Overview

NISSAN updated its X-Trail family SUV range in February this year, introducing more colour choices, trim options, wheel designs, increased telematics functionality, an improved 360-degree camera system, and longer service intervals (now 12 months or 15,000km) to its family favourite.

Best of all, it did so without increasing the X-Trail’s list price – the model remaining available from $38,140 plus on-road costs, or $42,615 + ORC for the ST-L grade tested here.

Behind revised frontal and rear-end styling are improved cabin materials and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen now standard on all grades along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

The NY26 Nissan X-Trail range adds two new paint colours to the palette – Deep Ocean Blue and Everest White – and a new Chestnut interior finish for the flagship Ti-L grade, replacing Tan. On all variants with the black upholstery, we find the upper dashboard and door cards replaced with black material in lieu of brown.

Other interior changes include a revised steering wheel design and genuine leather accenting on the mid-tier ST-L grade (previously synthetic). The front seat passenger in the ST-L grade now further benefits from 10-way power seat adjustment, matching that of the driver’s side.

Nissan says the X-Trail’s updated Connected Car Services suite adds more comprehensive remote vehicle monitoring and control capabilities, including remote engine start on the flagship grade, vehicle health reporting, theft/burglar notifications, and maintenance alerts, all of which are managed through a dedicated smartphone app.

ST-L grades and above further include an enhanced 3D Around View Monitor (360-degree camera system) that allows owners to virtually rotate the vehicle or select from eight different camera views to improve parking and manoeuvring in tight spaces.

The updated system further features Skeleton Hood view for improved visibility on narrow roads – including greater visibility of obstacles at wheel and ground levels, helping in narrow spaces where precise positioning is necessary – and Multi View support for T-junction scenarios.

Powertrain, packaging, and safety features remain otherwise unchanged, the petrol-powered model on test featuring a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine developing 135kW of power at 6000rpm and 244Nm of torque from 3600 revs on regular 91 RON unleaded.

Drive is to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (or CVT) with Nissan claiming a combined cycle fuel economy average of 7.4 litres per 100km (and CO2 emissions of 174 grams per kilometre).

The driveline offers three drive modes – Eco, Normal, and Sport – with additional highlights including an electric park brake with auto hold and hill-start functionality, four-wheel disc brakes, all-independent suspension, dual pinion electric steering, and 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 235/60 profile tyres (with a space-saver spare).

Nissan quotes a turning circle of 11.1 metres and ground clearance of 205mm. The ST-L grade tips the scale at 1571kg and can tow up to 2000kg (braked). Fuel tank capacity is 55 litres, offering a theoretical driving range of 743km.

Importantly for family buyers, the X-Trail offers 585 litres of cargo space in five-seat configuration, expandable up to 1396 litres with the rear seats folded flat. The ST-L grade further offers Nissan’s clever Divide-N-Hide configurable cargo floor and a 40:20:40 folding rear seat as standard issue.

Two ISOFIX and three top-tether style child seat anchorages are provided, alongside a generous suite of active and passive safety technologies that include adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, high beam assist, lane departure warning and intervention, rear cross-traffic alert, rear seat alert (child presence alert), traffic sign recognition, tyre pressure monitoring, and a full complement of airbags (including a front centre airbag) for a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

Other ST-L grade highlights include faux-leather upholstery, rear privacy glass, a 7.0-inch driver assist display, dual-zone climate control (with rear seat outlets), proximity keyless entry and ignition, a capless fuel filler, rain-sensing wipers, dusk-sensing headlights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an eight-way powered driver’s seat, and heated front seats to name a few.

Infotainment goodies include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto accessed via a 12.3-inch touchscreen array, DAB+ digital radio reception (as well as AM/FM), Bluetooth connectivity, voice control, four USB-C ports, and a host of Connected Car services.

The Nissan X-Trail continues to be backed by a 10-year/300,000km factory warranty with up to 10 years’ roadside assistance and capped-price servicing included for five years at $399 per visit.

Driving Impressions

The ST-L is a terrific grade of X-Trail. It offers arguably everything that you need from a five-seat SUV and nothing that you don’t.

Added to that are sound fundamentals – a comfortable ride, clear outward vision, sorted dynamics, and a surprisingly efficient engine – wrapped in an attractive proposition that is very competitively priced. So far, a lot to like…

We were just as impressed by the energetic and smooth combination of Nissan’s 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and continuously variable transmission, the spacious and flexible cabin and cargo area, and the wide opening rear doors – brilliant both for getting kids in and out of car seats and older relatives in and out of the car.

