Nissan Qashqai vs MG HS +EV

What's the difference?

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 MG HS +EV Essence is a nicely specified medium SUV that should suit a lot of people. It looks really nice and I love that it's fairly practical with its features and size but would like some of the tech to improve. It’s not always seamless to use and in this market, tech is very important. The price tag and the on-going costs are hard to beat and if you’re looking for a greener option that will happily cruise in the city or on the open-road, this isn’t a bad option.

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.

It has an inoffensive exterior design that you won’t be embarrassed to be seen in. Curvy in all of the right places, it still manages to look sharp with its tapered LEDs and chrome accents.

It sits firmly within the medium SUV specs at 4574mm long, 1876mm wide and 1685mm high, so navigating your local shopping centre car park will be manageable.

The interior looks polished with the Bader leather sports seats and their suede-like inserts. The air vents are cute and add some personality to the robust dashboard.

There’s a plethora of soft touchpoints throughout that enhance the overall comfort and refinement, too.

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.

The cabin space is very practical with its size. Each row has a decent amount of head and legroom. The big sunroof also makes the cabin feel airy and light-filled, which adds to that roomy feeling.

The leather-accented sports seats are quite comfortable and both are electric but the passenger side misses out on additional lumbar support.

I did have a few comments this week about the front seats, though, mainly that it feels like you’re perched forward in them. It would have been nice to be able to dip the bottom of the seats back.

The individual storage options are solid for this sized SUV with a glove box, two cupholders, drink bottle holders in the doors for front occupants and an air-cooled middle console box.

I missed having a utility tray next to the two USB-A ports and 12-volt outlet, as the Essence features wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but there is a dedicated phone holder next to the cupholders.

Back seat passengers enjoy two cupholders in the fold-down armrest, map pockets and drink bottle holders in the doors.

The seats in the back are well padded but you feel like your knees are propped up a bit because of the shallow footwell. Taller passengers may feel like they’re folding in on themselves.

The technology looks good but isn’t always easy to use. The 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system is simple to understand but regularly feels laggy.

It has built-in satellite navigation but a lot of the controls are found via accessing the touchscreen – like the climate control and heating function for the front seats.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument panel is very easy to read but not really customisable.

Charging options are okay and I like the two USB-A ports in both rows but there’s no wireless charging pad or USB-C port which would provide faster charging speed.

The boot is a decent size for the class at 451L and you can bump that up to 1275L if you fold the back seats down. The rear seats have a 60/40 split for added practicality.

There’s a cargo blind and some underfloor storage for the charger and a tyre puncture repair kit. I liked using the powered tailgate but found it a bit glitchy, it sometimes stopping mid-action.

There are only two models in the HS +EV line-up and the Essence is the top dog.

It will cost you $51,990 drive-away and that positions it as one of the most affordable options relative to its rivals. Only the Haval H6 is more affordable at $41,990 (drive-away) but admittedly, it’s by a fair chunk of change - almost $10K!

The Essence is well-specified with Bader leather-accented trims, heated front seats, electric front seats with four-way adjustment for the passenger seats and six-way for the driver, a powered tailgate, as well as a massive panoramic sunroof. The middle console is even cooled with air-control for added convenience.

The exterior hosts full LEDs with its daytime running lights, headlights and tail-lights, as well as, a heated rear window with timed cut off.

It also sports dual-zone climate control up front and directional air vents in both rows, plus multiple charging options add to interior practicality.

Its technology feels up to category standard with the sizing but the usability isn’t as great as its rivals. More on that later. 

And an added bonus. All the paintwork colours are included in the price.

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.

Both HS +EV models share a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor hybrid combination. Maximum outputs are 189kW of power and 370Nm of torque.

It’s very responsive with its power output and you definitely will be surprised by how much grunt this thing has.

Drive goes to the front wheels via a 10-speed auto transmission but it’s clunky and a bit too slow to shift out of the lower gears. This can make it feel like the engine is pulling back even when you’re accelerating, which I didn’t like.

On the electric motor side of things – the lithium-ion battery has a 16.6kW capacity and 63km (NEDC) driving range.

It has a Type 2 AC charging port but it can’t be hooked onto a fast charger as it lacks the CCS enhanced port. On a 7.0kW system you should see a full charge be completed in around five hours.

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.

With the electric motor being used, the official combined cycle fuel figure is 1.7L/100km and the urban figure comes out at 5.8L/100km.

My real-world usage came to 6.6L. That’s not bad at all, but I have done a lot of open-road driving this week. 

Based on the urban figure and the 55L fuel tank, you should see an approximate driving range of 948km.

MG recommends a minimum 95RON petrol be used. 

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.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the overall driving experience. Besides the slower gear shifting, it’s generally smooth to handle. The power is there and makes it easy to keep up with traffic or overtake if you need to.

The suspension handles bumps very well and the steering is responsive. You can tackle corners or a winding road with confidence and without too much roll!

The cabin is quiet, even at higher speeds but you will note the whining of the engine at lower speeds as those gears shift.

On a windy day at higher speeds, the car moves about in the lane more than I like but otherwise, is firmly placed.

The regen braking isn’t customisable but it’s firm enough that you’ll feel it when you pull off the accelerator.

Going down a mountain let me gain five per cent charge on the battery and despite driving over 500km this week I only popped it on charge once (with 15 per cent left) - just to give you an indication of its performance.

I kept the EV mode on default but you can switch it over to a full EV if you want to wring out the most from the electric range.

This is not a difficult car to park and you’ll love its size in a small car park. However, the 360-degree camera view, while pretty clear, is jumpy.

At first, I thought it was laggy but the image just shudders, like a bad connection. I's prefer to see front parking sensors, too, as this MG only has them at the rear.

The safety features are good on the HS and I like the 360-degree camera view but don't like the way the image shudders while in use.

It has a blind-spot monitoring system but the interior ‘alert’ light is in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it position.

Other features that come standard, are LED daytime running lights, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aids, lane departure warning, intelligent seat belt reminders, rear parking sensors, traffic sign recognition, a driver fatigue monitor and adaptive cruise control.

It has autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection which is operational from 0-80km/h.

The HS +EV hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP but its fuel-based sibling achieved a maximum five-star rating in 2019.

It only has six airbags, which is pretty low for an SUV, but the curtain airbags cover the back row.

There are ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points but two seats will fit best.

Front passenger space may be compromised a little when a 0-4 rear-facing child seat is installed but overall, it was very easy to install my booster seat this week.

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.

The ongoing costs are great on this! It comes with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which includes the hybrid battery.

It also has a seven-year capped-price servicing plan, which is above average for the class, and services average $426 which is competitive.

Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first, which is fine if you don’t clock a lot of kays every year.