The Holden Captiva (left) versus the Nissan Qashqai. Pictures / David Linklater
Nissan Qashqai versus Holden Captiva: the latest entrant in the compact-crossover segment meets what is surely now the oldest, being launched way back in 2006 - notwithstanding an upgrade or two along the way.
On the surface it sounds like a pretty poor comparison test: easy pickings for a bright young thing from Nissan that's already gathering much critical acclaim.
But it's not that simple and there are some very good reasons to bring these two together. For a start, there's still plenty of life in the Captiva - at least if the sales charts are anything to go by. It was the best-selling crossover model overall in August, so it remains a force to be reckoned with. If we're looking for a benchmark for Qashqai, it's a good place to start.
The introduction of a diesel-engine option for Qashqai for the first time is a relevant twist as well. The TS is destined to be a niche model, which is why we've looked to the Captiva 5 LTZ for a match.
Captiva, niche? Well, this one kind of is. The Captiva 5 has been sold alongside the 7 from the start, but what's often not understood is that it's a very different car: not a single body panel is shared between the two and even the interiors are different. That's because the Captiva 7 was designed as a mainstream model to be sold under the Chevrolet badge in Europe, while the 5 is a more upmarket incarnation of the same platform that serves as an Opel. It comes with a turbo-diesel option.
Both the Qashai and Captiva 5 diesels only come in one well-equipped specification and there's a relatively large price gap between them. The Qashqai TS is $42,990, while the Captiva 5 LTZ is $46,490. But factor in the Holden's leather upholstery, larger engine and four-wheel drive and they're a good fit on a value-adjusted basis.
Image 1 of 11: Holden Captiva vs Nissan Qashqai. Photo / David Linklater
The Qashqai is exclusively front-drive and Nissan New Zealand doesn't even classify it as a crossover or SUV. Instead, the company says it's a regular passenger car. As you wish Nissan, but in reality that's marketing artifice. In Europe, the Qashqai is very much considered a crossover and comes with a 4WD option.
The Qashqai is powered by a state-of-the-art 1.6-litre turbo-diesel with 96kW/320Nm, courtesy of the Nissan-Renault Alliance (as is the new platform, also used on X-Trail). It drives the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
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The Captiva goes a more traditional route with a larger-capacity 2.2-litre engine making 135kW/400Nm, a six-speed automatic gearbox and torque-on-demand four-wheel drive system. You can buy a front-drive Captiva 5, but only with a petrol engine and in entry-level specification.
Old-school is still pretty satisfying. The Captiva has lots of torque, the transmission shifts through the gears as speed increases and the four-wheel drive system ensures controlled application of power to the road, regardless of how silly you're being with the throttle.
The Qashqai's power delivery inevitably seems a little thin after the Captiva. The combination of diesel, stop/start technology and CVT also results in frustrating delays if you're aiming to charge away from the lights or join a fast-moving traffic flow. You can disable the stop/start if you wish, but then you won't have the pleasure of watching the little display on the dashboard tell you how much greenhouse gas you're saving.
Once you're up and running the Qashqai is a remarkably relaxed machine. The mid-range muscle of the diesel and the gearless modus operandi of the CVT give you the sense of simply wafting along. The CVT has a sport mode which gives you extra engine braking and higher revs for a given road speed; the CVT also works to slow the car when you have the cruise control set on downhill stretches. The Captiva, in comparison, will simply coast away at ever-higher speed.
The Qashqai's steering is more precise than Captiva's and can even be adjusted between normal and sport settings. The ride is noticeably more fussy than the Holden however, and there's no way a front-driver can deliver diesel torque to the ground as effectively as all-wheel-drive.
Nissan Qashqai.
The Qashqai chassis does have a few high-tech tricks to showcase. New features called active trace control and active ride control nibble away at individual brakes to help keep the car stable during fast cornering and on bumpy roads. Clever stuff, although Nissan's claim that neither interfere with the driving experience is not entirely true. At times - such as a fast downhill corner, on a bumpy surface - you'll feel trace control eating into your steering and throttle inputs.
Inside, the Qashqai is all dark, classy tones with a hint of bling from silver trim inserts. There's a driver information display on the instrument panel and another seven-inch colour screen for audio, Bluetooth and the reversing camera. No satellite navigation though, a shame given that the petrol-powered Ti gets it.
The driving position is quite car-like and although the TS gets cloth rather than leather upholstery, it's all the better for it. The front seats are fantastic: nicely shaped and very supportive.
Holden Captiva.
The Captiva's front seats are not, despite luxury trappings such as leather, three-level heating and eight-way power adjustment. You still feel like you're sitting on them rather than in them.
The Captiva 5's cabin is looking a bit dated now but the architecture is still quite classy - certainly 10 times more appealing than the brittle, bitsy interior of the Captiva 7.
There's an interesting texture to the switchgear, some quite subtle tones and crisp-looking chrome-rimmed dials.
The thing that really dates the car is the dot-matrix display for the audio and Bluetooth, which is presented on a weirdly yellow illuminated backdrop. It also serves as the display for the parking radar; there's no camera like you get with the Qashqai, but the Captiva does have sensors front and rear.
The boots are line-ball: both exactly 430 litres, with 60/40 split folding rear seats. But the Nissan has yet another clever trick up its sleeve with a false floor that's split into two sections. You can have a secret compartment underneath, or if you flip up the back section you can clip it vertically as a partition.
The bottom line
We're giving this one to the Nissan by virtue of its outstanding efficiency, superior on-road rigidity and a sense of design sophistication that's absent from its ageing Holden rival.
Predictable? Perhaps. But please consider Captiva if driver appeal is near the top of your list of priorities. Or four-wheel drive, for that matter.
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