It’s also refreshing to find a mid-sized SUV with ergonomics that are close to spot on. The driver’s seat provides excellent back and under-thigh support on long trips, while offering an excellent relationship to the pedals and steering wheel. Tick!

Of course, being an ST-L grade the X-Trail on test misses out on a few nice-to-haves. There’s no powered tailgate, no ventilated seats, and no sunroof, for example. Assuming you can live without these items, we think the trade-off is worth it.

Remember, this is a car that asks just $42,615 plus on-road costs. By way of comparison, a comparable Honda CR-V is $44,990, a comparable Hyundai Tucson $44,100, a comparable Mazda CX-5 $43,100, and a comparable Mitsubishi Outlander $44,040.

Only a comparable Kia Sportage is cheaper at $40,980, remembering the Toyota RAV4 is no longer offered with petrol only power.

There is also a lot to like about the simplicity of the X-Trail’s human-machine interface (or HMI). While the ST-L grade delivers just about everything you need in a modern family car, it does so while remaining easy to operate and understand.

The X-Trail offers just the right mix of hard and soft buttons in our opinion – something many in this segment should look to reinstate. For commonly used ancillaries, a button, dial, or switch makes far more sense, taking less time to navigate and operate than half-a-dozen screen inputs.

Many newer entrants, particularly those from Chinese brands, are overly complicated in our view, many requiring a three-day TAFE course to learn how to operate (we’re joking, of course) and being virtually impossible to interact with while on the go.

That sentiment extends to Nissan’s ProPilot suite of safety and semi-autonomous driving technologies, which are again entirely useful without being obtrusive or worse, a distraction.

We enjoyed driving the X-Trail, too. It is not a boring runabout that will leave you feeling your money would have been better spend elsewhere. In fact, it’s quite engaging.

The ride is very well balanced with an excellent compromise between comfort and handling, the higher profile tyre helping soak up imperfections in the road even before the suspension has to work. The vehicle is predictable in its attitude with enough compliance in the suspension to lean and pitch without feeling soft or untidy.

In short, the X-Trail ST-L is a very good fit for unkempt Australian roads – even showing a surprising level of purchase on loose gravel and unsealed surfaces (and remembering this is a front-wheel drive!).

We found the steering feedback adequate for everyday use and generously assisted for slow-speed manoeuvring. The vehicle’s outward vision and excellent camera system make parking a breeze, just the thing for contending with crowded supermarket car parks and busy school drop-off zones.

Further, the X-Trail’s braking action is positive with a progressive pedal delivering nice, smooth stops. If you have passengers that are prone to bouts of carsickness, you’ll appreciate how valuable this last trait can be.

With all of that said, the X-Trail ST-L does have a few quibbles and concerns…

For starters, tyre noise is excessive; the Bridgestone Alenza hoops generating an all-terrain-tyre-like drone at freeway speeds that really detracts from an otherwise quiet cabin.

We also found the speed recognition camera somewhat dopey, reading advisory and timed speed signs as gospel, instead of picking up only those speed signs designated within a red ring.

For rural driving, we were also a little disappointed in the headlighting, which although acceptable, is no match for the excellent adaptive LED units offered on higher grades (something we really noticed having recently sampled the units in the Qashqai Ti e-Power).

And finally, we have to say that we were unimpressed by the six-speaker audio system offered in the X-Trail ST-L. Despite our best efforts in tuning the system to our preferences, the playback remained quite muddy with a low sound stage that presents as if your tunes are being played by your feet, and not at a natural ear level.

If sound quality is important, it’s worth remembering that Nissan offers a far better 10-speaker Bose audio system higher up the grade walk.

Of course, these quibbles are relatively minor in the scheme of things, and by no means a deal-breaker in our reckoning.

With sorted fundamentals, a useful and practical cabin, sound dynamics and a frugal petrol engine (we managed 6.7 litres per 100km on test) there is really very little not to like about the Nissan X-Trail ST-L.

Of course, with petrol prices going through the roof, there are many people considering a new energy vehicle – or even a battery electric car.

But in driving a vehicle like the X-Trail, that still achieves very sensible fuel consumption mixed with entirely useful levels of performance, it’s a very hard ask to move up to an X-Trail e-Power for $6300 more…

As it stands, and in weighing all the pros and cons, we think the X-Trail ST-L is a wonderfully well packaged family car that has far more working for than against it.

Add to that the most generous warranty and aftersales support bundle in the business and it’s obvious the X-Trail is a terrific car for the money.