You can buy neither a new Ford Kuga nor a new Nissan Qashqai at the moment: The former quietly left local shores after its reputation was tarnished by spontaneous combustion in earlier examples, while we’re still waiting for the third-generation Qashqai to be released in South Africa. But, if you’re considering either one as a used car, you may have wondered which one is bigger.
Ford Kuga
First released in South Africa early in 2012, the first-generation Ford Kuga only arrived after its replacement had already become available in several overseas markets. But it was a good one – imagine an enlarged second-generation Focus ST, complete with charismatic turbo 5-cylinder engine, and you’ll get the picture. Thirsty, but good.
The second-generation arrived less than a year later, and again drew heavily from the Ford corporate parts bin. This time, motive power was provided by the (now-infamous) 1.6-litre EcoBoost, a 2.0 EcoBoost, and a 2.0-litre turbodiesel. It sold well until around 2016, when news of the 1.6-litre’s propensity to catch fire reached the motoring public.
This catastrophe sent the Kuga’s image into a tailspin, sales plummeted and, even in spite of a comprehensive facelift in 2017 (which brought with it a non-combusting 1.5-litre EcoBoost), the Kuga never regained its popularity. As a result (and probably due to potentially problematic pricing), the Kuga was dropped from the local line-up when the third-generation model was unveiled in Europe.
There’s no sign of the Kuga ever returning to local shores, but, thanks to its former popularity, there are plenty of used examples on sale. And, thanks to its tarnished reputation, those Kugas can be had for extremely reasonable prices, too. As a result, a used Kuga could make for excellent value for money.
Nissan Qashqai
We’ve received both generations of Nissan Qashqai in South Africa so far, and each one has been a sales success. The only reason why there isn’t a new Qashqai to be found in the new-car price lists is because we’re still waiting for the next (third-) generation model to be released here.
In its first iteration, the Qashqai was essentially an enlarged, high-riding compact hatchback, much in the way that the Kuga was a taller Focus. In fact, the Qashqai was one of the first compact crossovers, and rode the first wave of this body type’s popularity to great effect.
For the second generation, Nissan made the Qashqai slightly bigger, significantly better-looking, more high-tech, and with a series of downsized engines. It remained basically unchanged for its production run, with only minor styling- and tech enhancements needed to keep it competitive. It is expected that the next-generation Qashqai will continue its predecessors’ success, because the new model’s recipe remains unaltered.
Which one is bigger?
While both the Kuga and Qashqai are classified as compact SUV-crossovers, they differ quite markedly in size. The Kuga is markedly larger, with an overall length of 4.524-meter against the Qashqai’s 4.394-meters. It’s also wider (by 32 mm) and taller (by 107 mm) than the Nissan, effectively placing the Kuga one size category above the Qashqai.
This difference is size is reflected in cabin space as well, where the Qashqai has noticeably less interior room than the Kuga: Its lower roofline eats into headroom, and its 44-millimeter shorter wheelbase reduces rear-seat legroom as well. Load volume shows up an anomaly, however, because the Nissan’s boot measures 504-litres when all seats are in use, while the Ford only manages to offer 442-litres.
The Nissan Qashqai has a bigger boot than the larger Ford Kuga could offer.
Verdict
Yes, the Ford Kuga is bigger than the Nissan Qashqai, but the Nissan’s clever packaging liberates more cargo space than the Ford could muster. If carrying large loads is more important than cabin space, the Qashqai will serve you well, but if you want the largest interior for your money, you could do much worse than a used Kuga. Just ensure that all the recall work has been done, or better yet, opt for a 2017-on Kuga, which won’t have that flaming 1.6T EcoBoost under the bonnet.
Keyword: Is a Ford Kuga bigger than a Nissan Qashqai?