2019 Nissan Qashqai vs Suzuki Vitara

What's the difference?

The Qashqai ST + is a jack of all trades, and when you consider some very good competition in this segment, a master of none. It’s this SUV’s unique dimensions which will set it apart for the majority of buyers, and for what it’s worth they’re getting a great car.

For the Qashqai to be truly impressive, Nissan could up the standard spec by including today’s connectivity musts and get rid of those darned halogen headlights.

My eyes always light up when my inbox dings with news of a Vitara. It's a refreshing, honest car that does its job really well. While I sometimes struggle with the pricing, the 2019 re-jig has brought a few bits and pieces - like the cool Alcantara seat trim - and an uplift in quality over the older cars. Its interior space is competitive with the best in the class, as are the ride and handling.

The Vitara Turbo is easily the best of the range's trio, unless you really need the all-wheel drive of the Allgrip. The Turbo takes all the good bits of the base model, eliminates its biggest problem (the engine) and adds a whole heap of safety gear. 

The Qashqai’s design has moved at a glacial pace since it first launched in 2014, but in perhaps a testament to its simple, largely timless design, it has aged much better than something like the Mitsubishi ASX.

Nissan has done a great job of using minor, but effective style updates to bring the Qashqai’s front end, rear end and especially interior up to date with modern trends.

The LED light fittings help with this, as do the carefully applied touches of chrome and black in the grille, around the car’s sides and even in its window frames.

There’s a nice kind of balance to the Qashqai’s proportions when viewed in profile. Perhaps a consequence of its segment-bending size.

You could argue it looks a bit anonymous, but I reckon its better to blend into the crowd tastefully than start to come across as dated, or worse still controversial, as some small SUVs have become.

Again, not everyone wants the overt style of the Mazda CX-3, post-modern looks of the Hyundai Kona or dated design of the Mitsubishi ASX. For those who want something contemporary but not loud, the Qashqai hits the spot.

Inside the same applies, Nissan has applied tactical and tasteful updates to keep the Qashqai at least approximating the paired-back design trends of 2019.

There aren’t any loud coloured trims or contrasting panel work (as in the Kona) to be found here, just a simple, pragmatic approach that carries from the modern D-shaped and leather-bound wheel, through to the dash which is embossed with subtle matt-grey touches.

The colour scheme is a bit grey-on grey, but it’s a simple design with a focus on space. It’s unfortunately dated a bit by the old-school multimedia centre stack which has the screen embedded inside it, surrounded by gloss blacks and old-fashioned shortcut buttons.

One particular element I’d like to call out is the dash cluster. So simple in its execution, it’s brilliant. There’s no digital dash-cluster or any ultra-modern touches, but it consists of big, legible elements and in the case of the ST +, a large colour TFT screen which shows data readouts like your speed, fuel consumption and range.

The size of the elements makes reading your speed at a glance a cinch. I wish more SUVs had dash clusters like it.

The Vitara wears its SUV heritage proudly, with a blocky, 8-bit aesthetic I'm quite partial to it, but not everybody I've spoken to is. That's okay, the clamshell bonnet is one of those cool design things that most people don't care about until you point it out.

The 2019 update left the styling mostly alone, with just a mild bumper-and-grille change and solid red rear-light clusters that took some getting used to, yet added a bit more '80s arcade-game cred.

The cabin is entirely conventional and, again, in 2019, has had little done to it. Suzuki says the the dash is less hard and that's fine, if not especially important. The diamond shapes in the Alcantara-trimmed seats are classy, though. It's an honest cabin that doesn't try to do anything fancy.

The Qashqai’s most defining element is its strong point. Being sized above most small SUVs but below mid-sizers means the Qashqai will be perfectly suited to someone who needs to dart down alleyways but also needs a decent amount of boot space and a back seat to suit adults.

It does both brilliantly, and there are other benefits. Storage for front seat occupants is excellent, with big cupholders in the doors, a phone or wallet sized trench under the centre stack (with a 12-volt outlet), a massive centre console box which I can almost fit my entire arm in (with more power outlets and even clips to manage stray cables) as well as two cupholders behind the shift-knob which can fit large objects.

