Nissan X-Trail

By Gavin Green

Motor Shows

08 March 2007 11:39

So, a brand new Nissan X-Trail. Or is it? It doesn’t look any different…

Yes, it’s new – new body, new platform and some new engines. The only thing not different is the exterior style. Nissan is the latest in a line of manufacturers – the Mini Mk2 being the most recent – that has totally redesigned its car. And apparently changed nothing. Nissan says the old X-Trail, first launched in 2001 and upgraded in 2004, is selling at about three times early expectations. It didn’t want to mess with a winning formula. So although every body panel is new, the exterior is almost impossible to tell apart from the old X-Trail's. The biggest change is an extra 17.5 cm in overall length – nearly all of that goes into a bigger boot.

There’s a marginally longer wheelbase and a touch more rear legroom. Like the old model, it’s a roomy five-seater. The platform is new – it’s the Renault-Nissan Alliance C platform, as also used on the quirky Qashqai crossover. New kit includes Land Rover-like hill descent control (Nissan calls it Downhill Drive Support), a sure sign that X-Trail is serious about the rough. Three of the four engines are new. There’s a 140bhp 2.0-litre petrol four-pot plus two versions of the latest Renault 2.0 diesel, producing 150 and 173bhp respectively. The carryover engine is the big-chested 169bhp 2.5-litre four, a surprisingly sweet unit. The petrol motors come with a choice of six-speed manual or CVT auto. The diesels get either a manual or a conventional torque-converted stepped auto box. It’s the first time the X-Trail has been available with a diesel auto powertrain.

By Gavin Green