Nissan has revamped the X-Trial for 2017

It’s the Nissan X-Trail with more power. Unfortunately, it’s also the seven-seat SUV that does fewer miles to the gallon…
1/5
Rob Adams|Autocar30 December 2016

The Nissan X-Trail has, up to now, been lacking. For all its visual appeal and family-friendly capability, the 128bhp 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine is no ball of fire. And if you wanted a faster X-Trail, tough luck. It was the only engine available.

Until now. At last, Nissan has fitted the bigger, more powerful 2.0-litre dCi turbodiesel to the X-Trail. Producing 175bhp, demand has clearly been pent-up; it’s expected to now account for 1 in 4 X-Trail sales. But has the wait been worth it?

Perhaps not in terms of economy. Even the official figures show it’s dropped a fair bit, to 50.5mpg, with CO2 going up to 149g/km. We drove it calmly on the test route and recorded even fewer miles per gallon. Just 38.1mpg. The 1.6-litre dCi thus remains best for money-savers.

Not for those who want to make progress, though. This 2.0-litre dCi feels much livelier and stronger at lower revs. Rivals such as the Mazda CX-5 remain more flexible, but the extra shove is still worthwhile. It may even mean you can drive it more calmly, using fewer revs, which could be welcome – the X-Trail still rattles and vibrates under load.

Apparently, buyers have been crying out for four-wheel drive X-Trail with a CVT automatic, which Nissan now delivers as an option. Not us, though. The elastic-band effect is annoying and we’d strongly recommend you stick with the standard manual.

Engine apart, it’s much the same as the smaller-engined model. The ride is decent and it’s surefooted in corners, if hardly exciting. The four-wheel drive system is effective and copes OK with the extra low-down pull of the bigger engine. Most of the time you won’t need 4WD in the UK though, so we’d save the money.

Speaking of prices, there’s a bit of a sticking point here. The 4WD Tekna test car cost £33,760, which is pricier than both a CX-5 and a Hyundai Santa Fe. And Nissan only offers the 2.0-litre dCi on mid-range Acenta trim and above. It means you must fork out £1,250 extra if you want the 2.0-litre instead of a 1.6-litre. That’s a big jump.

Existing owners will find enough to like here. It’s as flexible as their current car, with the same Qashqai-derived interior and ergonomic practicalities. It will tow slightly heavier loads as an auto too, and the extra power will make it easier to do so.

We’d save the money though. The existing 1.6-litre isn’t as fast as rivals, but it’s cheaper than this one, does more miles per gallon and costs less to tax. The 2.0-litre X-Trail is a nice idea, but the reality isn’t quite as good as we’d hoped.

Nissan X-Trail 2.0 Tekna 4WD

On sale January 2017
Price £33,760
Engine 1995cc, four-cylinder, diesel
Power 175bhp at 3750rpm
Torque 280lb ft at 2000rpm
Gearbox 6-speed manual
Kerb weight 1675kg
0-62mph 9.4sec
Top speed 127mph
Economy 50.5mpg
CO2/tax band 149g/km, 29%
Rivals Ford Kuga, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Santa Fe

Follow Evening Standard Motors on Twitter: @ES_Motors.

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