Road test: Nissan X-Trail
Nprofile. The third generation model now resembles a SUV more akin to many modern softroaders - handsome looks and decent grip - but which have no expectation of going off-road.
The seven-seater X-Trail driven here offers space and practicality in stacks.
The two extra seats carry a £700 premium but for many, it will be well worth it. Remove them or fold them flat - or just plump for the five-seat option - and you have a very generouslyspaced interior and load area.
Nissan could easily have kept the seven-seater
Qashqai and done away with the X-Trail but it still has a healthy following and decided it still had a place for its macho presence, albeit with a much softer focus.
The model is now powered by a 1.6-litre diesel model only - replacing the previous 2.0-litre unit, yet it delivers the same amount of torque and Nissan claim it is 20% more efficient.
It is strong and sturdy enough but feels slow-witted at low revs and takes its time to react.
You need to whip it up and maintain momentum to get decent response.
But once you head out of the urban junge and into 30mph-plus cruise it progresses well and feels much more responsive. Diesel clatter isn’t a problem unless the engine is put under duress.
While this car came with an adaptive four-wheel drive system, the majority of X-Trails sales will be made up of two-wheel drive versions which will offer most people sufficient grip.
However, for those wanting extra, four-corner grip, the all-wheel drive is an option for an extra £1,700.
Apart from its practical nature and excellent space, the all-new X-Trail offers much more car-like performance and handling so that it is a much more simple and relaxed driving experience than in its predecessor.
Ride and comfort is significantly improved, with the chassis and suspension soaking up most imperfections without fuss, though deeper indentations can result in some unsettled, see-saw motion. The 19-inch alloys here on this high-spec n-tec trim wouldn’t help this, but most of the time the ride was very acceptable.
The steering is surprisingly light for what is still a fairly hefty vehicle, and though the X-Trail is composed most of the time it does lean heavily in corners at speed.
Inside, the cabin is light years ahead of the older X-Trail, borrowing heavily from the interior of the Qashqai so that it feels thoroughly modern and more premium
There’s liberal use of softtouch materials though there is still evidence of some hard plastics.
Though the price of the high-specced n-tec seems high, the X-Trail does offer very generous kit and equipment levels, including a host of hi-tech safety features, powered panoramic glass roof - which bathes the cabin in light, front, rear and side cameras, on-touch auto opening tailgate, seven-inch touch-screen navigation and entertainment system, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth with microphone and much more. Val Jessop