Nissan X-Trail : Roadtest

The Nissan X-Trail was designed to appeal to the new-age youth looking for a stylish compact off-road vehicle. The project chief, Masahiro Toi, went researching around the globe to understand the taste of various young buyers with regards to the sort of a compact SUV they would like to drive.

Under the leadership of Carlos Ghosn, the X-Trail was developed and the final production model was shown to the world in 2001.

Nissan Motor Company ventured in India in 2004 with the highly successful first generation X-Trail, which was by then a well established model in the International compact SUV market. However, the first generation X-Trail was unable to make its mark in India and the rather sedate looks of the SUV failed to appeal to the buyers. The new X-Trail is set to concretise Nissan's hold in India and it looks well-armoured to tackle every obstacle in its path.

Style and Design

The second generation X-Trail gets minor external changes but these styling inputs present it with a sporty bearing and more aggressive character over its predecessor. The overall stance of this Nissan is low and graceful but it tends to be a little too boxy for its own good. The new sportily designed Bi-Xenon headlights along with the masculine front bumper give it an in-your-face appeal and the car definitely looks meaner than ever before. Although the overall design philosophy is quite in sync with the previous model, these subtle changes to the exterior have surely made the new X-Trail a spunkier SUV.

The rear section too looks quite plain-Jane but the large rear windscreen makes for a great view of the back especially in tight parking spots. The vertical tail-lights are restyled on the new X-Trail and they help in adding some charm to the rather boring rear-end of the car. Although, Nissan has very righteously applied the form-follows-function principle to the design of the car, it takes the concept a bit too seriously as a result of which this soft-roader loses out on street presence and the oomph factor which is quite vital for a young SUV like the X-Trail.

Chassis and Suspension

The second generation X-Trail is based on the Qashqai platform and boasts of a 6mm longer wheelbase over the previous model. The front suspension duties are handled by independent McPherson struts while there is a multi-link suspension serving the rear. The increased wheelbase, well-configured suspension on both ends and 20mm wider track than its predecessor present the new Xtrail with superior handling. Driving through the twisty sections of the Sahyadri mountain range, I knew this was the best way to spend a day with the new second generation Nissan X-Trail. Now it's not the best stretch of tarmac there but the X-Trail took all the bumps and road undulations in its stride without a hitch. As I nailed apexes effortlessly through the ghat section, the X-Trail maintained its composed demeanor.

And then there is Nissan's advanced four wheel drive system, the 'All Mode 4x4-i', which can be activated on-the-fly with a twist to the knob placed next to the drive select lever. In automatic mode, the All Mode system monitors the yaw rate and sends upto 50 per cent of the torque to the rear wheels depending upon the data gathered from its sensors, while driving under tricky situations. This allows one to drive the X-Trail in a relaxed and calm manner even in low traction conditions. For those looking to take the road less traversed, there is the Lock mode, which splits the torque into a 50:50 ratio. There is also an option for hill ascent and descent driver aid that works in harmony with the Lock mode to give the X-Trail commendable off-roading abilities in its class.

Drivetrain

Codenamed as M1D, the all-new 1995cc CRDi diesel motor working under the hood of the new X-Trail is sourced from Nissan's French partner, Renault. It pumps out 150PS of power at 4000rpm and a colossal 320Nm of torque available low-down from 2000rpm. The turbo spools very efficiently and with urgency, allowing the power to be handy throughout the rev-range without any kind of lag. The X-Trail comes with an option for a 6-speed manual as well as 6-speed automatic transmission. The gearshifts are pleasantly smooth and the downshifts take place with minimal hesitance.

Performance

Designed to be driven around in the cityscape for a majority of its time and the occasional weekend getaways, the X-Trail's most rewarding attribute is its solid mid-range grunt. The engine and transmission further aid the car's mid-range power delivery, as was evident when the X-Trail recorded an impressive roll-on figure of just 2.87 seconds for the 60-80km/h dash - where it will be spending most of its time. The X-Trail by no means is slow off-the-line either, as this beast weighing 1663kg did the zero to 100km/h sprint in just 11.47seconds and continued to clock over 172km/h during our test.

For a car its size and bulk the figures are quite respectable, moreover, the strong punch through all the gears only makes it that much more pleasurable to drive. However, all that mass impacted braking to some extent and it took 46.18metres and 3.55 seconds for the X-Trail to come to a standstill from 100km/h, which is a decent number.

Interiors and Equipment

The moment I sat got into the driver's seat first thing I noticed was how comfortable it was to get into the X-Trail. The doors open wide and the seats are extremely well positioned for easy entry and exit. Once seated, the view from the driver's seat is extremely commanding and offers an unobstructed view of the road ahead, which instantaneously boosts your confidence. The seats are ultra-comfortable and provide support from all sides to the occupants. The functionality of the car once again surfaces as you carefully assess the interiors, for example, the dashboard-mounted glass-holders aptly positioned on each side for easy access to the driver and the co-driver. Add to that the innovative idea of providing A/C cooling to these glass-holders and it works even better!

The controls for the air-con and the 2-DIN music system are easily accessible for the driver. The top-end variant comes fully equipped with ESP, ABS, EBD as well as front, side and curtain airbags for safety. The sun-roof on the X-Trail is gigantic giving it a feeling of a convertible, especially with the windows rolled down. The feel-good-factor attached to the X-Trail is immense and driving through the town or the mountains, it's a pleasurable experience. There is a lot of space to stuff all your belongings like the sunglass compartment, the big glove-box and the big dash-mounted storage space located centrally over the instrument console. Of course, worth mentioning is the steering wheel, which is quite similar to the one seen on the ravishing and super-quick new Nissan GTR. In short, the X-trail spells out functionality packaged in a very stylish and appealing form.

Verdict

For the Indian market, the X-Trail will be brought in as a CBU and there will be three variants available to the buyers. While most of its competition in the Compact SUV segment borders on car-like handling traits, the X-Trail offers a perfect mix of SUV-functionality and space with maneuverability of a sedan. Priced competitively in the bracket of Rs.20-25 lakh, the X-Trail is loaded with a powerful diesel motor, superior handling dynamics and sophisticated equipment to challenge its rivals.