AGAINST THE GRAIN

VALUE

It’s hard to get a great deal on a new car in 2021. Strong customer demand and limited dealer stock mean genuine bargains are hard to find. Nissan goes against the grain with its mildlyupdated X-Trail. Available from $30,990 driveaway (with zero-deposit finance and three years of free servicing), it’s at least $10,000 cheaper than rival machines such as the new Volkswagen Tiguan. We tested it in rangetopping Ti form priced from $46,490 driveaway. That’s cheap, but this isn’t a new car. Introduced in 2014, the model shown here has already been replaced overseas, and the next gen is not far away from an Australian debut. But the outgoing model might make sense for families looking to stretch their dollar.

COMFORT

The X-Trail Ti is well equipped with luxuries such as dual-zone climate control, front and rear heated leather seats, smart keys, a powered tailgate and more. You also get an unremarkable 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus sat nav and a clever 360-degree camera. Customers moving on from a 10-year-old car will enjoy the toys, but switched-on folks might notice it feels quite dated alongside more modern rivals with customizable mood lighting, digital dashboards and head-up displays.

SAFETY

A late update to the outgoing X-Trail saw an “intelligent driver alert” suite added for 2021, including active cruise control, auto emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear crosstraffic alert, blind-spot monitoring and other handy features. Limited to the mid-grade ST-L and range-topping X-Trail Ti, the update brings Nissan into line with key rivals. ANCAP gave the Nissan a five-star safety rating back in 2017, finding that it crashed well but missed out on family features such as seat belt reminders and curtain airbags for sevenseat versions.

DRIVING

The X-Trail isn’t particularly impressive to drive. Soft suspension, pronounced road noise and a vocal 2.5-litre petrol engine with 126kW/226Nm outputs conspire to put it toward the back of the family SUV pack for driving enjoyment. It’s an honest wagon that doesn’t try to impress drivers with the sort of athleticism found in some alternatives. We’re not fans of its stepless continuously variable transmission, which delivers sluggish responses and a droning engine noise. There have been complaints and issues overseas with earlier CVT models, too. Nissan’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty is a good insurance policy.

ALTERNATIVES

HYUNDAI TUCSON, FROM ABOUT $38,500 DRIVEAWAY

The all-new Tucson looks sharp, with bodywork like creased paper and a cabin available with a digital dashboard, widescreen infotainment and eye-catching style.

MAZDA CX-5, FROM $32,990 DRIVE-AWAY

The CX-5 is a winner, with outstanding safety, impressive road manners and a premium interior.

TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID, FROM ABOUT $41,000 DRIVE-AWAY

There’s a reason the hybrid RAV4 has a sixmonth waiting list. It’s an efficient, punchy and well-appointed all-rounder.

VERDICT

The Nissan X-Trail offers a lot of gear for the money, but you might want to hold out for the new model or look at more modern rivals.