X-Trail could be a winner for you

ANYONE who’s driven the latest Nissan Qashqai or Juke models built by the guys at Sunderland, will know what cracking products they are.

The one-millionth Juke rolled off the assembly lines a couple of months ago.

Sometimes though, you need a few extra inches for additional carrying capacity or elbow room

That’s where the Nissan X-Trail comes in. It’s recently been confirmed as the world’s best-selling Crossover SUV.

Quite an achievement. And don’t forget, the next version of the X-Trail will be built in Sunderland.

The first thing you notice with this third generation Nissan X-Trail is that it’s a quantum leap from the previous model.

Instead of being aimed at the offroad market, this latest version follows the ultra-popular crossover styling which appeals to families.

If you think it looks like a pumpedup Qashqai, you’d be right. It is the replacement, in effect, for the Qashqai+2 model although if you want seven seats in your X-Trail, you’ll need to stump-up a few extra quid.

Prices start at £25,590 which is decent value bearing in mind that it is loaded with safety and techno kit as standard.

There are three engines to choose from. The entry level X-Trail comes with the solitary 1.6 litre petrol unit.

If you want four-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox, you’ll have to pick from either the 1.6 or 2.0 litre diesel engines.

All engines are available as twowheel drive and, to be honest, unless you live out in the sticks or want better roadholding, most folk will be perfectly happy with just 2WD.

The 1.6 DIG-T petrol engine is refined and offers a decent bit of performance with a 0-60 time of just over 9 seconds and a top speed of 124mph. Economy suffers though.

You’ll get mid 40s mpg. The 1.6 dCi diesel engine will achieve mid to high 50s although it’s slightly slower with 0-60 taking around 10.5 seconds. However, there’s more lugging power. If you regularly travel fully loaded or towing or with seven occupants, take a look at the punchy 2.0 litre diesel engine. It’s no quicker than the petrol model but it really does offer more in-gear pull. You’ll still manage around 50 mpg.

Every X-Trail is good to drive. They’re comfy, well equipped and have excellent levels of safety features. We like the N-Connecta trim because you get sat nav and a really clever 360 degree surround camera which makes parking a doddle.

The best idea is to go along to your local Nissan dealer and check out the X-Trail.

This X-Factor could be a winner for you.