Overview

THE Nissan X-Trail N-Trek recently joined the MY24 X-Trail line-up as a “more adventurous and daring” take on the Medium segment SUV.

Offered in five- and seven-seat formats, and priced from $47,290 plus on-road costs, the stylish entrant is based on the mid-tier ST-L, and offers similarly generous levels of equipment, added to in the case of the N-Trek by a dark-finished V-motion grille, gunmetal-finished front and rear bumper inlays and blacked-out wing mirror caps, door handles and roof rails.

New LED fog lights are incorporated into the restyled front bumper while variant-specific 18-inch alloys round out the exterior changes.

It is available in a range of single- and dual-tone paint colours, including Ceramic Grey, Champagne Silver, Diamond Black, Gun Metallic, and Ivory Pearl. Dual-tone hues – offered in conjunction with a black roof – include Ceramic Grey, Champagne Silver, and Ivory Pearl.

Moving inside we find water-resistant synthetic leather upholstery Nissan says reflects the “more adventurous spirit of N-Trek buyers who are likely to return to their car after sporty activities outdoors”.

The variant also offers several technology inclusions, including a 12.3-inch instrumentation screen and 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and 10.8-inch head-up display projected onto the windscreen.

Of course, these add-ons join a lengthy equipment offering from the X-Trail ST-L which includes LED lighting front and rear, roof rails, shift-by-wire CVT, high-beam assist, and a lengthy safety suite which incorporates AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear AEB with pedestrian detection and cross-traffic alert, lane departure prevention and adaptive cruise control, and lane keeping assistance.

Also included is rear privacy glass, front fog lights, 360-degree camera technology, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, sliding rear seats, front parking sensors, synthetic leather trim, 40:20:40 split-fold rear seats, and tyre pressure monitoring.

All Nissan X-Trail grades barring the e:Power hybrid are powered by a reworked version of Nissan’s 2.5-litre normally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine and are paired exclusively to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Two- or all-wheel drive configurations are available (depending on grade) with power rated at 135kW and torque at 244Nm. Braked towing capacity is a useful 2000kg.

Servicing intervals for the X-Trail are set at 12 months or 10,000km (whichever comes first) with two-wheel drive variants priced at $363, $469, $504, $587, $409 and $657 for the first six visits to the service department. Pre-paid service plans are also available.

The Nissan X-Trail is offered with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which includes roadside assistance.

Driving Impressions

While the N-Trek add-ons are largely aesthetic, they remain an attractive consideration for those intent on using their X-Trail beyond the city limits. Certainly, they do not make the variant an off-road warrior (if you’ll pardon the Nissan-centric pun) but do extend the usefulness of the model in scenarios where a little more durability is expected.

As noted in previous X-Trail reviews, the Medium segment favourite is a well thought-out take on the genre, offering useful technology that is a pleasure to use, even if the lane keeping technology isn’t as sharp as we’d like on regional roads.

Thankfully, Nissan does seem to have addressed the sensitivity of the hands-on-steering-wheel sensors which didn’t chime in as regularly as in previous tests. Couple that with dutiful adaptive cruise control and you begin see how easy the X-Trail N-Trek is to live with in getting to those treasured weekends away.

Again, as noted before, the X-Trail offers a good view out and is ergonomically sound, even for back seat passengers who’ll find the second row most comfortable. Even with a sliding second row, the third-row seats are best reserved for occasional use, mirroring those of the Mitsubishi Outlander or Skoda Kodiaq in terms of their usefulness.

Otherwise, the cabin is broad and spacious with supportive seating that contours well to Aussie frames. The wide opening rear doors are great for bundling brats into the back though we’d have liked rear window sunshades if we’re being picky. Rear seat ventilation is decent, so too bottle storage and charging points – though the further back you go, the less this is the case.

Large door bins accommodate wine bottles up front, while the under-console tray and butterfly lidded central bin are a terrific use of otherwise wasted space.

If we’re picky, we found tyre thrum a little loud on unsealed and coarse sealed surfaces. It’s a significant distraction in what is otherwise a quiet cabin, and one that may be addressed by a better choice of tyre.

The Nissan-sourced 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine in the X-Trail N-Trek provides decent performance and is a cooperative companion for both around-town and open-road touring.

The CVT is a surprisingly good match to an engine that, on paper at least, does not offer a tonne of torque, and manages to keep the X-Trail humming along nicely even with a full complement of passengers and luggage on board – a pity then it’s a little raucous when pushed.

On test, the all-wheel drive X-Trail N-Trek returned 6.4 litres per 100km, which we consider excellent for this size of vehicle.

The X-Trail N-Trek is a confident and composed handler in a variety of conditions providing generous grip and communicative steering. We found the ride compliant, but with sufficient suspension support to allow eager cornering when required.

Brake pedal travel is right where it should be, the well-assisted pedal accessing plentiful stopping power. The anti-lock system is exceptional on loose surfaces too, instilling confidence for those who frequent unsealed roads.

In offering everything a Medium SUV should – and with a point of difference perhaps only equalled by the Toyota RAV4 Edge – the Nissan X-Trail N-Trek is a solid performer with the economy and practicality to be a truly useful member of the family.

And for $50K plus on-road costs in seven-seat AWD form, we reckon it also represents excellent value for money.