Review: Nissan X-Trail
Judging by its styling the Nissan X-Trail was designed for the American market, which didn’t excite me wildly when I first saw it. Chrome abounds and the lines are rather boxy, while the futuristic dash design told me that the designers wanted to keep the cost of switching production between left- and right-hand drive versions as low as possible.
But once behind the wheel my views began to change — the Nissan felt superb. The doors closed with a satisfying thunk. Refrigerated can holders in the dash were a novelty that worked, keeping drinks cool (in a horizontal position) until you needed them. A truly massive sunroof made the interior of the car feel like Kings Park when the right buttons were pushed, and the durable nylon seat trim promised to suffer countless muddyings and cleanings without falling apart. I still wasn’t crazy about the space-age dash layout with its central instrumentation, but the car was beginning to appeal more. The accommodation was spacious for four and adequate for five adults, while an abundance of storage pockets and compartments showed that the designers were determined to be practical, if not always aesthetically pleasing in their choice of interior. A six-shuttle dash-mounted CD shuttle, aircon, electric windows and all the other modern conveniences we’ve grown used to made up the rest of the package.
Once we got rolling the test vehicle’s 2,5-litre petrol engine provided a further pleasant surprise. A twin cam, 16-valve four-cylinder unit, it boasts continuously variable valve timing, and produces a respectable 132kW at 6 000rpm and 245Nm at 4 000rpm. Nissan’s done a great job of soundproofing the cabin, so there was none of the four-cylinder frenzy that I expected. The test car revved willingly to the red line, and scurried along most impressively whenever I felt the need for speed. The five-speed manual gearbox impressed hugely, with a crisp click indicating each new ratio selected. Top speed is reputed to be around 180kph, with 100kph coming up just more than 11 seconds after take-off.
On-road handling was superb. Independent suspension all round may not be as desirable as a solid rear axle off-road, but the X-Trail isn’t really expected to spend its life in the bush. Drive is normally through the front wheels only, but a trio of dash-mounted switches give the driver a choice of 2WD, Auto or Lock. In the Auto position sensors on the front wheels detect wheelspin and activate a clutch to allow drive to the rear as required. In the Lock position torque is split 57%/43% between front and rear axles, with a limited slip differential aiding the little soft-roader in its off-tarmac activities. There’s no low-ratio transmission, which limits serious off-road ability somewhat, but the reasonable ground clearance (195mm) and respectable approach, departure and ramp-breakover angles of 28, 25 and 21 degrees respectively, mean that the Nissan can cope well with the average user’s demands in the bundu.
The Nissan X-Trail 2,5 petrol is a very capable compact SUV that functions brilliantly as a family wagon. If Nissan was battling to sell them I’d suggest they start a massive campaign to get bums in seats, because the car is simply so much nicer to drive than to look at, and this sector of the market is already overcrowded. But Nissan’s moving them out of showrooms faster than they can get ’em and at R257 000 for the model we tested I can understand why.