Review: Nissan X-Trail (From Crewe Guardian)

Review: Nissan X-Trail

2:08pm Monday 20th February 2012 in Motors By Catherine Lawler

After a week of ice, freezing rain and snow, having the Nissan X-Trail at my disposable couldn’t have been better timing.

Bigger than its predecessor and with a redesigned grille, headlights and bumper, this beautiful beast has serious off-road cred-entials. But as I headed up to Scotland it was almost disappointing to see the weather improve.

However, all X-Trails are equipped with Nissan’s all-mode 4x4-i system, which generally only operates in two-wheel drive to minimise fuel consumption. It then transfers into four-wheel drive mode when the car detects it is needed, or when manually selected.

It also incorporates Electronic Stability Prog-ramme (ESP), Downhill Drive Support (DDS) and Uphill Start Support (USS), an automatic system that activates on any slope that exceeds a 10 per cent incline, holding the vehicle on the brakes until the driver starts to move away.

A series of updates on the X-Trail has improved the quality and comfort of the car and also reduced emissions levels.

There is a choice of the entry-level Acenta and top-of-the-range Tekna.

On top of X-Trail favourites such as climate control, a CD player with Bluetooth, six airbags and cruise control, I drove the latest Tekna 2.0 diesel, which featured a panoramic electric sunroof, leather upholstery, xenon headlights and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Infotainment comes in the form of a Connect Premium HDD sat nav with a music server and USB port, a rear view camera and, for the music lover, a Bose sound system. This comprises a digital eight-channel amplifier and nine speakers acoustically tuned to the interior for a live-performance sound.

Needless to say, there’s no shortage of space in the X-Trail, and when the rear seats are folded it has a luggage area of 1649 litres, rising to 1773 litres with the floor removed.

It is easy to see why this is one of Nissan’s best-selling models, with fantastic on and off-road capabilities together with a striking exterior and tonnes of great features.

FACTS

Car: Nissan X-Trail Tekna

On the road: £29,580

0-62mph: 10 seconds

Top speed: 124mph

Fuel: 44.1mpg (combined)

CO2 emissions: 168g/km