Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

116 | AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE

T

he base Nissan X-Trail ST, at
$29,490, is front-wheel drive
(dubbed 2WD) and uses a 106kW
2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
engine with a six-speed manual.
The $31,490 ST gains the
gutsy 126kW 2.5-litre unit
that has served the series
since its 2001 inception,
with a continuously variable
transmission (CVT, or Xtronic in
Nissan-speak) a combination
that also powers the rest of the
petrol engined X-Trail range..
An all-wheel-drive (AWD) ST
is $33,490, while the mid-spec
ST-L Xtronic 2WD is $37,400.
AWD bumps that to $39,400.
Finally there’s the fl agship
$45,040 Ti Xtronic AWD.
Seven-seater choices are
limited to the ST Xtronic 2WD at
$33,090 and the $39,000 ST-L.
The 130kW/380Nm 2.0-litre
turbodiesel X-Trail range opens
with the AWD TS X Tronic at
$36,390. The TL is $48,040.
Since the vast majority of sales
are for the 2.5-litre Xtronic, that’s
the one we’re concentrating on.
Proven for over a dozen years
as a robust and reliable engine
in the two previous X-Trails, this

126kW/226Nm four-cylinder

petrol unit still manages to deliver

competitive performance and

suffi cient refi nement — most of the

time. Much is owed to the Xtronic

CVT, which combines extraordinary

smoothness with the appreciably

rapid acceleration response you’d

expect of a conventional torque-

converter automatic.

While precious little steering

feedback means you won’t

mistake the X-Trail for a BMW,

the helm imparts a sense of

weight, linearity and control.

At higher speeds, the chassis

feels agile yet planted, especially

driving through sweeping bends.

When the turns get tighter,

though, there’s no escaping the

X-Trail’s high centre of gravity,

with lots of body lean and plenty

of extra steering effort required.

Strong brakes are a bonus, as is

the supple ride on the standard

17-inch wheel and tyre package.

However, the Ti’s 19-inch setup

— though more surefooted —

makes the X-Trail feel a tad too

fi rm over some bumps, while they

can transfer quite a bit more road

noise inside the cabin.

The cabin also features

effi cient ventilation, VW-style

clear instrumentation (with a

digital auxiliary speedo at last,

as well as a comprehensive

trip-computer display), plenty

of storage options and simple,

intuitive controls that help with

fi nding a perfect driving position.

Automatic emergency braking

is standard, as is forward

collision warning. S

TL specifi cation adds rear

cross traffi c alert, while Ti/TL add

radar cruise, lane keeping and

blind spot monitoring.

The elevated and comfortable

rear seat, which works for

people of all ages and sizes.

Not only does each of the

40:20:40 backrests recline by

a few degrees, they also slide

forward individually as desired

— great for parents who need

to be within arm’s reach of their

children sitting behind.

The rear seat features a pair

of ISOFIX seat anchors, backed

up by backrest-sited child-seat

tether hooks.

Access to the third row

(where fi tted) in seven-seater

models is easy, however the

50:50 split-fold bench is strictly

for smaller kids only.

In fi ve-seaters, the large boot

features a “Divide-‘N-Hide”

confi gurable multi-level

arrangement; with a pair of

luggage dividers, it allows for

varying ways to store different

things without them touching or

falling over.

A plastic-lined wet storage

area is beneath the carpeted

cargo-area fl oor. The Ti has a

power tailgate.

The previous X-Trail was one

of the most versatile, family-

friendly wagons around.

There are better fi ve-seaters

out there now, notably the VW

Tiguan and Subaru Forester,

but if you’re after a seven-

seater at a rock-bottom price,

add the X-Trail to your test-

drive list, along with

Mitsubishi’s Outlander.

By Byron Mathioudakis

NISSAN X-TRAIL FROM $29,490 S

THINGS WE LIKE

 CVT’s responsiveness and effi ciency

 Reverse camera standard

 Spacious, refi ned cabin

 Seven-seat availability

 Class-leading rear-seat and

load-area versatility

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

No manual transmission with the

bigger 2.5 engine

Firm ride on Ti’s 18-inch wheel/

tyre package

Foot-operated park brake is a

1950s throwback

Some road-noise intrusion

Steering could still use more

feedback and feel

SPEX (ST AWD)

Made in Japan

2.5L four-cylinder petrol/CVT/

all-wheel drive

126kW of power at 6000rpm/226Nm

of torque at 4400rpm

0–100km/h in N/A

6.6L/100km highway; 11.3L/

100km city; 91 octane; CO 2

emissions are 192g/km

Warranty: Five years/unlimited km

Standard: Six airbags, stability

control, hill start assist, rear

camera, Bluetooth phone and

audio streaming, USB connectivity,

17-inch alloy wheels. ST-L adds

navigation, digital radio, surround-

view monitor, leather, heated front

seats, dual-zone air, roof rails and

rear tinted glass. Ti adds lane-

departure warning, blind-spot

monitoring, power tailgate, sunroof

and 19-inch alloys

Redbook future values: 3yr: 54%;

5yr: 40%

Safety

ANCAP

Green Vehicle Guide

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money



Overall



STARS

compare with ...

Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento,

Mitsubishi Outlander, Subaru

Forester, Skoda Kodiaq, Toyota RAV4,

VW Tiguan