Featuring a tonne of innovative technologies, 4th Gen Nissan X-Trail is likely to appeal to automotive purists and Nissan loyalists
After a long time of selling just one vehicle, Nissan India is finally expanding its portfolio to include X-Trail SUV. With the X-Trail, Nissan is competing with premium mid-size SUVs currently on sale like Jeep Meridian and Skoda Kodiaq in India. Unlike the Meridian, Nissan X-Trail is not locally manufactured to strike an attractive price point.
As of writing this review, Nissan has not yet announced the pricing, which will happen on 26th, July, 2024. X-Trail’s sales performance in India starkly depends on Nissan’s pricing strategy. That is because India is a price-sensitive market and vehicles manufactured in India for India have become extremely competent and try to offer everything at once.
Nissan X-Trail First-Drive Review – Design
Before diving into specifics, we have to mention Nissan India has resumed its CBU business with X-Trail. The company has formulated a future roadmap named ‘The Arc’. The 4th Gen Nissan X-Trail launching in India, is a global model and is also sold as Nissan Rogue in North America. Nissan has sold X-Trail in India in the past and has decent brand recall among enthusiasts.
Nissan X-Trail launching in India, is made in Japan and it features the company’s new design language. There is a strong fascia with a dominating V-Motion grill, split headlight design with LED DRLs on top, swanky 20-inch alloy wheels, attractive and muscular side profile, smart rear design, boomerang-shaped LED tail lights with rain-drop reason and body cladding all around.
For India, Nissan is only offering one variant with 7-seater layout. There are three colour options on offer – Pearl White, Diamond Black and Champagne Silver. On the inside, there is a neatly designed dashboard layout, a floating centre console, supportive and comfy seats, smart steering wheel design and a lot of boot space which can be expanded with 2nd-row seats folded.
Safety-wise, Nissan X-Trail gets up to 7 airbags, VDC, ABS, EBD, TCS, hill start assist, rain-sensing wipers, emergency stop signal when panic braking, front and rear parking sensors, 360-degree parking camera, all-wheel disc brakes, limited slip differential, parking assist features among others. We wish Nissan offered its robust ProPilot Assist ADAS suite in India. Considering sub 4m vehicles have been offering ADAS, it would have been a compelling proposition for X-Trail.
World’s first Variable Compression engine
The 1.5L 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine under the bonnet of X-Trail launched in India is the first of its kind in the world and features innovative technologies like variable compression ratio. Depending on engine load, the engine optimises between performance and efficiency. Just like their GT-R sports car, X-Trail’s VC Turbo engine also gets mirror bore coating as well.
Other notable technologies on X-Trail include an innovative exhaust manifold integrated into the engine’s head, a wide range turbocharger, variable displacement oil pump, direct fuel injection + port fuel injection setup and the multi-link variable compression ratio system with a VCR actuator.
At lower engine loads, compression ratio goes to 14:1 for added efficiency and 8:1 compression ratio when engine is on load and requires extra performance. This VC Turbo engine is also mated to a 12V mild-hybrid system with regenerative braking and energy recuperation capabilities for improved fuel economy. Nissan calls it ALiS Technology.
Other notable powertrain element is the 3rd Gen X-Tronic CVT gearbox with D-Step logic control and paddle shifters, to provide the feel of a quick-shifting DCT, while still offering reliability and efficiency associated with a CVT. According to Nissan, rubberband effect is vastly reduced on this CVT gearbox. Total system output from this powertrain is 163 PS of peak power and 300 Nm of peak torque.
Nissan has ensured powertrain’s efficiency is complemented by X-Trail’s aerodynamic efficiency. In that regard, X-Trail claims among the lowest-in-segment air drag coefficient. Aero-optimised A-Pillars, rear tail lights and rear spoiler, streamlined underbody cover, functional air curtains and active grill shutters (open for cooling and close for aero efficiency) are major contributing factors.
Performance, Ride and Comfort
Nissan has done a lot of work on its 1.5L VC Turbo engine and it is reflected in the way X-Trail drives. Performance is adequate for quick city bursts and X-Trail pulls with some gust. Nissan’s work on the 3rd Gen X-CVT gearbox has paid off and there is a very minimal rubberband effect when accelerating. Putting the engine and gearbox in their sporty settings unlocks all the performance this engine can put out.
In our testing, acceleration was brisk and we managed to extract a 0-100 km/h sprint of around 8.8 seconds. Considering X-Trail is a large 4,680mm long, 1,840 mm wide, 1,725 mm tall vehicle with a 2,705 mm long wheelbase, we would say performance is adequate from this 1.5L 3-cylinder engine. This engine has very low NVH levels and is well-contained away from the occupants. Wind noise, tyre noise and road noise were well contained too.
Considering Nissan X-Trail comes equipped with chunky 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped with 255-section and 45-profile tyres, we would say ride quality was excellent. Bump absorption and overall composure are impressive with very little that filters through the cabin. But this soft setup robs some sportiness from the equation.
Add to it the tall body and high 210 mm ground clearance, there is some body roll. Further adding to the driving experience is variable steering effort. Soft-touch materials on the inside lend a premium feel and the overall cabin ambience is that of a premium car. Floating centre console and butterfly armrest opening give it a sophisticated appeal.
Doors shut with an authoritative thud and the rear doors open 85 degrees for added practicality. The 50:50 split third-row seats are unusable for adults of all sizes. Second -row is split 40:20:40 and gets sliding and reclining functions. 1st and 2nd row seats are very comfortable for occupants of most sizes. There are enough cubby spaces around the cabin too.
Who is X-Trail for?
Looking at the X-Trail and analysing everything the company is offering in the sole variant at the (expected) high price, one can’t help but wonder who it is aimed at. For starters, we don’t think X-Trail would be a good choice for a chauffeur-driven audience. That’s because rear seat passengers are not pampered with sun blinds, boss mode, a dedicated blower, pillar-mounted or roof-mounted AC vents, rear entertainment package, pronounced ambient lighting, ventilated seats, captain chairs with individual armrests, and calf rests, among other features.
Even the soft-touch plastics are less for rear door trims than front. Also, rear armrest has cupholders that elbows will dig into. So, X-Trail looks like it is more geared towards owner/driver customers and the sliding reclining 2nd-row seats are more for practicality while installing child seats or liberating more boot space. But does the Nissan X-Trail variant coined for India satisfy owner/driver target demographic? Especially at the price?
In terms of performance, drive quality and ride comfort, Nissan X-Trail is a solid package. But we feel like it doesn’t hold up to the premium and luxury tag at the price point it will be offered at. It would be a lot more justifiable if Nissan launched the top-spec X-Trail variant with all the bells and whistles including AWD and terrain modes.
It lacks features like ventilated seats, electrically adjustable seats, leather upholstery, a larger infotainment screen, wireless smartphone connectivity, felt-lined cubby spaces, a premium audio system, and other attributes to wow buyers. Even basic things like halogen indicators at the rear, lack of hydraulic struts for the bonnet and a dummy button in the key fob hurts the car’s image a lot. Lack of Nissan’s ProPilot Assist ADAS suite for India is a major blow as well.
That said, there is a charm Nissan X-Trail exudes which will appeal to automotive purists and Nissan loyalists. X-Trail’s VC Turbo engine packs a tonne of new and innovative technology along with active aerodynamic measures that appeals to the Automobile Engineer inside me. Nissan is likely to launch X-Trail in limited numbers and it might just be what the target demographic is looking for. Again, the pricing will be key factor for Nissan X-Trail’s sales performance. But, as a demonstration of Nissan’s commitment to Indian SUV market, X-Trail launch was a smart move.
