GRR Garage: Nissan X-Trail – new-found style and performance
About six years ago I briefly ran a second-generation X-Trail that Nissan had kindly loaned to Goodwood for a year. Tough, dependable and highly accomplished on wet, boggy fields in AWD mode, this early box-shaped X-Trail placed the emphasis firmly on the Utility element of SUV, rather than Sport, with the 4x4’s performance being quite lethargic and its on-road behaviour unrewarding.
Fast forward half-a-dozen years to today, and Nissan’s latest, facelifted, third-generation X-Trail bears little resemblance to its more functional, plain Jane predecessors, as I discovered first-hand recently when driving to and from Goodwood to the NEC in Birmingham for one of its frequent motoring exhibitions.
The latest X-Trail draws heavily on Nissan’s appealing ‘new-era’ design language that originally came out of its Paddington styling studio in London in the form of the innovative – and phenomenally successful – first-generation Qashqai in 2006.
What the first X-Trail lacked in style, today’s model more than makes-up, with its pleasing, flowing lines cunningly disguising the large size of Nissan’s range-topping SUV, if somewhat at the expense of the driver’s visibility.
Inside, this large off-roader is generously proportioned for the front seat occupants, as well as their luggage in the capacious boot, but it is slightly at the expense of rear seat passengers.
The X-Trail’s interior is an improvement all round over previous generations, with a comfy driver’s seat and sound ergonomics. Most of the interior trim (leather in this case) is of a reasonable quality as well, although some of the black plastic surfaces on the dash top and door panels have a less solid and shiny look and feel.
Once underway, the Nissan’s turbo-diesel performance is satisfyingly brisk, with the ever-increasing wind noise and dropping fuel gauge being useful reminders at times as to how surprisingly fast you are actually travelling. Given my keenness to get to and from the NEC as quickly as possible, I should not have been too surprised really about the fuel economy, with the X-Trial proving to be thirstier than I’d expected it to be.
Not being a regular SUV driver, the X-Trail’s steering seemed to have a vagueness common in modern cars that’s not to my personal tastes, with the car’s handling as good as can be expected for something with such a high centre of gravity.
As a comfortable motorway mile-muncher, aided by a great audio system, the X-Trail works well, in spite of minor nitpicks. Exposure and familiarity will no doubt adaptation and growth in line with the car’s idiosyncrasies.