Nicely designed doorcards are simple, but nice to rest your elbows on. The switchgear is plain, but solidly put together.

Up the back there’s legroom that’s well above average for the segment. It won’t put larger sedans on notice, but you’ll be able to fit two, maybe even three adults back there with ease.

They’ll also get pockets on the backs of the front seats and small bottle holders in the doors, but in a major let-down for something this size, there are no rear air vents.

Boot space comes in at 430 litres, which threatens some SUVs in the mid-size segment. It’s also a big empty space, void of inconvenient obstructions.

Boot space maxes out at a solid 1598 litres with the 60/40 split rear seat folded, which will be enough to even move some whitegoods.

A space-saver spare lives under the boot floor.

If you’re really intent on towing, the Qashqai is capable of dragging a 729kg unbraked trailer or 1200kg braked.

The Vitara's cabin is very spacious, especially given its modest external footprint. It's amazing how much space you can liberate when you've got a high roof and you can lift the rear seats for a more natural seating position.

Front seat passengers have plenty of headroom and without the Allgrip's sunroof, it's quite lofty. You also have two cupholders and a space for your phone under the climate-control switches. There's also a new sliding armrest, which doubles as a cover for a storage bin.

The back seat is fairly sparse. Bereft of cupholders and an armrest, you'll be holding your own coffees back there. And keeping your inboard elbows to yourself. Rear leg and knee room are excellent for a car this size, with plenty of space for me at 180cm and even for our resident tattooed totem pole, Richard Berry, who stands another 11cm taller.

Each door has a bottle holder for a total of four. 

The boot is one of those split-level arrangements, with a false floor under which you can hide valuables or, given the lifestyle vibe, wet towels/muddy boots/sandy boogie boards. You don't know how useful that is until you use it, let me tell you.

Cargo space starts at a very useful 375 litres (beaten only by the Honda HR-V and the Nissan Qashqai) and is way above the tiny hatchback boot of the CX-3's. Fold the rear seats and space increases to 1120 litres. 

The MY19 model re-organisation of the Suzuki Vitara range means that the Turbo is the middle, at $29,990, but quite a step up from the base model with its naturally aspirated 1.6-litre engine. It's also significantly cheaper than the Allgrip I reviewed recently.

Standard are 17-inch wheels, Alcantara and fake-leather trim, six-speaker stereo, auto wipers and headlights, climate control, adaptive cruise, heated and folding rear vision mirrors, LED headlights, keyless entry and start, hill-descent control, (ill-fitting) sunglasses holder, sat nav and a space-saver spare.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make a very welcome appearance on the 7.0-inch touchscreen, which is soldiering on after a few years in Suzuki dashboards.

All Qashqais are powered by the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder non-turbo engine. It produces an on-par 106kW/200Nm, which isn’t super exciting, but it also isn’t as underpowered as some of its competition.

Every Qashqai drives the front wheels only, there’s no all-wheel drive option, and the only auto available is a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

If you’re after all-wheel drive you’ll have to step up to Nissan’s mid-size X-Trail, and more power is on offer from Hyundai’s Kona (130kW/256Nm) or Suzuki’s Torquey Vitara Turbo (103kW/220Nm).

As with the Allgrip, the Turbo ships from Hungary with the 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder Boosterjet engine, a vast improvement on the 1.6-litre in the base model. You have way more power here, with 103kW and a comparatively muscular 220Nm.

The front wheels get their twist via a six-speed automatic, which is shared with whole range.

One benefit from the Qashqai’s non-turbo engine is its ability to run on 91RON base-grade unleaded.

The ST + has a claimed/combined fuel consumption rating of 6.9L/100km, against which I scored a reasonable 7.3L/100km over my week of mixed freeway/urban driving.

Surprisingly, this was a lower number than the one produced by the top-spec Ti I reviewed last year (8.2L/100km) so your driving style might impact this number by a litre or two either way.

