The comparison of technology clones is sometimes a bit boring. Cars from different manufacturers are too similar. In the case of Nissan’s Qashqai and the platform twin Renault Austral, however, there are many differences.
The Austral/Quashai SUV duo share the technical platform, but Renault and Nissan have taken care to carve out differences. We looked at both in comparison.
At 4.43 meters, the Qashqai is slightly smaller than the Austral, which is 8 centimeters longer. When placed side by side, the size difference is hardly noticeable, but the clearly different designs are much more obvious. Whether character lines in the sheet metal, lights, side windows, the design of the face and rear – here are two cars together, which one perceives as competing models from different manufacturers.
The Qashqai may appear a touch more elegant, streamlined. The Austral, on the other hand, is enhanced by detail-obsessed and animated lights. Very trendy, Renault relies on LEDs instead of chrome decoration, which is even more extensive on the Nissan. Rather than resembling the Qashqai, the Austral design forges a family bond with the new electric Megane. The Frenchman does not appear as a Nissan clone, but as a self-confident member of a future-oriented Renault family.
Also inside. In both cases, the workplace was set up digitally in a contemporary way, but at the same time care was taken to stage its own screen, operating and material worlds. The workplace in the Renault is more progressive and a bit more valuable, while that in the Nissan is a touch more classic and less surprising. In the Qashqai, for example, the gear selector is still in the center console, while in the Austral it has been designed as a steering column stalk, which in turn allows more freedom in the design of the center console, which Renault has made both stylish and functional.
There are more buttons in the Qashqai cockpit, while the French put a particularly large touchscreen, which is inclined towards the driver, at the center of the operating and infotainment solution, which is also based on Google, more like the Tesla model. Nissan, on the other hand, swears by its own digital user interface, which seems a bit outdated, but poses fewer puzzles.
The bottom line is that both cars are modern and clearly laid out and, thanks to many options available in the test specimens, also comfortably furnished. What is remarkable from the driver’s point of view are the pleasingly narrow A-pillars in both test subjects, while the wide C-pillars severely restrict the field of vision to the rear in both cases. Also in the Austral, which, in contrast to the Qashqai, even has a third window in the flanks, which, however, is too small from the inside perspective to allow a generous view to the rear.
Here and there it is a five-door car with good space in the front and rear. If you invest in equipment, the tailgates open electrically. Thanks to the intermediate inserts, the loading sill and the floor of the trunk are at the same height in both models.
If there is not enough space in the luggage compartment, the intermediate decks can be lowered and the backrests can be folded down in the classic way. To do this, buttons in the backrest are pressed on the Nissan, while on the Austral there are levers in the side walls for remote unlocking. According to the manufacturer, the space yield is also different: The Austral can load 500 to 1525 liters, in the Nissan there are 479 to 1415 liters in the e-power version.
Speaking of e-power: the drive makes perhaps the biggest difference in this comparison. While the Austral started out as a classic petrol engine with a small mild hybrid electric boost, the Qashqai already drives like an electric car. The e-Power serial hybrid system developed by Nissan, which combines a 1.5-liter petrol engine with an electric motor, is to blame. The latter drives the Qashqai with its 140 kW/190 hp, while the combustion engine acts as an on-board power plant to generate electricity. And typically for a Stromer, the Qashqai reacts to the courageous gas command with commitment and initially silently.
In the Austral, on the other hand, the turbo petrol engine and the continuously variable transmission initially provide a moment of commemoration and somewhat growling combustion engine noise. The Austral conveys a more classic driving experience, while the Qashqai behaves somewhat idiosyncratically. If you want performance here, the petrol engine has to generate electricity. The actual drive initially puts in a lot of effort, but if it demands more power than the small battery can supply, it sounds clearly perceptible in the background at the constant speed level of the four-cylinder.
Those who are not in a hurry will certainly like the e-power drive because of its rather quiet, linear and even power output. High speed is not so much for him, because if you want to be faster on the highway, the maximum speed of 170 km / h Qashqai is loud and thirsty. It seems to be the better choice, especially in urban terrain, because it is faster to start, and thanks to the One Pedal Drive mode, you rarely have to brake.
The Nissan’s chassis was also less bumpy, making it the more comfortable car. Anyone who wants to drive more quickly on the motorway will probably be more comfortable with the tighter tuned Austral with a classic petrol engine. Despite the lavish 116 kW/158 hp, you will be more of a fellow swimmer than a left-lane lion with a maximum speed of 174 km/h. We still burned 7.8 liters of petrol with the Austral. With the Qashqai, which teaches more efficiency, it was 6.0 liters.
By the way, anyone who opts for a mild hybrid petrol engine does not have to decide on the series, because it is offered for both Austral and Qashqai. The e-power drive tested here, on the other hand, remains a Nissan solution. Alternatively, the French offer the Austral with their own full hybrid system, which combines a three-cylinder petrol engine (96 kW/131 hp) with an electric motor (50 kW/68 hp), which together provide 147 kW/200 hp. In this variant, the combustion engine remains the main power source, but the electric motor allows purely electric driving over shorter distances.
Even when it comes to the engines, both partners offer options that differ significantly from one another. The prices differ only slightly. The Austral costs around 36,000 euros as a mild hybrid with automatic transmission, and the Qashqai costs 500 euros more. Should it be the full hybrid, the Frenchman starts at around 44,000 euros, while the Nissan counterpart e-Power is available from 41,360 euros. In addition, both brands offer different but essentially similar equipment levels. If you combine the expensive hybrid drives with full equipment in both cases, you end up with Nissan at around 49,500 euros, with the Austral it is just over 52,000 euros.
Nissan Qashqai e-Power – specifications
Renault Austral Mild Hybrid 160 Automatic – specifications
