2017 Nissan X-Trail – X Marks the Spot

The Nissan X-Trail was first introduced in 2000 as a compact SUV and is currently in its the third generation.

The X-Trail came about at a period when industry big boys such as Mercedes and BMW had just jumped into the SUV fray. For the likes of Toyota and Nissan who already had SUVs (Land Cruiser and Patrol), it was time to diversify their SUV line-ups and this saw Nissan throw in the X-Trail, a practical good value for money car with optional third row seating.

Talking about its design and appearance, the X-Trail incorporates Nissans V motion grill and a bold new design carrying an aura of being predatory and agile along with a strong urban vibe. Its designers say it’s got razor sharp styling and kills anything mild in its appearance. The X-Trail is almost identical to its Qashqai sibling but is larger in all dimensions. Other motoring sects say the X-trail is basically a beefed up Qashqai.

Stepping into the interior, it has high tech gadget-like aura and a typical Nissan refinement which always seems to stress that it’s the best of what comes out of Japan. Most notable is the panoramic roof which speaks of the outdoors or seems to say “we are going places”. Other interior packaging includes: A seven-inch display with moderately numerous controls, steering controls and five seats with cloth upholstery.

Nissan prides its self on high tech and refinement, boasting premium level packaging. For infotainment, it has a six-speaker audio with MP3, CD, AUX, USB and RDS, hands free Bluetooth connectivity and the advanced driver assist display. The trademark Nissan connect links your smart phone’s displaying music, information, apps and your family favourites, all coming together through a seven-inch display and the audio system. It also includes Nissan navigation system and online search powered by Google.

As the industry is going autonomous, the X-Trail plays along with Nissan’s pro pilot autonomous driving technology. It controls steering, acceleration and braking in a single lane on high ways during heavy traffic and when cruising on the open road. Some innovations on the X-Trail will literally keep an eye out for you. These include blind spot warning, lane departure warning and moving object detection. The X-trail offers an around view monitor; it consists of four cameras that give you a virtual 360 degree view of your vehicle. The virtual view is displayed via a split screen showing close ups of the front, rear and curb views. The system works at low speeds and is brilliant in challenging road conditions.

Our test car was a turbo-charged 1,6 litre DCI SE with a maximum power of 96 kW at 4 000rpm and a torque of 320 Nm@ 1 750 rpm. The X-Trail does 0 to 100kp/h in 11 seconds and is geared by a six-speed manual transmission.

You will have more peace of mind to learn it has a host of driver safety features and assists which include active engine brake, brake assist, ABS, active trace control, vehicle dynamic control, hill descent control, hill start assist and isofix child seat anchorage.

The suspension gives a heavy, firm ride. The X-Trail maintains grip and control consistently, you can tell that it has a highly computerised ride and handling which is the driver and safety assists at play.

Nissan refers to the X-Trail as the Swiss army knife car, which is a car for every purpose and function, or a one-size-fits-all, meaning it’s got so many talents and characteristics. The X-Trail is the best option for a little bit of everything, it’s one of the best all rounder cars and is sure to impress you.

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