Long-distance driving experience with the Nissan X-Trail N-Trek
After a winter trip on the Qashqai, I couldn’t help but want to try out another interesting car in the Nissan lineup, namely the X-Trail. So I decided to take the opportunity to spend a week with this car and switch to a fairly popular C-SUV, which is at the top of its class in terms of size. After the previous more compact Skoda Karoq, it promised to be an interesting experience, especially since I had several relatively long trips planned, this time, however, through the Kyiv region. In total, I drove almost 700 km on the Nissan X-Trail in the N-Trek configuration, and in this material I want to share my impressions.
Nissan X-Trail design, trim, interior and equipment
Nissan X-Trail is, without exaggeration, a legendary Japanese crossover, the production of which began back in 2000. The first generation of the model can still be found on Ukrainian roads, and the second and especially the third in the North American modification Rogue were for some time a very popular choice among Ukrainians. The current fourth generation Nissan X-Trail (T33) has been produced since 2021 and is built on the CMF-CD platform. Despite the general trend of a significant increase in the length of popular models, this version has become only 4 cm longer than the previous one and has increased by 1 cm in height and 2 cm in width. However, in general, the new X-Trail is perceived as a rather large car, especially against the background of popular C-SUV models in Ukraine, the same Qashqai is much more compact.
Not least, this effect is achieved thanks to the shape of the body, which is dominated by smooth lines that visually create additional volume. At the same time, the X-Trail is still far from 5-meter SUVs, because its length reaches 4680 mm, which, however, turned out to be quite enough to implement a spacious interior and a capacious trunk. This fact is also hinted at by the fact that the model is available in both 5-seater and 7-seater modifications. In general, the choice of trim levels in the Nissan X-Trail is very wide, you can choose from two engine options (mild hybrid or e-POWER), five equipment options, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and 5 or 7 seats in the cabin.
Since I had the Nissan X-Trail N-Trek e-POWER version on my test drive, I will focus on its features. It is worth noting that the N-Trek is right in the middle of the manufacturer’s lineup, offering most of the modern options, its own style of front and rear bumpers, black roof rails, as well as seats made of a special waterproof coating. In general, I imagine positioning this version as a car for those who like to spend time in nature or go fishing. And here, easy-to-wash seats can come in handy.
The test version of the Nissan X-Trail N-Trek used an e-POWER hybrid engine with e-4ORCE all-wheel drive and a capacity of 213 horsepower. We have already talked a lot about how this system is implemented. Let me just remind you that in the X-Trail e-POWER, the front and rear wheels are driven by electric motors, which are powered by a small battery, and the latter, in turn, is charged by a generator powered by a 3-cylinder 1.5-liter turbo engine. That is, on the one hand, thanks to the electric motors, there is relatively high power and almost instant acceleration, on the other hand, there is no need to charge, the car runs on gasoline and has a 55-liter fuel tank. Of course, I will talk about fuel consumption and driving impressions a little later.
Since the dimensions allow, there is really a lot of space in the cabin. Tall users will be satisfied with both the fit and the size of the seat. The N-Trek trim level has electric adjustment of the driver's and front passenger's seats. There is even electric lumbar adjustment and memory for the driver's seat. In fact, these options are already available in the more affordable N-Connecta trim level, so Nissan is doing well in this regard, because they can usually be obtained either in the top trim levels, or even for an additional fee.
I think when you read about the waterproof seats above, you wondered if they were too warm, especially in the summer. I had the same concern, but I have to say that even in the August heat, the climate control in the Nissan X-Trail does a good job of cooling the interior. If the car is parked in the sun, the seats get quite hot, but leather and even fabric seats get hot too. On long trips, the waterproof N-Trek seats feel the same as eco-leather seats. Of course, it would be great to have perforations, but then you can forget about water protection.
The Nissan X-Trail interior feels modern, but without extremes. The manufacturer prefers restrained classics combined with the logical use of modern components where they are needed. Thanks to this, on the one hand, we have a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and a central touch display of the same diagonal, but on the other hand, climate control and heating are implemented through traditional mechanical keys and "twists". The same applies to steering wheel controls. I have great respect for automakers who do not break the ergonomics of the interior for the sake of small savings on buttons. In this regard, Nissan definitely gets a lot of likes from me.
Since the dimensions of the Nissan X-Trail allow, there are also quite a lot of places to store things in the cabin. Let me start with the fact that there is a dedicated place for a smartphone with wireless charging. Unfortunately, it does not cool down, so it is worth considering this. Especially when you are driving long distances, because when connected via wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay and also on charge, the smartphone can get noticeably hot. Cooling here would definitely not hurt. In addition, there are cup holders of adequate size on the central tunnel, there is a large niche under the tunnel itself and another one under the armrest cover. And there is also a compartment for storing sunglasses.
