Nissan X-Trail

The Nissan X-Trail is a seven-seater luxury SUV in the mid-size segment. The SUV, that debuted globally in 2020, is now in its fourth generation. Notably, previous versions of the SUV have been on sale in India before being discontinued in 2014 due to poor sales. 

Competitors of the Nissan X-Trail include the Jeep Meridian and Skoda Kodiaq. You can also consider larger SUVs such as the MG Gloster and Toyota Fortuner for a similar budget. Alternatively, if you wish to spend less, options such as the Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Safari (though not direct rivals) are available for significantly less money. 

For the Indian market, the X-Trail is a fully imported SUV, built in Japan. Should you consider the new X-Trail?

Design and Build Quality

Nissan’s X-Trail is sure to get some attention on the road. Purely because it’s unique and something different from what we’re used to seeing. The design language is simple, where Nissan has tried to blend a tough-looking SUV with a modern, urban style. There are no sharp cuts or creases here, and it seems like the X-Trail’s design will be pleasing to the eye even years down the line. 

From the front, the large chrome-lined grille and split headlamps grab attention. Weirdly enough, while it gets LED daytime running lamps and full-LED headlamps, the indicators are basic halogen bulbs. This feels cheap and unnecessary, especially considering the price point. 

It’s the side that shows off the size of the X-Trail to the fullest extent. It measures nearly 4.7 metres in length, making it nearly as large as a Toyota Fortuner. The muscular fenders, the subtle chrome touch above the windows and the shark fin antenna all do their bit to elevate the design. I liked the design of the large 20-inch alloy wheels too. They fill up the wheel wells nicely and give the X-Trail a purposeful stance. 

At the rear, you will connect the dots to Nissan’s global models such as the Patrol, and Kicks. The design is simple, but with some strong curves that gives it some character. The tail lamps have a smoked out effect and there are LED elements too. Nissan’s oddly chosen halogens for the indicators which seems like cost-cutting. 

The X-Trail is available in three colours: Pearl White, Champagne Silver, and Diamond Black. We think the X-Trail looks the best in the white shade, given its size and stance.

Design and Quality

A positive of the Nissan X-Trail is that its doors open up to a significant 85 degrees. This makes getting in and out of the SUV quite easy. It only helps that you do not have to climb inside the X-Trail — this will be appreciated by the elders in the family. 

The cabin’s simple design and black-brown colour theme feels pleasant. Nissan has used a lot of horizontal elements in the dashboard design, to give the X-Trail’s cabin an added sense of width. The dash is ever so tilted towards the driver, and elements such as the floating grey panel, XL-sized AC controls and almost EV-like raised floor console blend utility and luxury in equal measure. 

In terms of quality, the X-Trail delivers exactly what’s expected from it. There’s generous use of soft-touch materials on the top half of the dashboard and the crash pad. Even the buttons and switches for the climate control, power windows and the stalks feel well built. 

But in another instance of cost cutting, Nissan is providing fabric upholstery on the seats and the door pads. The grey colour looks slightly odd and does not fit in well with the premium experience the X-Trail aims to deliver. 

Front Seats

The seats are comfortable and accommodating of large frames. There’s adequate support and cushioning should feel comfortable even for longer journeys. You can adjust the seat height, and adjust the steering for rake and reach. It is very odd to see manual seat adjustment in such an expensive vehicle. Nevertheless, there’s ample travel range in the seat making it easy for one to find a comfortable driving position. The seating position is tall, giving the driver a commanding view of the road. 

There’s a central armrest too, for added comfort. 

Second Row Seats

The second row has ample space too. A six-footer will be more than comfortable behind a six-foot tall driver. There’s ample width for three to sit comfortably, and enough headroom despite the panoramic sunroof. However, under-thigh support felt a bit lacking since the floor seems too high relative to the seat. 

You can slide the rear seat forwards/backwards and adjust the recline too. This lets you make space for occupants/luggage in the third row easily. There’s no captain seat option with the X-Trail. However, since the second row splits in a 40:20:40 ratio, the middle seat can be folded individually for that captain seat feel. The occupants get AC vents and charging ports, but sadly no sunblinds. 

Third Row Seats

As far as the third row is concerned, it’s suited for kids or maybe pets on occasion. Available space is simply not adequate for adults even for short journeys. What makes matters worse is that the second row doesn’t get a one touch tumble functionality. Also, the space between the door and the second row is quite cramped for one to squeeze into the third row. 

Storage and Practicality

In terms of practicality, the X-Trail has you covered. All doors have well-sized bottle holders, the central area at the front gets a phone tray, cupholders, a shelf underneath and storage under the armrest. 

The central armrest at the rear gets a couple of cupholders and a phone holder, whereas third row occupants get their own storage. 

Charging Options

Front occupants get a 12V charger, a USB type-A, type-C and wireless charging under the climate control panel. Rear occupants get a USB type-A and type-C port placed under the AC vents. 

