New Nissan X-Trail preview at Zama
Nissan’s X-Trail is a long-time favorite, forming the trio of popular compact crossovers which include the RAV4 from Toyota and Honda’s CR-V.
But while the two other models continued, the X-Trail was somehow forgotten and NPI stopped selling the T32 model. We were waiting for the new model but for some reason or another, it never came immediately. And with huge demand for the Terra, Nissan’s PPV-based 7-seat diesel SUV, the X-Trail wasn’t exactly missed.
Fast forward to today and Nissan is expected to formally announce the return of the X-Trail to the lineup at the upcoming Philippine International Motor Show in a few months. While there are a few variants available, the latest fourth generation T33 X-Trail we’ll most likely receive is the ePower hybrid variant with the 3-cylinder KR15DDT gasoline engine that acts solely as a generator for the electric motors that power the X-Trail equipped with Nissan’s electrified all-wheel drive system called e-4ORCE.
With rising fuel prices even before rhe conflict in the Middle East, the introduction of the X-Trail e-POWER is a timely launch in a cost-conscious market.
I was in Japan last week and was invited to try the latest X-Trail in the Rock Creek variant, a more butch version with gnarlier 19-inch M/S rated Bridgestone Blizzak tires sized 235/45R19 wrapped around chunky 6-spoke alloy wheels finished in black. There are some body-claddings to give a tougher appearance too. Nissan intends for it to be the choice of drivers who enjoy outdoor activities like light off-roading, overlanding and camping.
As a whole, the latest X-Trail is bulkier, boxier and sharper than the previous model. It has a bigger V-Motion grill too and split front headlights. Inside, a large 12.3 inch LCD infotainment display dominates the dash architecture, but the rest is clean and classy with the bare essentials for physical buttons. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus Nissan’s own navigation system are standard as is Amazon Alexa too!
In terms of safety, Nissan has its Safety Assist 360 ADAS system that uses the usual cameras, sensors and sonar to constantly monitor the environment around you. A Bose sound system provides cool tunes, while 100 volt AC power is available with a maximum 1000watt output, perfect for camping trips. Luggage space varies on variant with regular ICE models getting 585 liters with the rear seats up. The e-POWER and 7-seaters make do with 485 liters. Drop the second row 60:40 split-folding seats and you get as much as 1,424 liters of space. Nissan claims these are best in class figures.
The comfortable yet body hugging seats are covered in leather, perforated and in Japan, both cooled and heated. A three-spoke steering wheel with buttons for the infotainment and cruise control are present. Build quality seems to have improved dramatically from the previous model, as is the quality of the materials. There’s oodles of room inside despite me wearing a bubble jacket as Japan was at the very end of winter and Zama in particular was very windy.
There’s more than decent power from the e-POWER system, delivering 213hp and 350 Newton-Meters of torque to all four wheels. Unfortunately, we were confined to a small area within Nissan’s Zama factory to drive and shoot plus there was a 40kmh speed limit. Still, I’m happy to report that the overall NVH refinement and luxurious feeling was a marked improvement.
The brakes are strong, throttle is electric (pun intended) and steering has a decent amount of heft and effort rather than the overly light and numb steering becoming more common especially among the brands coming from China. Suspension felt surprisingly firm when we would go over speed bumps and rumble strips. But the firmness gave that reassurance of high-speed stability and control. Nissan was always for keen drivers.
While our time was short and sweet, the latest X-Trail feels very promising and could just be the electrified reboot Nissan needs to gain back market share in a landscape being dominated by more affordable electrified Chinese vehicles.
