ST-L and Ti), ISOFIX hooks on the outboard seats and top tethers across the board.

The boot in most grades takes 429 litres of cargo, but that drops to 418L in the Ti due to the placement of a subwoofer. Fold the 60/40 split-fold seats and available volume increases to 1524L (1513L Ti).

It’s a spacious boot but can’t quite hit the heights of the petrol Corolla Cross (436L). There’s a 17-inch temporary spare under the boot floor.

Ti grades also come with Nissan’s ‘Divide N Hide’ boot storage solution that allows you to lift and split the boot floor panels and slide them in vertically so they provide separate, secure spaces in the cargo area. 

From launch, Nissan will offer four grades, all with petrol front-wheel drive powertrains. There’s no longer a price-leading manual base variant, and the petrol-electric ePower variants are still to come in 2023, although timing is unclear.

Four grades are available - the base ST, the ST+, ST-L and top-spec Ti.

The ST starts the range at $33,890 before on-road costs, which is over $3000 more than the old model. The lack of a manual means no more sub-$30,000 Qashqai.

The ST+ is about $5000 more than the old model at $37,890, while the ST-L has gone up by $7500 to $42,190. The range-topping Ti now costs $47,390, which is a staggering $8300 more than the equivalent outgoing variant.

This pricing moves Nissan out of the cheap and cheerful end of the small-SUV segment occupied by the likes of the Mitsubishi ASX and MG ZS. It’s now in the mix with the Mazda CX-30, Subaru XV and the Toyota Corolla Cross.

As one would hope given the repositioning, Nissan has significantly increased the standard equipment for the new model.

As well as the new safety gear (see ‘Safety’ section below), other features in the ST include 17-inch alloy wheels, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, heated and auto-folding exterior mirrors, auto LED headlights, auto stop-start, and keyless entry and start.

The ST+ includes a larger 12.3-inch multimedia display with sat-nav and wireless Apple CarPlay, a surround-view monitor, rain-sensing wipers, LED fog lights and 18-inch alloys.

ST-L grades gain 19-inch alloys, tinted windows, a heated leather steering wheel, power adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, adaptive LED headlights with an anti-dazzle function, wireless charging, auto dimming rear-view mirrors, roof rails and more.

The flagship Ti features quilted leather-accented seats with a massage function for the front seats, driver seat memory function, panoramic sunroof, a 10.8-inch head-up display, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a hands-free power tailgate, 10-speaker Bose audio system, the handy ‘Divide N Hide’ boot storage system, and an auto parking system.

Given the big price hike and the fact that some models have a digital instrument cluster as standard, Nissan could have included the larger multimedia set-up with wireless Apple CarPlay and sat-nav in the base ST. But the rest of the range has a healthy amount of gear.

The Outlander LS Black Edition is powered by a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

It produces 135kW at 6000rpm and 244Nm at 3600rpm, sending drive to the front wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Gone is the old 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine from the previous model, replaced by a new 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit that is found, in different states of tune, in sister brand Renault’s Captur and Arkana. 

Power and torque is up by 4.0kW and 50Nm respectively over the old model, for outputs of 110kW and 250Nm.

The engine outputs are better than a number of the aforementioned competitors, while matching those of the Skoda Kamiq.

The new Qashqai is front-wheel drive only (there is no all-wheel drive version planned) and uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Mitsubishi’s official fuel economy number for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 7.7L/100km, the 2.5-litre petrol four emitting 174g/km of CO2 in the process.

Over a week of city, suburban and some freeway running, we averaged 8.9L/100km, which is pretty impressive for a close to 1.7-tonne, seven-seat SUV.

Minimum fuel requirement is 91 RON ‘standard’ unleaded and you’ll need 55 litres of it to fill the tank.

Using the official economy number, that translates to a range of around 715km, which drops to just under 620km using our real-world figure.

By using the new engine, the fuel economy figure for the Qashqai has improved over the old model. It now consumes 6.1 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle, down from 6.9 litres.

While the efficiency gains are welcome, the new powertrain requires 95 RON premium petrol whereas the old model made do with cheaper 91 RON fuel.

The petrol Qashqai’s fuel figure is good for the class, but that will improve with the ePower hybrid that consumes about 5.3 litres.

Petrol Qashqais have a 55-litre fuel tank and emit 138 grams of CO2 per kilometre. 

Close to 4.7m long and tipping the scales at 1660kg, the Outlander LS Black Edition is a substantial rather than large front-wheel drive SUV.

