Autocar UK – 31 July 2019

60 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 3 1 JULY 2019

Δ comfort, but they’re straining

at the thought of any more beer.

The final keg is a tight

squeeze, and no matter how

much teasing and brute force we

apply, it’s not joining the others,

instead poking its head above

the ute’s load bay like a child

r e f u si n g t o sit dow n i n c l a s s.

It’s an endorsement that

we’ve been able to push the X

t o it s l i m it , t a k i n g t h i s f i r s t

ute from a luxury brand to the

e x t r e me s of it s loa d c apa c it y.

WHITE LINE FEVER

With enough Coopers Pale Ale for a

week-long outback bash we hit the

road and head north to the Flinders

Ranges, home to some of Australia’s

most spectacular mountains.

From the first twirl of the wheel

it’s clear our X250d is feeling the

load. What started as light steering

is now devoid of feel, the rearward

bias taking weight off the snout.

The X-Class earns the nickname

‘the speedboat’, its drooping tail

conjuring images of a Riviera cruise.

Engineers have clearly imagined

such a scenario, though. As the

sun kisses the horizon, the LED

headlights fire to life, the self-

levelling ensuring we don’t blind the

drivers of our support cars ahead.

The wildlife is less enamoured.

Kangaroos startled by the glare

of LED lights treat the X-Class no

differently to any other dual-cab,

aimlessly hopping across its path in

a n appa r e nt e f for t t o s e e i f l i fe r e a l l y

is better on the other side.

Despite auto emergency braking,

if you fail to mash the pedal the X is

no b e t t e r at av oid i n g

the Australian

national

emblem than

a 1980s Opel

Rekord, the

c a r t h at s paw ne d w h at w e nt on t o b e

a top seller down under in the form of

the Holden Commodore.

Inside, the X is a mix of traditional

three-pointed-star curves and

swoops interspersed with Nissan

t ouc he s , s uc h a s t he o c c a sion a l l y

cheap plastics and familiar oval key.

B e h i nd t h at g le a m i n g s t a r on t he

bonnet is a Nissan engine. Or, at

least, the Renault engine that’s also

the core of the Navara from which the

X-Class borrows so many bits. That

familiar grille badge also graces a

unique engine cover to at least give

the impression there’s Stuttgart

thinking somewhere in the engine

bay. It’s a clever way to disguise its

working class origins.

But there’s no hiding it once under

way. In the Nissan, acceleration

is honest but leisurely, its biggest

appeal its restrained thirst; in the

X-Class, performance is blunted by

a body carrying an extra 180kg, the

r e s u lt of a n e x t r a 66m m t o it s g i r t h

plus additional features and sound

deadening. It all beautifully quells

tyre roar, while sumptuous seats add

to the comfortable touring talent.

The 2.3 has decent shove low in the

rev range, but overtaking requires a

pre-emptive strike. It’s best to have

the turbos on the boil and revs up, but

e v e n t he n y ou’ l l on l y a mble pa s t a s

the speedo rotates into three figures.

DIRTY WORK

You k now y ou’r e de e p i n t he out ba c k

when f lies comfortably outnumber

humans. Soaking in the widening

vista at a hilltop stop, the little

buzzers congregate in plague-like

proportions, pouncing on any open-

door opportunity to hitch a ride on

something other than a bovine rump

or a kangaroo.

We’re not taking the direct route,

The final keg takes

a bit of persuasion

to stay on board

Be e r we a r e: Pra i r i e

Hotel in Parachilna

is a welcome sight

`

The mountains disappear

in the mirror in the

vastness of the outback

a

The

iconic Prairie

Hotel is known for

its Aboriginal artwork

and native food, which

including the Feral Mixed

Grille, complete with

emu, kangaroo and

camel.

The^ X’s^ premium^ price^ h

as the^ locals^ frothing

Aussies

love their beer,

but the two biggest

breweries are owned by

overseas multinationals.

That leaves Adelaide-

based Coopers as the

largest Australian-

owned brewery.