Nissan X–Trail

Overview

The Nissan X-Trail is a midsize premium crossover from the Japanese manufacturer, which is currently sold in its third generation version in the Philippines. The crossover was recently given a facelift in an attempt to make it slightly more muscular and modern in terms of design elements and presence of features. The X-Trail here is offered in two altogether different variants and five color options – Corona Orange, Marine Blue, Pearl White, Gun Metal and Diamond Black.

Interior & Features

On the inside, the X-Trail has got one of the most premium and well-built and designed cabins among all the Nissan vehicles put together. The overall cabin has been finished in a pure black theme, which makes it feel sporty and luxurious at the same time.

The minimalist design for the three-spoke steering gets an overdose of buttons for various functions related to audio and cruise controls. The instrument console too looks quite elegant, with the colored MID screen stacked in between the two big main dials.

The wide-in-design center console of the interior cabin too looks well designed and sober, and packs in a large touchscreen infotainment system and buttons for automatic climate control below it. Other prominent features of the X-Trail’s interior cabin include a panoramic sunroof, push-button start with keyless entry, full leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control with AC vents for all the three rows and many more. Space is quite adequate for front and middle row, though the third row is best suitable only for kids.

Exterior

With the facelifted model, Nissan has tried to bring back the muscularity of the previous generation X-Trail, which was somewhat smoothened out at the time of the arrival of this current generation version. However, it lacks the intimidating road presence of its similarly priced rivals and even its own ladder-on-frame, similarly priced SUV sibling, the Terra.

Nevertheless, there is no dearth of modernity in this new X-Trail, as the front looks revamped thanks to the introduction of a new front grille. The central portion of the front grille looks premium now, thanks to the addition of piano black finish around the V-shaped chrome element. The angular headlamps integrate daytime running LEDs on the inner edges as well as LED projectors within them.

The side profile of the X-Trail looks decent and smooth thanks to the curvy lines flowing above the front wheel arch as well as below the window waistline. The door handles, window frames and even the black cladding below the doors get premium chrome garnishes. Adding a few more premium touches to the X-Trail’s side profile are roof rails as well as diamond cut alloy wheels.

At the rear, the Nissan X-Trail has got a simple and elegant stance with chrome touches above the license plate housing as well as the rear bumper garnish.

Ride & Handling

The Nissan X-Trail is one of the finest handling crossovers of its segment, thanks to the monocoque frame as well as stiffly sprung independent struts with stabilizer at the front and independent multi-link with stabilizer at the rear. With the disc brake setup at both the ends as well as limited slip differential present in the 4x4 variant, the X-Trail is able to perform mild off-road duties as well.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

The Nissan X-Trail has been blessed with two engine options, both of which are petrol powered. The smaller 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is coupled to a 4x2 drivetrain and generate 144 PS of maximum power and 200 Nm of peak torque output. On the other hand, the bigger 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is mated to a 4x4 drivetrain and pumps out 171 PS of maximum power and 233 Nm of peak torque outputs. Both these engines are adjoined to a common CVT transmission.

Braking & Safety

The Nissan X-Trail packs in a number of modern safety technologies, making it one of the safest crossovers of its segment. The X-Trail’s safety feature list includes dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, seat belt pretensioners with force limiters, ISOFIX mounts for child seats, reverse camera, front and rear parking sensors, around view camera with moving object detection, forward collision warning system, forward emergency braking, hill descent control, hill start assist, vehicle dynamic control, blind spot warning system, and rear cross traffic alert.

Verdict

The Nissan X-Trail might look a bit soft and smooth to be called an SUV, but this large crossover has a modern design which grows on you with time. The plush and feature-rich interior cabin, smooth ride quality and a long list of safety features only add to the premium feel offered by the X-Trail.