The central touch display has a rather archaic interface, but given the presence of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, it is unlikely that anyone will often turn to it. Unless you need to change the settings, but some of them are also available on the digital instrument panel. The latter is generally convenient and allows you to flexibly configure the display of the necessary information about the trip, but it is a pity that it does not allow you to display navigation from Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The central touch display also displays images from four all-round cameras, which greatly facilitates parking. Although the model belongs to the class of compact SUVs, maneuvering in tight and parked Kyiv yards requires a very good sense of dimensions. The 360 cameras really come to the rescue here, again by switching the mechanical button (!) you can change the view from the cameras and see whether you are driving too close to the curb or other obstacle, which can damage the wheels or the car itself.
Well, we've dealt with the first row of seats and the driver's seat, I'll just add that I also liked the materials of the Nissan X-Trail interior in general. Nissan used soft plastic on the door cards and the center panel, which is additionally sewn with eco-leather. And there's a minimum of gloss here. The only nuance that I still don't like in Nissan models with e-POWER engines is the automatic transmission lever. It's plastic and quite light, so although it does its job 100%, the tactile sensations from it are mediocre. I hope it will be replaced in the next generation of X-Trail.
The back row of the car pleases with a lot of space, three adults can sit down without any problems, and for two, a bonus is a convenient folding armrest with cup holders. In addition, rear passengers can independently regulate the climate, turn on the seat heating and charge their gadgets via two USB-C ports. The Nissan X-Trail has a version with a third row of seats, but only children will be able to travel more or less comfortably in it. And speaking of small passengers, it is convenient that the rear doors of the car open 90 degrees and generally have a fairly wide opening. This makes it more convenient to insert and remove a child seat.
The size of the luggage compartment in the Nissan X-Trail varies depending on the version, for the 5-seater it is a decent 575 liters, and for the 7-seater, with the seats folded down, it is already 485 liters, which is also generally not bad and allows you to fit several travel suitcases and a couple of backpacks.
On the road
My test Nissan X-Trail N-Trek had an e-POWER engine, e-4ORCE all-wheel drive and a 7-seat cabin. For this version, the manufacturer states a power of 213 horsepower, a torque of 330+195 Nm (for the front/rear electric motor) and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds. Quite decent, for a car weighing almost 1.9 tons and a high body, which does not even hint at any sportiness.
However, the X-Trail e-POWER drives really well, although it does not provoke sharp acceleration or maneuvers. The car has a power reserve, it allows you to comfortably overtake other cars on the highway and often even start first from a traffic light. However, there is a rather soft accelerator pedal and a not very informative steering wheel, which seems to hint that the X-Trail can drive not only on asphalt. The front MacPherson suspension and rear multi-link also confirm the possibility of off-road driving, very well smoothing out road irregularities. Nevertheless, the Nissan X-Trail primarily relies on soft comfort, and I can confirm that both front and rear passengers remain satisfied with this approach even during long trips.
Of course, you can find a driving mode switch in the cabin, and it even has a sport mode, but it only makes the accelerator pedal sharper, otherwise the operation of the steering wheel and suspension does not change radically. So even here, the main driving modes are off-road and snow, which should increase comfort, and most importantly, peace of mind for passengers.
In addition, the Nissan X-Trail with the e-POWER hybrid system promises quite economical fuel consumption, and the peculiarity of all hybrids is that the calmer you drive, the more you save. So at a speed of 50-70 km/h in the city you can get a consumption of 6.5-7 liters, but this is in an ideal situation, when there are almost no traffic jams. In heavy traffic, when the battery does not have time to be additionally recharged by recuperation, I got 8-8.7 liters. If you drive on the highway at 110-130 km/h, the car shows an even better result than the manufacturer claims - 7.3 liters per 100 km. Considering the dimensions of the X-Trail, these are very good fuel consumption figures, and they will be even better for versions with front-wheel drive and a 5-seater cabin due to the lower weight of the car.
Adaptive cruise control in this model works very well, the car "clings" to the car in front and keeps a set distance to it, without exceeding the set maximum speed. However, this driving mode is for amateurs. I find it a little uncomfortable when the car in front starts to brake sharply, and there comes a moment when you either believe that the adaptive cruise "saw" it, or you have to take over control. Of course, it reacts without problems, but I often don't want to rely on its operation so much. However, it is interesting that the adaptive cruise, as well as a number of other electronic assistants, for example, lane keeping, emergency braking with pedestrian recognition, driver fatigue monitoring, cross traffic warning, are already in the basic version of the car. Again, my respect to Nissan for its approach to trim levels.
In the end
Nissan X-Trail leaves behind a pleasant impression, the car has a clear positioning in general, which at the same time appeals to a fairly wide range of drivers. This is a family car, large enough, but still comfortable in the city, which also allows you to go to the country on weekends, get from the suburbs to the city, go fishing or on long trips. A versatile, modern and, most importantly, quite economical car, at least with the e-POWER engine. At the same time, the model offers a very wide choice of trim levels from the basic one for about $36 thousand to $56 thousand in the top. However, even the base one contains options that in models of a lower class are often found only in more expensive versions, such as adaptive cruise control or wireless charging for a smartphone. So the Nissan X-Trail is definitely worth considering if you want to get "a lot of car" for the city and travel, but with a reasonable budget.