By: Henrie Geyser

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The new diesels are all powered by the same 2.0-litre 110kW, 320Nm turbo-charged, common-rail engines and are offered in three specification levels -XE (entry level), SE (middle specification) or LE (top specification).

There is only one 4x2 on offer and it only comes in XE mode while the 4x4 models will be available in either SE or LE grades.

The 4x2 is only available with a manual gearbox, while the 4x4's offer a choice between auto and manual.

Being the top-selling small SUV in South Africa, the market clearly rates the X-Trail as good value for money - a message which is going to be strongly enforced with the five new diesel models because they are quite outstanding.

I have just spent a week in the company of the entry-level 4x2 XE and impressive would be an under statement. And that's rich, coming from someone who generally prefers petrol to diesel AND in this type of vehicle, automatic ahead of manual.

The 2.0-litre engine's power delivery is amazingly smooth and quick, with not a hint of turbo lag and once out of the starting stalls the torque graph escalates rapidly upwards.

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Maximum torque kicking in below 2,000 revs which make the diesels excellent towing vehicles and easy to manhandle off-road.

The six-speed manual is an excellent match for this torque-rich power-drive and you seldom have to drop down further than fourth gear up steep inclines or when overtaking.

On a brief test run early one morning I showed the XE the whip on a lovely twisting, almost deserted stretch of road (which will remain unidentified, just in case a member of our overzealous camera brigade reads this) and the X-Trial boogied along with admirable enthusiasm.

Particularly impressive was the way in which it sticks to the tarmac. Obviously it has nowhere near the glue-like cling of a 350Z, but one has to bear in mind that it barrels along with a ground clearance of 203mm and that it is, after all, an SUV, not a boy-racer hot hatch.

Although the diesel-engine is quick to respond, the X-Trail is gentle and docile in city confines and its smooth gear shift, creamy clutch and excellent, but gentle brakes make for pleasurable, easy driving.

Thanks to its high ride and good all-round visibility, squeezing into tight parking spots is a breeze.

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Its spacious interior, comfortable seating and generous luggage space make it a good choice family-transporter and mum's taxi.

Another big plus is the diesel's fuel economy which Nissan gives as 6.9 L/100km (4x2 manual) and 8.2 L/100km (4x4 automatic).

Like the petrol models, the oil-burner models also score well in the safety department, armed as they are with a host air bags, Brake Assist (BA), Anti-lock braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution, a unique traction control system called Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS) on the high grade models and a 4-Star Euro NCAP rating.

The cabin is classy and home to all the finer things you would expect in a vehicle of this price, including electric windows and mirrors, aircon, sound system and much more.

But where it really excels is in the luggage department that is all of 602-litres in standard format.

Unlike the conventional 60/40 split rear seat the new X-Trail has a 40/20/40 system which makes it even more flexible.

Particularly handy is the luggage area is a sliding drawer hidden under the floor. Besides being a good hidey-hole for valuables it can be removed completely to create even bigger and deeper loading space.

Being a 4x2 our entry-level test vehicle didn't have the highly rated all-mode 4x4 electronic all-wheel drive system that allows the driver to select from three modes (2WD, Auto, Lock) using a rotary knob on the centre console.

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I had the opportunity to try out this system at the launch of the new petrol X-Trails and was knocked out by how easy and how effectively it converted what could pass for a cute mum's taxi into a serious off-roader at a mere twist of a knob.

I have no doubt that it would probably work even better in the low-torque diesels.

Both the petrol and diesel X-Trails are attractive, comfortable and highly capable vehicles with lots of safety features, all adding up to good value for money which is why its sales are ahead of competitors such as Honda CRV, Jeep Cherokee, Chevrolet captive, Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota RAV and the Land Rover Freelander 2 in this country.

The new X-Trail diesel models and prices are: 2.0 XE 4x2 6 manual (R279,990), 2.0 SE 4x4 6 manual (R343,990),2.0 SE 4x4 automatic (R359,990), 2.0 LE 4x4 manual (R372,990) and the 2.0 LE 4x4 automatic (R388,990).

Like the petrol models, the diesels come with a three- year/100,000km warranty and a three-year/90,000km service plan. Service intervals are at 15,000kms.

[27 Aug 2008 17:43]

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