Liana Reiners wasn’t too unhappy about having to get catch the 06:30 flight to Cape Town recently. It was, after all, for the launch of the new Nissan X-Trail. 

Nissan X-Trail always a favourite

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Now you must understand that the Nissan X-Trail is a vehicle that – since it was introduced here originally – I have always had special feelings for. Admittedly, our relationship got off to a rocky start (broken rear windows, keys getting locked in the vehicle etc) but it really wasn’t through any fault of the X-Trail. And when I finally managed to overcome my superstitions about driving it, I found out that it was actually a real gem. In fact, it turned out to be one of my all-time favourites.

New X-Trail is different from the ground up

That’s why I was so excited about flying to the Mother City at the crack of dawn. And I wasn’t disappointed that I made the effort.
New from the ground up, the latest  Nissan X-Trail shares its platform with the Qashqai. What hasn’t changed though is that it is still a compact SUV with a roomy, versatile and high quality interior, paired with 4x4 capabilities that make it a great drive on the road and off the beaten track.

This Nissan is a dream to drive

On the launch, fellow cars4women contributor Helene Griffiths and I got to drive the Nissan X-Trail extensively around the Western Cape and we were both suitably impressed. Not only is it good-looking, it’s also a real joy to drive and handles like a dream. New Nissan has a bigger boot The Nissan X-Trails’ strut-type suspension at the front with a multi-link system at the rear and both ends mounted on separate rubber insulated sub-frames, provide enhanced ride refinement. As a result the new Nissan X-Trail is slightly larger than before. Its wheelbase has increased by 5mm to 2 630mm, while overall length has risen by 175 mm to 4 360 mm. Much of this extra length can be found in the trunk area, which has increased dramatically in size. 

New Nissan X-Trail has a bigger boot

If you’re like me and you’re constantly carting around schoolbags, shopping bags and all sorts of other bags, a large boot is very important. The new Nissan X-Trail offers a whole 603 litres and it also has a very nifty double floor, with space for a sliding drawer underneath. (The perfect place to hide things from prying eyes.) And if you really have a lot to lunk around, the rear seat backrests fold flat to increase load space. But rather than the conventional 60/40 split fold, the new Nissan X-Trail has a 40/20/40 folding system, again to increase flexibility. 

Seats are almost as comfy as my couch

While I’m on the subject of space, let’s look at the rest of the interior. I can honestly say that the front seats of the new Nissan X-Trail fall just short of my lounge suite when it comes to comfort. In fact, a lot of emphasis was placed on comfort and quality, with soft-touch materials featuring on all touch points. Grained and flocked surfaces in contrasting shades are used throughout the cabin and – depending on trim level – the  instrument surrounds and other features are finished in silver or titanium colours.

X-Trails' cupholders can be chilled or heated

A large centrally-mounted dash-top storage box is deep enough to house 10 CD cases or items the size of a tissue box, while the very big 15,7-litre glove box has a dedicated section for the owner’s manual. And if you get thirsty along the way, it’s good to know that the new Nissan X-Trail features six cupholders throughout the cabin, four of which can be chilled or heated as desired.

Of course air-conditioning and front and rear power windows are a standard part of the package and our technlogically advanced readers will be glad to hear that Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity is available on specific models.

Diesel Nissan X-Trails coming soon

Speaking of models. The new Nissan X-Trail will initially be available with the choice of five petrol engines while five diesel derivatives will be made available later in the year. A new lightweight all-alloy 16 valve 2-litre petrol engine capable of producing 102 kW and 198 Nm of torque powers the 4x2 model. The 4x4 models boast a 2,5-litre powerplant with 125 kW and 226 Nm of torque on tap.

All manual models have six-speed gearboxes and the 2,5-litre engine is available with a Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) option.
Prices range from R255 600 to R368 100.