Its 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine produces 135kW and 244Nm with that second, peak pulling power figure arriving at a relatively high 3600rpm.

You can expect 0-100km/h acceleration in around 10 seconds which is pretty handy, if not exactly earth-shattering.

Yet, the Outlander is a pleasant machine to drive - quiet, refined and with enough oomph to get the job done in the cut-and-thrust of suburban traffic and cruise comfortably once out of town.

I'm not a fan of CVT autos, but the unit fitted to the Outlander is one of the better ones, minimising the usual disconnect between road speed and engine rpm.

The suspension (strut front, multi-link rear) is comfy, even over less than perfect urban surfaces, steering feel is good, and the body remains stable in the bends.

That cornering performance is also helped by the (255/45) Bridgestone Ecopia rubber, designed specifically for SUVs and 4WDs. They’re economy-focused but grip hard, without a hint of squeal in tight cornering.

Braking is firm and progressive with (350mm) ventilated discs at the front and (330mm) solid rotors at the rear.

Under the heading of miscellaneous observations, the front seats remain comfortable and supportive after lengthy stints behind the wheel. An 11.2m turning circle isn’t tiny so it pays to plan ahead for U- or three-point turns. And all-around vision is good, with the exception of the enormous third row headrests. If there’s no one in those seats, make sure to remove them and pack the seat flat.

These drive impressions are fairly high-level given the launch drive was kept to the city limits of Melbourne and that meant we were stuck in a few traffic jams. 

When accelerating from a standing start, there’s a beat or two of turbo lag from the new engine. Once you’re past that, it’s a super responsive little engine when you’re already up and running. If only it sounded a bit nicer.

The CVT does its job well and without fuss, but is not as smooth as the transmission and 2.5-litre engine combo in the X-Trail. But still, very little to complain about.

Ride quality is difficult to fault when you’re on smooth, urban roads, but it becomes a little more unsettled and jiggly on uneven roads.

I only drove the ST-L and Ti at the launch and both ride on 19-inch alloy wheels. I’m keen to drive the ST (17-inch) and ST+ (18-inch) to see if smaller wheels improve the ride. But as it stands the Qashqai can’t match the impressive ride of the new X-Trail.

It may have had a somewhat thrashy engine, but the previous Qashqai has better than average handling characteristics. We can’t report on that element just yet due to the limited city-focused drive route, but the times we managed to punt it into a corner, it revealed a balanced chassis and well calibrated suspension set-up.

One thing that clearly stands out compared with the old model is how much more refined the Qashqai is. The engine is more muted in the cabin, there’s far less wind and road noise and it just feels like a massive step up. Great job!

The Qashqai achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from crash tests conducted in 2021.

The model has upped safety gear in a big way. From the base ST grade the Qashqai comes standard with a front centre airbag, auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, rear AEB with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warning, tyre pressure monitor, traffic sign recognition, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors.

Nissan’s 'ProPilot' system that combines adaptive cruise control with steering and lane keep assist tech for semi-autonomous driving is standard from Qashqai ST-L. That grade and Ti also get front parking sensors and an alarm.

Mitsubishi Australia covers the Outlander with a 10-year/200,000 km warranty, with five-year corrosion (perforation) protection also included.

That’s double the time period offered by the majority of brands in the local new car market, however an unlimited kilometre term is more typical. And… there’s a catch.

To qualify for the 10-year cover Mitsubishi says, “The vehicle must have had ALL scheduled services performed within the authorised Mitsubishi Dealer Network (from the first service onwards).” 

Have the vehicle serviced outside the Mitsubishi network, or not in accordance with the service schedule, and you’re looking at five years/100,000km.

Speaking of servicing, capped pricing is available for 10 years/150,000km, with the lowest annual cost being $299, and the highest (year 10) coming in at $849. The annual average over that period is $434. Not outrageous, but not especially sharp, either.

Also worth noting, roadside assistance is complimentary for the first year, renewed annually for up to four years, again, if you have your Outlander serviced by an authorised Mitsubishi dealer.

As with other Nissan models, the Qashqai comes with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

It is also offered with a six-year capped-price servicing plan, and the average price across that six-year period is $670 per service. The cheapest service is year one at $375 and the most expensive is year six at $1108.

The schedule for the servicing is every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres, whichever occurs first, and that is an appropriate term for this model.

The Qashqai also comes with five years of free roadside assistance.