Features

The feature list of the Nissan X-Trail is rather disappointing. It covers only the basics and lacks those wow features that similarly priced rivals offer. Basics such as keyless entry, push-button start stop, automatic headlamps and wipers, auto-dimming IRVM, and cruise control are offered. There’s a panoramic sunroof too that extends all the way up to the second row. 

On the infotainment front, Nissan is offering a rather small and outdated 8-inch touchscreen. It feels laggy to use and screen resolution isn’t great either. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are available, but are wired — interestingly, via both the type-A and type-C ports. Nissan offers a much better 12.3-inch touchscreen in global markets (with better graphics, interface and connectivity options) which should have been on offer here.

Paired with the touchscreen is a generic 6-speaker sound system. It sounds flat and lacks the separation you’d want between the lows, mids and highs. An upgrade is recommended for those who prefer good quality audio. There’s a 10-speaker BOSE sound system available on global spec X-Trails, which would’ve been the better choice here. 

There’s a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display to be had. Here, the resolution and clarity is high quality, as expected. However, the functionality of the screen is quite limited. It has two distinct views, but there are no themes or looks that change based on drive modes. 

Finally, you get a 360 degree camera that offers acceptable camera resolution and clarity. Rear view camera feed has dynamic guidelines too, making parking convenient. However, there’s no lane change camera function and individual left/right/front views cannot be selected. The 360° view is limited to a top ‘birds-eye’ view. 

There are more misses than hits in the X-Trail’s package. Features such as leather upholstery, powered front seats, seat ventilation, powered tailgate, rear sunblinds, and configurable ambient lighting would’ve had the X-Trail justify its asking price better.

Safety features on the new Nissan X-Trail include the usuals: seven airbags, ABS with EBD, tyre pressure monitoring system, electronic stability control. What feels missing in the overall package is ADAS. Features such as blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and auto emergency braking would’ve bumped up the X-Trail’s safety quotient. 

The X-Trail received a full five star rating from EuroNCAP. However, do note that the model tested was equipped with ADAS. 

If you use the X-Trail as a seven seater, there’s barely any space left in the boot. You might be able to squeeze in a cabin-sized trolley bag (or two) or maybe a couple of duffle bags. The third row can be folded away in a 50:50 split or entirely, which gives you a lot of luggage space. You can easily accommodate 5-6 cabin sized trolley bags here. You can also use the retractable luggage cover when using the X-Trail as a 5-seater. There’s a dedicated space to store this under the boot floor.

Nissan India is offering the X-Trail with a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. This engine makes 163PS of power and 300Nm of torque, and powers the front wheels. There’s no option of a hybrid, diesel or all-wheel drive. The only transmission option is a CVT automatic. 

City Performance

As you would expect, the SUV does not feel exciting in the way it accelerates. The claimed 0-100kmph time is a relaxed 9.6 seconds and it does feel like that from behind the wheel. If you want a faster SUV, it’d be wise to consider SUVs like the VW Tiguan/Skoda Kodiaq. 

What’s appreciable is that the vehicle does not feel underpowered for daily use. The response from the engine is satisfactory at low speeds for a relaxed city drive. With the CVT, the acceleration is smooth and lag free. 

Highway Performance

For highway drives, the X-Trail would prefer if you stuck to speeds around 100-120kmph. However, if you want to push it, it shows no hesitation in hitting its claimed top speed of around 200kmph. Here, the X-Trail’s CVT mimics a regular automatic gearbox and ‘upshifts’ at the redline in a bid to make the drive more exciting. 

What stands out is the sound insulation. The noise, vibration and harshness from the outside environment is barely audible or felt inside the cabin.

With large 20-inch wheels, one would expect the ride comfort of the X-Trail to be compromised. Thankfully, that’s not the case. The suspension is set up to be firm, but not to the point of being uncomfortable. 

Low speed ride is very well cushioned and you won’t be disturbed or tossed around inside the cabin. Similarly, high speed stability is exactly what you’d want from an SUV this size and heft. It’s only over broken surfaces and potholes, you’re likely to feel the edges slightly paired with some mild side-to-side movement. 

Here too, the silence with which the suspension works stands out. If you are looking for an SUV to accompany you on relaxed road trips with the family, the X-Trail will fit the bill quite nicely. 

The steering is light enough to make driving in crowded cities stress free. There’s enough weight at highway speeds too. Through corners, it remains composed and collected as long as the speeds are kept in check. 

From a value for money standpoint, it’s hard to justify the Nissan X-Trail. There are quite a few premium features missing such as leather upholstery and ADAS that take away from the wow factor of the vehicle. The performance from the 1.5-litre petrol motor too isn’t exciting in any manner but feels just about adequate. That said, it has got the basics of a solid build, second row space, and ride comfort right. 

Other Cars To Consider

Volkswagen Tiguan R Line

Reasons to consider

• More fun to drive

• Better features  

Reasons to Ignore

• No third row option

Skoda Kodiaq

Reasons to consider

• More power and performance

• More luxurious and feature loaded

Reasons to Ignore

• None