Nissan will have an electrified X-Trail in Australia in early 2023 as the company prepares to finally fire a shot across the bow of the sales chart-storming Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
Nissan’s answer to the electrified question, though, isn’t a traditional hybrid set-up now familiar to Australian new-car shoppers, but is instead the brand’s e-Power technology, which uses a petrol engine to recharge an on-board battery, which in turn is used to power the vehicle’s electric motors.
The result, says Nissan, is a true electric vehicle driving experience, with the brand promising an e-Power X-Trail is “as close as possible to an EV without needing a plug”.
Also standard fit on Australian e-Power is the brand’s e-4ORCE 4WD system, which sees a second electric motor fitted at the rear axle for all-wheel-drive capability that delivers “constant torque, near-perfect weight balance and is 10,000 times faster than a regular 4WD system”.
Australian-delivered X-Trail e-Power e-4ORCE models will be fitted with a turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine which will be used to recharge a 1.8kWh battery (or power the motors directly, if needed).
Delivering the real driving power are the twin electric motors, delivering a total 157kW of power. The front motor will deliver 330Nm in torque, while the rear motor is good for 195Nm, but you can’t simply add those two numbers together, and Nissan is yet to quote total system torque output.
In terms of fuel use, Nissan says to expect 6.1L/100km on the combined cycle, which is more than a Toyota RAV4 (4.8L/100km), but Nissan says the real draw here is the all-electric drive experience.
“What we are offering is a very unique powertrain, e-Power with e-4ORCE. What makes it unique? The simple fact that the wheels are 100 percent of the time driven by the electric motor,” says Nissan’s regional product planner, Ilya Deminov.
“It means it is driving as an EV, and as close as possible to a full EV without the need to plug in to charge.
“We know some of our customers are not ready to plug in their car, and this technology is the perfect transition for them for full electrification.”
Nissan is also promising real all-road capability, with the ability to split send up to 95 per cent of the power to the front wheels, or 63.7 per cent of power to rear tyres, depending on the driving conditions. The brand says 100km/h will arrive in 7.0 seconds, while towing is pegged at 1650kg.
“We’re confident customers will love its unique combination of electrified performance, confidence inspiring handling and robust practicality,” says Nissan Australia Managing Director, Adam Paterson.
“As one would expect from a Nissan, it will offer unique customer appeal. We can’t wait to see it in our showrooms.”
The only remaining question, then, is price. But we don’t expect the electrified X-Trail to be particularly cheap. Given it’s arriving in top-spec 4WD guises only, you can expect a starting price in excess of $50,000.
Order books for the new electrified X-Trail open in September, ahead of an on-sale date in early 2023. The new model will launch in Ti and Ti-L trim levels, both of which are 4WD as standard.
Keyword: Nissan finally takes aim at the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid: New X-Trail e-Power e-4ORCE is "as close as possible to an EV without needing a plug"