All Qashqai’s have a 65-litre tank which offers a little more range than most small SUVs which have 45-55L tanks.

The official combined-cycle figure for the Vitara Turbo is 5.9L/100km, which is within a tenth of the much less powerful base model. Unencumbered with even a simple stop-start system to reduce fuel usage, we've consistently found the turbo engine will deliver a fuel figure in the low-eights, with the two-wheel-drive Turbo returning 8.1L/100km.

The Qashqai drives about how you’d expect. But don’t get me wrong, that’s not a bad thing. The engine can be on the thrashy side, but it’s powerful enough and has nice predictable and linear acceleration which won’t offer nasty surprises.

Sure, the CVT gives it a bit of a rubbery feel, with a slight delay, but most won’t be bothered by it. There are competitors with six-speed traditional auto transmissions for those who are really turned off by it.

Otherwise the Qashqai has great fast handling wielded well through the leather bound steering wheels, and suspension which is a little on the stiff side.

I’d say it’s on par with the suspension tune in the Mazda CX-5 or Hyundai Tucson, softer more comfortable tunes are available in Honda’s HR-V or CR-V, and the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is perhaps a little softer, too.

The Qashqai is reasonably quiet, helped by the reasonably-sized wheels and soft rubber. The Ti I drove last year was noisier thanks to its slim tyres and huge wheels.

Visibility is also a strong point. I always felt like I could see plenty out of this car's windows and mirrors, if the multimedia screen was raised up a little

There are more fun small SUVs to drive and more comfortable small SUVs, but the Qashqai hits the nail on the head for the silent majority of consumers looking for something predictable and secure, with enough power for everyday duties.

If you've stepped out of the base model and into the Turbo, as I did, it's like night and day. While the base version has a good equipment level, it's badly let down by the underpowered 1.6-litre engine. The turbo 1.4 is so much better. Smooth and torquey, it makes much lighter work of the 1100kg-plus car and gives the automatic transmission a lot more to work with.

While it's a lot better than the 1.6, it loses almost nothing to the more expensive Allgrip. As it's front-wheel drive its off-road capability is rather curtailed, but the bonus is you can save a lot of money and some headroom if you don't need part-time all-wheel drive.

The Turbo drives as well as the rest of them and rides as well, too. It handles very securely on a decent set of tyres. The ride on this car is one of the most surprising things about it, with a smooth, easygoing gait. Cars as light as the Vitara can get a little bit bouncy and out of control, particularly on broken urban surfaces, but not this one.

While the body can roll around a bit in harder cornering, it's never chuck-inducing and, if you're a driver who likes a bit of fun, the Vitara delivers, with light steering and a reasonably eager chassis. It's all bit unexpected, even if you've driven one before.

You do sit ridiculously high in the driver's seat, something my wife mentioned. Normally she sits a little higher than me but complained the seat must be stuck. Nope, that's just how it is. You sit really high and, for some, that's uncomfortable.

The Vitara Turbo has six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls.

As part of the 2019 update, the turbo-engined cars added to the spec sheet forward AEB, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring, weaving alert and reverse cross traffic alert.

You also get three top-tether anchor points and two ISOFIX points.

The Vitara scored five ANCAP stars in July 2016.

Nissan has updated its warranty recently, to bring it in-line with an ever-competitive batch of opponents.

That means five-years and unlimited kilometres of warranty coverage, up from three years. Nissan has a fairly transparent list of what is and is not covered on their warranty page.

You’ll need to service the Qashqai once a year or every 10,000km. Service prices are capped, costing between $226 and $435 which add up to a yearly average of $357 over the life of the warranty. You’ll also need to change brake fluid every 24 months at a cost of $32.

It adds up to an average-priced program. It would have been nice to see it cost a smidge less given the less complex nature of the engine.

Suzuki offers a three-year/100,000km warranty, but that's just the start. If you continue to service it at Suzuki every six months/10,000km, the warranty will go for as long as five years/100,000km. 

Suzuki's servicing regime works out at about $472 per year - most services are $175, with a couple of services at $359 and $399.