New Nissan X-Trail e-Power 2022 review

The new Nissan X-Trail fails to inspire in e-Power form, with doubts over performance and efficiency

Verdict

The new X-Trail features lots of impressive technology, but you do question to what end. Nissan says it wants to deliver a simulated EV driving experience with e-Power and in the X-Trail it misses the mark. The refinement is mostly on a par with a similarly sized EV, but it fails to replicate the performance and efficiency benefits of a pure-electric powertrain. The ride quality and practicality on offer do help it stand out from the Qashqai, however.

As the current second best-selling car in Britain, the Qashqai might be the headline act at Nissan, but the X-Trail is also hugely important for the brand in the UK. Sales here almost match the entirety of western Europe.

The previous-generation X-Trail was also Nissan’s best-selling car globally, but its popularity in Britain has led Nissan to take active steps to tailor the new fourth-generation model to our roads. “Our roads are interesting to say the least and there’s a lot of testing that has gone on in the UK”, Andrew Humberstone, Managing Director of Nissan UK, tells us.

The X-Trail makes its way to Europe a little later than expected and almost two years after it landed in the US, where it’s called the Rogue. The reason for this is the drivetrain, which Nissan calls “e-4ORCE”.

Sitting on the CMF-D platform that also underpins the latest Qashqai in slightly smaller CMF-C guise, the X-Trail we’re testing uses what’s called a ‘series hybrid’, which means there’s a petrol engine on hand, but the wheels are driven at all times by an electric motor.

A 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol unit charges the 2.1kWh battery and sends power to an electric motor on the front axle. It’s the same e-Power system you’ll find on the Qashqai, but on this e-4ORCE model there’s also an electric motor on the rear axle to provide four-wheel drive.

The engine itself is pretty clever, with variable compression technology meaning motor-driven, multi-link devices can change the position of the pistons. This allows for a variety of compression ratios, prioritising performance or efficiency. In the two-wheel-drive models, power stands at 201bhp, but the additional electric motor on the rear bumps total output up to 211bhp.

Nissan claims the main benefit behind the e-Power power unit is the similarity to pure-electric drivetrains. On the move, you certainly can see where they’re coming from.

If you’re gentle with the throttle, the X-Trail with e-Power will set off in electric-only mode. There’s a faint hum from the car to remind you it’s being powered by the electric motor. The throttle only needs a light shove for the petrol engine to burst into life. If you push the e-Power engine hard the revs of the ICE unit will climb to reflect the road speed, although this is never perfectly matched. The acceleration never feels as quick as the 7.2-second 0-62mph time suggests, either.

There are several drive modes available, which are selected by a dial on the centre console. If you’re the type of driver to regularly switch modes, you might find its positioning a little hard to reach on the move. In reality, though, there’s not much to distinguish between Normal, Off-road, Eco and Sport, save for the steering gaining a little more weight and the internal combustion engine engaging more eagerly. Eco mode stiffens up the throttle to ward you off aggressive driving.

Our test route included some severe off-road driving, which helped show off the X-Trail’s rejuvenated focus on taking on the rough stuff. The torque-vectoring distribution from the e-4ORCE technology gives the X-Trail impressive grip on loose surfaces, hill ascent and descent control work well and the spacious breakover angles of the X-Trail cause the body to scrub only in ridiculous inclines.

Admittedly, most X-Trail buyers won’t be taking Nissan’s largest SUV to such extremes, so Nissan might not see the optional £2,200 e-4ORCE box being ticked often.

Back on the road, it’s clear the X-Trail is happiest during sedate driving. There’s decent refinement on offer, with not much wind and road noise transmitted to the cabin, despite the chunkier exterior body and our car’s 20-inch rims. The suspension is fairly conventional – MacPherson struts at the front combined with a multi-link set up on the rear. Rough roads are well dealt with, thanks to the suspension travel, and at motorway speeds the X-Trail settles down.

When you reach a corner the X-Trail is surprisingly stable. With it being a large seven-seat SUV with electric power, you’d assume its relative heft would cause plenty of unwanted body roll, but it’s well contained. The steering is pretty lifeless, however.

Moving to the interior, our top-spec Tekna+ model had an impressive level of equipment available. Nissan says there’s 35 inches of infotainment here, which is made up of a 12.3-inch touchscreen on the centre console, another 12.3-inch screen for the instrument panel and a 10.8-inch head-up display. The infotainment uses NissanConnect and while it’s responsive and clear, it’s not the most intuitive system. The head-up display is unobtrusive and focuses on key information, such as GPS directions and speed limits.

The cabin quality in the new X-Trail is a significant step up from the old model and there’s some influence from the Ariya here, but the split-opening central bin has a harsh plastic noise and faux wood-effect on the dash and textured finish to the centre console feel a little cheap. While the use of physical climate controls is refreshing, the actual buttons are a little flimsy.

In the second row the panoramic roof delivers plenty of light, so it’s certainly not dingy back there. Although it’s technically four-wheel drive, there’s no propshaft running down the middle of the floor, so there’s plenty of legroom, even if you’re sitting behind a tall person. There’s not too much under-thigh support and the seat backs lean quite far back. Tekna+ adds heated middle seats as well. Another nice touch if you’re getting into the back is the doors, which have an 85-degree opening for easier access.

Nissan says the third row is designed purely for children (or people under 1.6 metres) on short journeys. The middle row can slide forwards to allow better access to the third row. Although the addition of two extra seats adds an extra dimension of practicality to the X-Trail, there won’t be too many volunteers to sit in the rear row. The extra two seats in the boot only impact on space slightly, at least, with boot space standing at a relatively decent 575 litres.

The X-Trail starts from £32,030 in mild-hybrid Visia form, but with the £2,435 e-Power system, £2,200 e-4ORCE and the optional £1,000 third row added, our car cost £48,155. At that price you can have plenty of genuine pure-electric SUVs rather than what Nissan calls a “stepping stone” to a fully electric vehicle.

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