Category: Small 4x4s 
Price Range: £19,245 to £26,795
Tough, well equipped, good value; adept off road and civilised on road.
Not as posh as the Freelander.
A very good all-rounder, and better on the rough than most 4x4s.
The new chassis and variable-assistance electric power steering system make for better on-road handling than in the MkI: the X-Trail doesn't feel quite like a low-slung conventional hatchback, still being tall, high-riding and top heavy, but it's much improved, with good grip, stability and well controlled body roll. It resists wallowing on sharp, fast corners and with stability control and its other electronic control systems it's a safe and predictable SUV to drive.
The standard six-speed manual gearbox is easy to use, with well-set gear ratios and an intuitive action. The six-speed auto - available with the 150bhp diesel engine - has a sequential-shift mode, but in practice it's happy self-shifting and generally gets it right. Its electronics can get a bit scrambled when adapting back to on-road use after extended low-gear off-roading, though. The 2.5 petrol comes with the continuing option of the six-speed CVT, an effective set-up and a bit sportier in its tuning.
The All Mode 4WD system with electromagnetic clutch works in automatic mode as the default setting: front-wheel drive with up to 50% of power diverted to the rear wheels as necessary when slippage is detected. Front-wheel drive only can be selected via a dial in the centre console, for fuel saving, or 4WD lock at speeds of up to 25mph. In lock mode, the stability control can be turned off, to allow extra wheelspin when starting off on a slippery surface, and All Mode integrates the traction control, ABS anti-lock brakes, hill descent control (automatic braking if the car starts running away downhill) and hill start assist (to prevent roll-back) as well as the stability control.
It's all monitored via sensors which detect steering angle, front, side and rear G-forces, and yaw - and under testing so far, seems to do a very good job. Though the rear overhang is noticeably longer than before, allowing for a bigger boot, the X-Trail is still able to tackle some fairly extreme terrain, with its high ground clearance (200mm) and axle articulation capabilities.
The piezo-injection, particulate filter-equipped diesel engines are going to be the most popular options, taking a predicted 90% of sales in the UK. The 150bhp version is good for 117mph and 0-62mph in 11.2 seconds with the manual gearbox, and 112mph and 0-62 in 12.5 seconds with the auto; it doesn't feel fast by any means, and the auto 'box does sap power, but with 236lb-ft of torque it's strong and sufficiently gutsy to climb steep hills and progress smoothly on the motorway.
The 173bhp/266lb-ft version is little quicker: 124mph and 0-62mph in 10 seconds. The petrol engines do feel livelier from start-off; the 2.0 (141bhp/145lb-ft, with a 2WD-only version offered in some markets) does 114mph and 0-62mph in 11.1 seconds, and the twin-cam 2.5 (169bhp/172lb-ft, modified from the MkI) 120mph and 0-62 in 9.8 seconds. Both are slowed down if you opt for the CVT gearbox.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Nissan X-TRAIL
wrote on 30 12 2007
wrote on 18 10 2007
wrote on 31 07 2007