WELL-WORN TRAIL
Nissan’s ever reliable SUV is an ideal family all-rounder
Worldwide, people buy more Nissan X-Trails than any other SUV on sale today. So what makes it such a global success? We’re testing the top-spec allwheel-drive TL diesel model to see how this global bestseller stacks up Down Under.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS IAN:
The X-Trail is the Toyota Corolla of SUVs. It’s inoffensive, does most things pretty well and has a loyal following.
Meaning it’s dull.
But most buyers love dull. They want practicality, reliability and nothing polarising.
Successfully catering to the masses then. And I can see why. It looks sharp and modern, Nissan’s a good badge and the X-Trail’s just the right size. Big enough for family and lifestyle equipment, but not hulking and cumbersome.
Nailed it. X-Trails can look good value too, with a starting price as low as $28,490 for the 2WD petrol ST version.
Our blingy bright blue version with chrome galore isn’t that one I take it?
Not by a long shot. This is the AWD turbo-diesel TL rangetopper. A whopping $20,000 more than entry level. It’ll cost more than $50,000 to drive one away.
Woah. $50k buys plenty of tasty SUV rivals.
True. Think Hyundai Tucson Highlander, Kia Sportage GT-Line, Mazda CX-5 Akera or VW Tiguan 162TSI Highline all with similar spec. You could even go bigger and bag a Skoda Kodiaq or Peugeot 5008.
JULES: IAIN:
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Very plush and roomy in here with electric leather heated seats, flat-bottomed heated steering wheel and soft-touch leathery dashboard.
Heated rear seats for the kids too; this is business class X-Trailing.
For $50,000 you’d want a special cabin and it feels
IAIN: JULES:
very well finished inside. Honourable mentions to the faux carbon fibre door inserts and soft knee rests in both footwells. Nice touches. Generally it’s good, but a footbrake rather than electric handbrake is antique, plus the infotainment feels a generation old. There’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, the reverse camera is low rent and the 7-inch screen’s smaller than most rivals. Tech-savvy parents expect better these days.
It’s still got a CD player too, how wonderfully old-school. I loved busting out my 90s CDs for the school run. Infotainment may be lagging, but wow, what a sound system. Bose as standard in the TL, and it’s a cracker.
For the money you get auto lights and wipers, dual-zone climate control, satnav, 360-degree camera and safety kit such as auto
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emergency braking, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, moving object detection and lane departure warning.
Disappointingly though only the topspec petrol Ti version gets auto lane keep and intelligent cruise control. Not in this pricier diesel though. Weird.
Radar cruise is pretty common on $50k cars today. Shame not to have it as it’s so useful on the highway and in traffic.
IAIN: JULES: THE COMMUTE IAIN:
Rides comfortably, I saw under 7L/100km on motorways and for a diesel it’s quiet and refined in the cabin. In no way thrilling though.
As you said, the people want boring, Or to be fair, dependable, smooth and just a nice place to drive for a few hours.
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THE SHOPPING IAIN:
Solidly built for family duties, the boot’s massive with a clever sunken floor if you need even more space.
You can cram loads in, plus the tailgate opens with a foot swipe under the rear bumper.
Child in one arm, eight shopping bags and a carton of VB in the other, thank goodness we don’t need to rest that on the roof anymore while hunting for keys.
But for fifty grand, no parking sensors front or rear? We’re so used to them these days it was a miracle I didn’t reverse into a bollard.
JULES: IAIN: JULES: SUNDAY RUN IAIN:
Erring more to on-road than off-road use, the X-Trail is actually a pretty neat handler. It feels stable in the corners and there’s ample torque from the diesel engine.
With all-wheel-drive and 210mm ground clearance it’d hunt down some outthere camping spots too.
There’s still not much joy to the drive though, which I’ll blame in part on the CVT auto gearbox. This X-Trail may shine on the highway, but ask for oomph and it’s first sluggish, then noisily revvy, then lazy once more.
JULES: IAIN: THE FAMILY JULES:
Top marks here. Huge boot for bikes, the rear doors open wide to strap kids in easily and the children loved the moonroof.
There’s good visibility too and countless bins and holders to store your stuff. I reckon it was a parent who designed this cabin.
I thought the X-Trail was seven seats these days though?
It can be, but in 2WD petrol only, strangely. For the $50k drive-away, I’d really want the versatility of those two extra seats.
IAIN: JULES: IAIN: THE VERDICT JULES:
Easy to live with, ideal for families, looks good and quite plush. For the money though, it lacks the X-Factor to make me love it.
Agreed. I think the X-Trail’s a superb family hauler, but for better value, leave this TL model alone and pick something cheaper from the range. Or there’s a glut of aforementioned talented alternatives to consider.
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