Nissan X-TRAIL 2.5 range
Some people have issues with cars like the Nissan X-Trail. They just dont understand them and question their relevance. Why bother with a 4x4 when they never travel off-road? Its a valid question and one that only a prospective buyer can properly answer. Still, if you really can muster the necessary justification, and want to buy the best, your search should extend no further than the Nissan X-Trail 2.
5. Thats right. A Nissan.
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0-litre, and represents the starting point for petrol X-Trail buyers who want all-wheel drive traction (this being the only engine in the line-up that cant be ordered with two-wheel drive). The 2.5-litre engine has been available for some time in foreign markets and it produces some decent figures. The 165bhp output is fair enough, but the 230Nm of torque gives the pleasantly muscular feel of a good diesel.
Refinement is better than any equivalent diesel you could imagine and fuel economy is far from crippling. You only shave 1mpg from the 2.0-litre cars showing, the 2.5 returning a very creditable figure of 29.
4mpg. Performance is transformed over the lesser petrol unit, the manual version sprinting to 60mph in less than 10 seconds and emissions are rated at 230g/km.
"The fact that it borrows its 4x4 technology from the Nissan Skyline supercar should silence most pub bores"
Nissan seem to have adopted a strategy with these upper specification X-Trails of throwing a whole bunch of standard equipment at them and its tough to find a better-equipped compact 4x4 for the money than an X-Trail 2.5-litre Columbia. Aside from the 17-inch alloy wheels, huge electric glass sunroof, six CD autochanger and roof spoiler, the Columbia gets treated to privacy glass on the rear side windows and electric folding door mirrors. It would have been nice to see Nissans excellent DVD-based Birdview sat nav thrown in as part of the package but thats a £1,200 option.
You do get a Columbia branded coat though. If you do want the satellite guidance, its worth stumping up for the range-topping Aventura model. Heres why. Instead of spending £1,200 on the Birdview system as a stand alone package, its worth digging down the back of the sofa and coming up with another £800.
This will net you full leather upholstery with electrically adjustable and heated front seats as well. That would be enough to clinch the deal for most customers but on top of that the Aventura weighs in with electronic stability control, active brake LSD and xenon headlights with washer jets. That doesnt leave a whole lot on the options list but if you really want the expedition look, you could tick the box marked Safari Lamps and Roof Rails. Whilst the 2.
2dCi diesel version of the X-Trail is probably the better bet if you do intend to take your shiny Nissan mud-plugging, the 2.5 has the torque to cut it in the rough. Faced with a rather daunting off-road course, the omens for the Nissan didnt look particularly good. Here was a car that had a sweet purr at idle, a drive system that defaulted to front-wheel drive and a decidedly smooth on-road ride.
Surely any serious off-roading would soon show the X-Trail up for the poseur it was? As the front wheels began to slip when ascending a mild but slippery incline it looked as if the Nissan had been cruelly found out, but with just a slight slur of the rev counter drive was diverted to the back wheels and momentum was restored. The fact that it borrowed this technology from the Nissan Skyline supercar should silence most pub bores. The front and rear departure angles arent the greatest, the exhaust tip catching when cresting sharp edges, but otherwise the X-Trail acquits itself well. The torque allowed it to lug itself out of our deep mud bath, although we did have to lock the differential to divide the power 57:43 front/rear. Even if you should never use it, feel smug that the X-Trail has the capability up its sleeve, just in case. Impressive. The ALL MODE electronic 4x4 system is pretty easy to grasp.
Three modes are available at the push of a button, including front-wheel drive only for everyday tarmac use. Those looking for more grip will select the AUTO function for maximum security, the X-Trail then sending power to the rear wheels when the fronts begin to slip. Should you find yourself faced with something really tough to overcome, best to plug it into LOCK and hope for the best. Road manners are pretty near the top of the compact 4x4 tree, certainly far better than average, although probably not quite as composed as the Honda CR-V but on a par with the Land Rover Freelander.
Roll is well suppressed and wind noise is also agreeably muted although the tyres will make an infernal din on poorly surfaced motorways. Theres something very reassuring about knowing youve bought the best in class. True, Land Rover or Mitsubishi may have a genuine claim that their offerings are better when the going gets really tough, but for most of the people most of the time, the Nissans the best bet. In 2.
5-litre guise, the X-Trail makes a good deal more sense than at first expected, offering a decent hike in performance and equipment without drastic effect on either fuel economy nor retail price. Its good enough to make the rest of the chasing pack look a little leaden. If you must have a soft roader, this is the one to have.
Facts At A Glance
CAR: Nissan X-Trail 2.5 range
PRICES: £20,395-£22,395 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 11
CO2 EMISSIONS: 230g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 29.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver and Passenger airbag, ABS, EBD and Brake Assist
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height 4510/1765/1750mm
