Evolution not revolution at Nissan means the new X-Trail will continue to be one of the best mid-sized SUVs on the Irish market.
While the exterior at first glance is very similar to the original 2001 X-Trail, the design team has been busy in the detail. The five-seat car stays true to the genuine off road rugged look.
X-Trail is available with four-wheel drive but the big seller has always been the cheaper two-wheel drive only version. Thanks mainly to the phenomenal success of the Nissan Qashqai, X-Trail’s styling hasn’t been softened.
Flared wheel arches and a restyled rear end are the most prominent features with the addition of some nice interesting angles and lines. When you lift the tailgate there is a surprise as the boot is now much larger plus there is a secret floor (Oops!) that has useful out of sight storage.
There’s even a drawer so regardless of whether the boot is empty or full, anything stored under floor can be accessed. Like any estate car the seats fold flat to the floor making the cargo area vast and very adaptable. For the true outdoorsman there is an optional roof rail set (€800) that features built in forward auxiliary lamps. Thankfully, unlike front fog lights these only work when the headlights are on full beam and a separate switch has been pressed.
Inside the cabin Nissan has spent a few quid on the materials used and the result is impressive. The original dash was made from some hard plastics and of course featured a centre mounted instrument binnacle, which meant all occupants could see and therefore comment on the vehicle’s speed whether the driver wanted to hear or not! The experiment is over and the driver now gets conventional dials viewed through the steering wheel. The centre of the dashboard now houses the stereo and heater controls etc - in locations similar to its rivals.
Storage cubbies are everywhere with ten bottle holders, four of the cubbies are air-conditioned and there’s a very handy large cubby on top of the dashboard.
The engine range is revised and starts off with a 141bhp petrol 2-litre (€32,950). The big engine news is a brand new 2-litre, 150bhp dCi that replaces the 2.2 litre diesel unit. The smaller engine cuts down on the share the taxman adds to the retail price, which is a good thing. Nissan has also managed to squeeze decent power and performance from the new four-cylinder while greatly reducing engine noise (NVH).
On the road the new X-Trail feels substantial and is set up for a comfortable more than sporty ride; in other words when cornering at speed you’ll need to pay particular attention. The cabin is hushed and the driving experience similar to ‘Freelander 2’.
There are two generous specification levels SE and SVE. Nissan Ireland is on a roll making ‘bluetooth’ standard along with six airbags and climate control throughout the range. A 173bhp 2-litre diesel is available and well priced for now but could suffer in the new year when the government introduces new car taxation methods that will combine engine size and carbon emissions to screw more money out of motorist’s pockets.
X-Trail continues to be an interesting SUV.
Micheal Sheridan
