[Auto] Nissan X-Trail review

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The Nissan X-Trail was going to be built in Britain in a deal done in the highest corridors of power. Then Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn (you know, the one now exiled in Lebanon, on the run from Japanese authorities still) walked into Theresa May’s 10 Downing Street in 2016 to ensure the UK’s looming exit from the European Union wouldn’t harm his firm’s latest investment in its Sunderland factory.

Three years later, Nissan announced that the new X-Trail would actually be built in Japan, laying thinly veiled blame for this U-turn on Brexit. Remain or leave and regardless of where it’s built, though, the X-Trail still holds plenty of appeal for British buyers as it enters its fourth generation.

For starters, it returns making an excellent visual first impression. Interest waned in the previous X-Trail as customers found it too similar to the Nissan Qashqai (remember, it had the role of replacing both the Mk2 X-Trail and the Qashqai+2) and too much of a crossover rather than a proper SUV, which it made its name on. So Nissan has reversed that this time, making the X-Trail a chunky, substantial presence on the road once more, rather than a bigger Qashqai.

The staple diesel engines that were once the only gig in town for models like this are no more. Instead, the flagship and predicted best-selling powertrain in this new X-Trail is the e-Power system being introduced across various Nissan and Renault models. It’s a novel and clever type of series hybrid, with the front wheels being driven by an electric motor and a small battery that draws its power from a 1.5-litre variable compression ratio three-pot turbo petrol engine that’s designed to always run in the most optimal state for efficiency.

For starters, it returns making an excellent visual first impression. Interest waned in the previous X-Trail as customers found it too similar to the Nissan Qashqai (remember, it had the role of replacing both the Mk2 X-Trail and the Qashqai+2) and too much of a crossover rather than a proper SUV, which it made its name on. So Nissan has reversed that this time, making the X-Trail a chunky, substantial presence on the road once more, rather than a bigger Qashqai.

The staple diesel engines that were once the only gig in town for models like this are no more. Instead, the flagship and predicted best-selling powertrain in this new X-Trail is the e-Power system being introduced across various Nissan and Renault models. It’s a novel and clever type of series hybrid, with the front wheels being driven by an electric motor and a small battery that draws its power from a 1.5-litre variable compression ratio three-pot turbo petrol engine that’s designed to always run in the most optimal state for efficiency.

Their graphics are crisp and clear, and you can connect using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, the latter wirelessly. It’s all good, rational stuff in the poking-around stage, a trend that continues when you get on the road. The drivetrain doesn’t show its complexity on the move, working quietly and efficiently without the loud whirrs that series hybrids with CVTs typically produce. There’s a noticeable difference when you’re experimenting with the various drive modes, too.

The e-Power system feels its most free and responsive in Sport mode, while there’s a sensation of pushing the accelerator through treacle in Eco mode with also the ‘B’ regeneration setting (via the transmission shifter) and the e-Pedal (which allows for near one-pedal driving by upping the regen further) activated. As is typical with so many of these systems, it does its best work in Normal mode, which I tended to leave it in, along with the e-Pedal activated, as one-pedal driving is a real boon, particularly around town.

For all its sophistication, the crux of the e-Power is that it’s a very efficient real-world system, a good 15-20% or so more economical in the real world than the mild-hybrid X-Trail. The official economy figure is 43.544.1mpg, and we got close to that on our mixed-roads test route. What’s more, the electric four-wheel drive allows for better torque control and quicker responses off-road, although the X-Trail remains more of an SUV than a true 4x4 in this regard, and we weren’t able to test this on our route.

The X-Trail’s solid and more robust looks extend to the way it handles. There’s little excitement to be had here, but nor has Nissan tried to inject much. It’s an easy car to place, one that doesn’t feel as big as it is. Body roll is kept in check and there’s a crispness to the steering when you’re applying lock, albeit also an unwelcome springiness when you’re taking it off. The major question surrounds the low-speed ride, which was quite harsh on the 20in wheels of our test car.

This could be further exposed on the UK’s rougher roads and prove a black mark against what is otherwise a very accomplished performer. There’s plenty to recommend in this new X-Trail, then, and even more so on price. Seven-seat SUVs are all going down the plug-in hybrid route, which adds plenty of cost, so Nissan is able to undercut electrified rivals here with its e-Power system, which does feel a particularly good match and solution for a car of this size and weight without adding the extra cost and even greater weight that going to a PHEV or a full BEV would bring. It starts at £32,030 for the front-wheel drive mild hybrid.

Add £2435 to get the e-Power system, a further £2200 for four-wheel drive and then £1000 to get the third row of seats. The Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV will set you back at least £46,615 and is front-wheel drive only, whereas you can have a four-wheel-drive hybrid X-Trail for less than £40,000. It’s a welcome return to form for the X-Trail, even if we can’t quite call it one of our own.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/nissan/x-trail