Nissan’s X-Trail joins the crop of crossovers and offers good value in a competitive segment, writes Geraldine Herbert
What is it? The crossover market is still booming and the latest SUV to be given a stylish makeover is Nissan’s X-Trail.
Who is it aimed at? Gone is the rugged and utilitarian exterior and the new model is designed to lure buyers away from rivals like the Ford Kuga, Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V.
Styling? The more curvy body on the X-Trail now hints at crossover-style performance and handling and echoing the styling cues of the Qashqai the bumper now tapers into the grille and the new LED lights gives the X-Trail far more SUV like styling.
Under the Bonnet? Only one engine type is offered, a 1.6-litre dCi (130 bhp) diesel.
What about inside? Inside, cabin space in the X-Trail is excellent and storage spaces abound. It is also particularly family friendly and the versatility is enhanced by the optional seven-seat configuration – although space limits the third row to occasional use only, it does give parents the ability to pick up a small tribe of kids should the need arise. And if you’re heading for Ikea or moving house you can fold the second and third row of seats flat to make a gigantic boot.
On the Road? It’s grips the road well, corners without rolling too much especially given its size and smoothes out most road bumps and lumps. But the X-Trail is not the fastest and you might have to crack the whip to get it going initially, but it is comfortable and effortless to drive.
And Safety? You won’t have to fret about safety, 6 airbags, stability control and a tyre pressure monitoring system come as standard but disappointingly the Forward Emergency Braking which stops your car automatically at low speeds in the event of an imminent crash and the Around View Monitor that uses cameras around the car to give you a 360 degree view are extras on the basic trim.
What are my Options? There are 14 models from which to chose, if you want seven seats they are optional on four versions and carry a €1,600 premium. While the X-Trail may be aimed squarely at those wanting to spend more time on the road than off, it is available with a choice of front-wheel or four-wheel drive. The all-wheel drive is an option for an extra €3,000.
Will it break the bank? The X-Trail is competitively priced at €30,959 plus Nissan have a good reputation for not breaking down. Standard equipment includes rain-sensing wipers, forward emergency braking, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition and rear parking sensors. Hop into the top-of-the-range SVE trim and you get heated leather seats, driver fatigue alert and blind spot warning and intelligent parking assist that should prevent embarrassing scrapes.
And Economy? Economy figures are good with emissions of 129g/km so its €270 a year to tax and combined fuel consumption is 4.9 litres per 100 or 57.6mpg combined.
Verdict? Roomy enough to seat five and occasionally seven, with decent kerb appeal and powered by a moderately gutsy diesel, there is a lot to like about Nissan’s new X-Trail. It may not be the most exciting option in this very competitive market but if you are looking for a safe, practical and very reliable family car, the Nissan’s X-Trail has a lot to offer.
Why you’ll buy one? Spacious; Price, Reliability
Why you won’t? Engine a little underpowered; noisy
Watch our video review below (Video Filming by Kyran O’Brien)
Rivals
Mazda Cx-5 – priced from €27,995
Ford Kuga – priced from €29,645
Honda CR-V – priced from €31,995
Nissan X-Trail 1.6d SV 7 Seats
Engine: 1598cc, 96kw (130bhp) @4000, 320NM @1750
Max speed: 180km/h
0-100 kph: 10.5 seconds
Emissions (Motor Tax) : 129 g/km (€270)
Model price range: €30,950 – 41,700 (Test Car –€34,200)
No of Doors: 5 doors
Euro NCAP : 5 Stars
Fuel type: Diesel
Fuel Economy (combined cycle): 4.9 l/100km (57.6mpg)
Boot Capacity Seats up(down): 550 litres(1982)
Car Seats: 2 Isofix fittings in the rear
Length: 4640mm
Width: 1820mm
Height: 1710mm
Wheelbase: 2705 mm
For more information check out Nissan.ie , the Nissan Ireland Facebook page or follow them on twitter here.
Geraldine Herbert
27th May, 2015
