Nissan X-TRAIL Range : X MARKS THE SPOT

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Nissan's first X-TRAIL was everything a compact 4x4 should have been but never caught the public's imagination. The latest version should do better. Andy Enright reports

To be honest, there wasn't a lot wrong with the first generation Nissan X-TRAIL. It just started feeling a bit old and a bit plasticky compared to the freshest faces on the compact 4x4 block. The latest car makes a better fist of `perceived quality' and retains the old car's admirable versatility.

It's enough to make you wonder. Nissan pulled out all the stops with the 2001 X-TRAIL and brought a vehicle to market that was palpably the best compact 4x4 money could buy. The trouble was, you guys didn't believe Nissan and you didn't believe us when we said so. Instead you bought Land Rover Freelanders, Honda CR-Vs and Toyota RAV4s. Some of you even bought Mitsubishi Shogun Sports, gallantly taking one for the team in the process. Meritocracy, it seemed, was a dirty word among buyers of smaller 4x4s. Nissan tinkered with the X-TRAIL formula but it was mere fiddling while Rome burned and you weren't listening. Undeterred by this brutal blanking, Nissan has brought us an improved X-TRAIL, hoping once again to tempt you from your Land Rovers, Hondas and Toyotas. Will it do the numbers for Nissan? In all likelihood, no. It's not for want of trying though. The old X-TRAIL was always one of the tautest-handling small 4x4s around thanks to a very well engineered suspension system that served up a ride and handling compromise that has only been bettered in this class by the Toyota RAV4 and, at more rarefied prices, the BMW X3. Thankfully little has changed in that regard. With petrol power now discontinued, there's a pair of 2.0dCi diesels with either 150 or 173PS, the latter scooting to 60mph in ten seconds and hitting 124mph where conditions allow. The 150bhp unit is only available in top spec with an auto `box. The X-TRAIL is also very competent off road, Nissan's designers rightly proud of All-Mode 4x4-i, an intelligent four-wheel drive system that reduces understeer and gives this ostensibly front-wheel drive car some real capability, predicting when the front wheels are slipping and directing drive to the rears with lightning response. A rotary knob lets you choose either fuel-saving front-wheel drive, automatic four-wheel drive with a variable torque split between the front and rear axles, and a mode with the centre differential fully locked to help you crawl out of the mire. Hill descent control, a hill holder function, ESP stability control and individually braked wheels acting the role of axle diffs only add to its off-road ability. All versions are four-wheel driven.

"The X-Trail is also very competent off road, Nissan's designers rightly proud of All-Mode 4x4 systemâ€¦"

New from the ground up, the current generation X-TRAIL is slightly larger than its predecessor: its wheelbase has increased by 5mm to 2630mm, while overall length has risen by 175mm to 4630mm. Much of this extra length can be found in the luggage area, which has increased dramatically in size. With the rear seat in place, the original vehicle had a luggage area VDA measurement of 410 litres up to the lower edge of the rear window: in this latest X-TRAIL, the equivalent figure is 603 litres, an increase of 193 litres (including double deck trunk capacity). Fold the rear seats forward and this increases to 1773 litres. This has been achieved by rerouting the exhaust silencer from its original transverse position under the boot floor to a north/south location alongside the rear wheel well. This has allowed the creation of an innovative double deck luggage area, with space for a sliding drawer under the floor where valuable items can be stored away from prying eyes. The drawer has partition walls that can be placed in a number of different positions or removed altogether as required. The floor and the drawer can both be removed to increase load space even further. As a result, the luggage area of this X-TRAIL is deeper and wider than the original and, even with the false floor in place, virtually as tall. With it removed, luggage height is increased by 127mm over the original. Though there are exterior styling changes with this latest generation model, more important are the improvements wrought inside. Nissan knew that to compete against rival products like Land Rover's Freelander2, the latest Honda CR-V and Toyota's MK3 RAV4, they would have to up their game in terms of cabin fitment and this they've certainly done. The rather icky plastics of the first generation car have been replaced with more soft touch finishes, metallic highlights and tonnes of auxiliary storage space. Nissan claims an extra 50 litres of oddment stowage around the cabin with various bins, boxes cubby holes and cupholders never more than a few centimetres away. The designers have resisted the temptation to lever a useless pair of seats into the car's boot, the X-TRAIL remaining resolutely a five-seater only. It would have been thoughtful to have allowed the rear bench to slide to and fro, prioritising luggage or passenger space at will but perhaps that's a job for the 2010 facelift. As it stands, there's a rather neat 40/20/40 split system for the rear bench. The X-TRAIL looks good on paper next to its immediate rivals when it comes to standard equipment provision but then it always did. What's particularly impressive this time round is that Nissan has integrated all the bells and whistles so well rather than appearing rather hasty bolt-ons. Even the entry-level Acenta variant comes with Bluetooth phone integration, alloy wheels, full body coloured bumpers, climate controlled air conditioning, a full suite of airbags (driver, passenger, side and curtain), plus cruise control, a panoramic glass sunroof and a CD/radio with 4 speakers. The Tekna variant that many customers will choose adds leather, powered and heated seats, DVD satnav, a rear parking camera, xenon headlights and a BOSE sound system. Economy, even of the punchiest 173PS diesel engine is respectable, this version managing a combined figure of 38.2mpg while emitting 190 grammes of carbon dioxide per kilometre. The 65-litre tank affords this model a very hefty range indeed. Economy is helped enormously by the fact that you don't need to run the vehicle in power-sapping all-wheel drive mode all the time, the intelligent 4x4 system reverting to front wheel drive when possible. Insurance and ongoing running costs for the X-TRAIL have always been reasonable. Better built, dynamically even more able but perhaps not as good looking as it was in its first flush of youth, the X-TRAIL will do well but possibly not as well as it deserves to. Let's call it a points win for the time being. The big haymaker that Nissan had hoped to land may have just missed the sweet spot but that doesn't mean it's not worth connecting with.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Nissan X-TRAIL range
PRICES: £22,345-£26,795 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 13-14
CO2 EMISSIONS: 198-216g/km
PERFORMANCE: [dCi 173PS] 0-60mph 10.0s / Max Speed 124mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [dCi 173PS] (urban) 30.4mpg / (extra urban) 44.8mpg / (combined) 38.2mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver, Passenger, Side and Curtain airbags, ABS, EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height 4510/1765/1750mm