New X-Trail ups the stakes again
By: Henrie Geyser
South Africa's most popular SUV, the Nissan X-Trail, has now got even better with a brand new five-model range to choose from, based on the same platform as the Qashqai.
The new X-Trail models are all petrol driven and the range consists of an entry-level 2.0-litre 4x2 manual at R255,600 and four 2.5-litre 4x4 versions. The two manual models, an SE and a LE, sell for R325,200 and R352,800 respectively, while the other two have CVT transmission. The SE model sells for R342,600 and the LE goes for R368,100.
The new range is available in three different trim levels: XE (entry level), SE (middle-specification) and LE (top specification).
The word is also out that a diesel is also heading this way later this year.
The new X-Trail is similar in appearance to the previous model, but it is definitely moving away from Japanese styling to a more distinguished European look.
Central to the X-Trail's appeal has always been its looks-size-price-practicality ratio and Nissan has focused on these issues a little more, starting off by making the new model higher, wider and longer, and by substantially increasing its boot area to 603 litres.
On a scenic drive that took us over Sir Lowry's Pass, Franschhoek Pass and Bain's Kloof I drove the entry level 102kW/108Nm manual briefly, but then spent most of the launch drive, including a section of roughish mountain track in the Agter-Paarl area, at the wheel of the flagship 2.5-litre LE that produces 125Kw and 226Nm.
The flagship model comes with CVT transmission which I much prefer to any automatic or manual transmission. CVT progress is silky smooth, with no hint of the dip-and-surge jerkiness of so many auto boxes.
And yes, the reason I like CVT transmission is probably because in age and driving style I am close to the X-Trail's typical buyer profile of a 50-year-old male with a 25-year-old's spirit of fun and adventure.
Interestingly enough, the X-Trail's main target market is male and strongly family-orientated, yet sales show a good 30% of X-Trails are owned and driven by women.
While on the subject of sales, more than 600,000 X-Trails are on the road in more than 160 countries and in South Africa alone Nissan has sold more 15,000 of them.
But back to our drive in the well-specced 4x4 LE.
To me the most outstanding feature of all four the 4x4 models is a super-easy all-mode electronic all-wheel system.
Simply by clicking a knob on the centre console the driver has the option of standard two-wheel drive (in other words, on normal tarred roads to and from work), Auto (which is useful on wet, slippery roads and on uneven surfaces such as sand or gravel roads) and Lock (which provides an instant 50/50 split between front and rear) for when the going gets really tough.
This works in tandem with Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control to maintain the vehicle's speed and traction up and down steep slopes. In fact, it works so well that on a few steep downward trips I didn't touch the brakes at all.
The system also has yaw-rate and steering-angle sensors that increase the amount of tactile steering feedback when driving and work in conjunction with the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) and the 4WD system to realize a neutral steer when the front and rear wheels are spinning.
VDC improves the vehicles handling by detecting and preventing skids and slides. (My apologies: this is techno-whiz stuff, but really important to those who like to play in the dirt, so bear with us).
In essence, this clever system compares the driver's intended direction (by measuring steering angle) to the vehicles' actual direction (by measuring the lateral acceleration, vehicle rotation [yaw] and individual wheel speed).
If the vehicle is not going in the direction the driver is steering, then the VDC brakes individual front or rear wheels and/or reduces excess engine power as needed to help correct under-steer and over-steer and provide power and grip where it is needed the most.
The X-Trail's off-road capability has also been further improved with ground clearance that now measures 203mm and by increased approach (28-degree) and departure (24-degree) angles.
What really impressed me was the poise with which the X-Trail conducts itself in rough conditions. It's well-insulated and the engine, suspension and steering work together smoothly to provide an almost effortless and amazingly quiet and shudder-free off-road ride.
And what a pleasant, spacious four-seater cruiser it is on the tar. It will happily purr along at 120km/h seemingly forever and during a brief toe-in-the-water test stretch it seemed totally relaxed at considerably higher speeds, even in a belting cross-wind.
I drove the first X-Trail when it was it introduced to the local market way back in 1999 and all the revamped and new models since then and I have always enjoyed and respected them.
And the latest X-Trail is cast in the same impressive mould with features such as air conditioning, power windows front and rear, anti-lock braking (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and brake assist (BA) standard across the range. The LE model we drove also has Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS) as standard kit.
All the models across the range have six airbags, including dual stage driver and front passenger airbags, thorax side airbags and full-length curtain airbags on both sides to provide extra protection in case of a side impact.
And for practical, every day use the X-Trail certainly blazes the trail with clever fittings such as a large, centrally-mounted dash-top storage box big enough for 10 CD cases or items the size of a tissue box, plus it has 15.7-litre glove box and six cup-holders, of which four can be chilled or heated!
One can never really have too much loading space, but the X-Trail even takes this a step further with an innovative double deck trunk which has a sliding drawer under the floor to store valuable items away from prying eyes. The drawer has partition walls that can be placed in a number of different positions or removed altogether as required.
Anybody who has spent time and/or money on cleaning a car's interior after a long trip in the bush will appreciate the X-Trail's removable and washable luggage board which is now finished in tough, easy-to-clean plastic.
Other clever little innovations are raised ribs help to prevent loads shifting when the vehicle is on the move and a newly-added tonneau cover which has a fitted handle for ease of use.
The rear seats recline for maximum passenger comfort and also fold flat to increase load space. Instead of a conventional 60/40 split fold, it is configured into a 40/20/40 folding system to increase flexibility.
The X-Trail's price, build quality, looks and performance, both on and off-road, ranks it as a serious player in a market segment where other options include the Freelander, Cherokee, CRV, Captiva, Outlander and the RAV4.
And besides, to pinch a line from Charles Dickens, Nissan South Africa is enjoying the best of times with high brand awareness and quality products such as the delightful 350Z sports car, the cutesy Micra, the Tiida (already one of the mainstays of the car rental business), the Livina and Grand Livina, the tough Hardbody and Navara range of bakkies, the Pathfinder, Qashqai, Murano and Patrol.
All X-Trail models come with a three-year/90,000km service plan and a three-year/100,000km warranty.
More by Henrie Geyser
More...ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Henrie Geyser has worked as a journalist in Cape Town, London and Windhoek for the Argus Company (now Independent Newspapers) and spent 12 years at The Cape Argus in Cape Town. He then owned and ran a public relations consultancy for 13 years. He joined the online publishing industry through iafrica.com, where he worked for five years as News Editor and Editor. He now freelances for a variety of print and online publications, on the subjects of cars, food and travel, among others; and is a member of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists.
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