GREEN WITH ENVY
Jealous of Toyota’s hybrid, Nissan has an alternative
Nissan is hoping to muscle in on the hybrid party dominated by Toyota with the new X-trail e-power. Like the RAV4 Hybrid that has buyers queuing to own one, the XTrail e-power teams a petrol engine with a battery pack and electric motors.
However, the electric side of the e-power system is very different to other hybrids.
That’s because the advanced petrol engine – with world first variable compression ratio technology – never drives the car, instead being used solely as a generator to charge a modest 2.1kwh battery pack under the front seats.
Two electric motors drive all four wheels and draw power from both the petrol engine and the batteries. They combine to make 157kw; the front motor can produce up to 330Nm of torque and the rear another 195Nm.
Nissan’s series hybrid system may be closer to an EV experience, but it comes at a cost.
Nissan is only offering e-power on the two most expensive X-trail variants, the Ti and TiL. Each comes with a $4200 premium over the petrol-only all-wheel drive X-trails with the same level of equipment. That makes the price of entry $58,620 drive-away, or $61,770 for the TI-L. Each is loaded with gear, including a panoramic sunroof, digital instrument cluster, three-zone ventilation, head-up display, smart key entry, wireless phone charging, powered tailgate and 18-inch alloy wheels. There’s also a 12.3-inch central infotainment screen with Android Auto and wireless Apple Carplay.
The TI-L gets 20-inch alloy wheels (up from 18s) and a 10-speaker Bose audio system, among other goodies. About the only thing missing is a spare tyre, with the electric motor beneath the floor consuming the space. The e-power models are also not available with the sevenseat configuration of other X-trails, limiting capacity to five. Space is great, though, especially for those in the back, who also get separate ventilation controls. A 40/20/40 splitfolding back seat maximises loading options, although a marginally higher floor shaves 10 litres off the boot capacity; at 575 litres it’s still commodious.
And the X-trail cabin is suitably up-market, with convincing faux wood, quality plastics and silver highlights. But it’s fuel saving that is the appeal of hybrids. On paper the e-power uses 22 per cent less fuel than the 2.5-litre in regular X-trails, according to fuel figures gleaned from a government test.
Our day of driving suggests that could be more pronounced in the real world, the ePower hovering close to its 6.1 litres per 100km claim. The three-cylinder engine can run on regular unleaded but is recommended to use premium. Either way, expect to save at least $400 on fuel over 15,000km of annual driving – or potentially double that. That means the payback on the price premium is at least five years, or possibly closer to eight at today’s petrol prices. Servicing prices are almost identical to a regular X-trail.
The X-trail e-power is more than just a way to lower running costs. That effortless surge of torque from the moment you press the accelerator makes it livelier out of corners and a nicer machine in traffic than the regular XTrail. It’s responsive, engaging and brisk.
The aural accompaniment varies from nearsilent – save for a synthesised pedestrian warning below 30km/h – to a muted drone once accelerating hard. But even in full flight it’s a lot quieter and more relaxed than a regular petrol engine courtesy of some tricky noise cancelling tech. The flexibility and reaction speeds of electric motors also improves the X-trail’s cornering nous. Torque vectoring sends more drive to the outside wheels, effectively tucking the car into corners. It’s especially noticeable on quick direction changes.
When braking, too, the X-trail can apportion more of its regenerative braking – which creates electricity – to the back wheels, tucking the tail down to reduce pitching.
So while you may not halve your fuel bills, there are certainly savings to be had. And you’ll have one of the more engaging mid-sized SUVS – at a price.
VERDICT
New hybrid tech may not slash fuel bills as much as some rivals but it delivers with a crisp and engaging driving experience.