Nissan X-Trail in the test: The electric SUV with the petrol thirst
Created: 2022-10-26 05:02
By: Rudolf Boegel
Elephant races in the compact SUV segment.
Now Nissan also wants to get involved with the new X-Trail.
The first exit.
On the trail of a bestseller: The X-Trail from Nissan was sold seven million times, the third generation alone sold three million times.
Not an easy inheritance for the successor, especially since it also drives one more tire revolution into the electric age.
And what's more, it takes a rather idiosyncratic path.
We've stuck to the trail of the new X-Trail.
Electric power from two electric motors on four wheels.
That gets the X-Trail e-4ORCE from 0 to 100 in 7.0 seconds. And the petrol generator groans quietly.
©Nissan
Nissan X-Trail: Three motors, no gearbox - this is how e-power works
E-Power is what Nissan calls its drive, which we were able to test both on and off-road.
Sounds mysterious - but it's not.
Because basically it is just another hybrid variant.
The electricity is generated by a generator fed by a 1.5-liter, 158-hp 1.5-liter turbo petrol engine.
In contrast to other manufacturers, however, the combustion engine is not connected to the drive train, there is not even a gearbox.
This means that he cannot intervene even in the event of a performance emergency.
The X-Trail is moved by either one or two electric motors, which are located on the front and rear axles and draw their energy from the 2.1 kWh buffer battery.
The smaller variant has 150 kW (204 hp) and only pushes at the front,
The exhaust of the 1.5-liter turbo engine, which generates the electricity for the electric units, is discreetly hidden in the bodywork.
Nothing works here without petrol.
©Nissan
Mysterious e-4ORCE: what's behind it?
Similar to the e-power, Nissan also calls the four-wheel drive differently.
E-4ORCE, that sounds cryptic – at least Kryptonian.
Someone in marketing probably got a too big dose of science fiction.
E-4ORCE works in line with contemporary, earthly engineering: Depending on requirements, the torque is shifted between the front and rear axles in order to have optimal traction in all weather conditions and speeds.
The rear torque reacts 10,000 times faster than the mechanical system, Nissan proudly notes.
And the new X-Trail can do something else: by modifying the individual wheels, the cornering behavior gets a sporty kick.
This is called torque vectoring in technical jargon, but here the different distribution of the torque is achieved solely by braking,
Lots of paint and leather - the interior of the Nissan X-Trail whips, forgive me, is very valuable.
Actually premium.
©Nissan
Part-time electric vehicle - that's like a flexitarian
The average consumer usually doesn't notice any of this, except that the X-Trail feels comfortable on wet roads and in tight corners, and so does the driver.
How about the acceleration?
As great as an electric car, the manufacturer promises.
However, we can only answer that with an unequivocal yes.
Yes - the start is initially powerful and mighty when the two engines with their torque (front: 330, rear 195 Nm) push the car, which weighs between 1.9 and 2.1 tons, depending on the equipment.
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First of all, you don't hear the petrol engine at all.
It's also logical because the high-performance battery is still full.
However, the 2.1 kWh are quickly used up, which is why the combustion engine produces replenishment quietly and at a low speed level and knocks acoustically.
However, if you demand the maximum from the drive train, the hunger for energy is greater and the petrol engine revs higher.
However, this does not sound as agonizingly loud as with Toyota hybrids, for example, because the petrol engine is not immediately operated in the high-frequency range.
Therefore and to come back to the question: No, the X-Trail e-Power does not sound and feel like a real electric car.
More like a part-time streamer.
You have to imagine it like a flexitarian.
Most of the time he avoids meat, then he hits mercilessly.
Dramatic ambience, elegant appearance.
The new Nissan X-Trail can be seen on any runway, and it can do off-road, too.
©Nissan
Nissan X-Trail: Diesel is no longer available - no question!
Why all that?
On the one hand, Nissan wants to reduce emissions and, on the other hand, offer an efficient drive.
There's no more diesel on the new X-Trail.
Would you like a little live dialogue from the press conference?
Question: "Why is there no more diesel?" Answer: "Does the diesel belong to the future?" "No!" "Bet, six!" So now e-power.
The X-Trail should only swallow around six liters of petrol, but you can add another liter to that, as has been shown in normal operation.
And if you let the two engines rotate at full speed, you should adjust to eight liters as a precaution.
That's not really cheap.
Even if you consider that with the X-Trail you get a really big car, which you can even convert into a 7-seater for an extra charge of 800 euros.
But only conditionally
Up to 7 seats fit into the X-Trail, when everything is folded down, the trunk volume is more than 2,000 liters.
©Nissan
Nissan X-Trail: space for the whole family and bag and baggage
With a length of almost 4.70 meters, the new Nissan offers space for four adult passengers and then still has space for almost 600 liters of luggage.
Just enough if the shoe collections of the ladies traveling with you are limited to a low level.
Even with kith and kin, enough bag and baggage should fit in for a longer holiday.
It's easy to load, on the one hand because the loading floor is flat at the back.
On the other hand, and this is a rare occurrence, the rear doors can be opened almost at a 90-degree angle.
This is a real relief for overweight passengers, and it also makes it easier to fit the child seat.
The interior is basically high-quality, but of course depends on the equipment line.
Financial worlds lie between the simplest model and the one with the full hut.
At the bottom end is the 1.5-liter turbo petrol engine (163 hp), which has to do without any e-power at all - it costs 35,500 euros with the cheapest Visia equipment.
The four-wheel drive with the two engines and Tekna+ equipment comes to an impressive 55,750 euros.
The leather seats are quilted, the sky is much closer via the panoramic glass roof - and unfortunately the Bose sound system is only used in this price range.
Where please, is it going where?
The X-Trail's navigation system is more of a picture puzzle for clever minds than a guide.
© Boegel
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Nissan X-Trail: Digital stone age in the speedometer instrument
The digital cockpit can then be found in the equipment list from 42,790 euros.
But you have to like the uninspired graphics of the displays: they come from the digital stone age.
More science fiction would have been appropriate here.
Together with the completely confusing TomTom sat nav, which at some intersections displays a motley labyrinth of streets that interweave and get tangled up like childhood thread games.
Good that you can mirror your phone.
It's really a shame that it just fails at this point.
Because the vehicle is a great hit in terms of design.
The sheet metal dress of the Nissan SUV makes an elegant appearance - in Italy one would speak of ultima moda.
So the latest craze.
Beautiful proportions, elegant lines,
that cleverly counteract the inherent monstrosity of a bulky ride.
Unfortunately, if you only see it from the outside, it's bad that as a driver you spend most of your time inside - and have to be annoyed about the display graphics and TomTom.
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View photo gallery
Our verdict on the new Nissan X-Trail
Should you buy the new X-Trail or not?
Top design, plenty of space – but what about off-road capability?
In contrast to the past, there is no separate locking differential.
However, the intelligent all-wheel drive with e-4ORCE is a force.
The X-Trail makes its way on stony forest slopes - as if it were on asphalt.
Stable, safe – even when driving at high speed.
From experience we would advise against muddy paths.
There is no e-4ORCE to help if the tires are clogged, branches and twigs have to provide the necessary grip to get the X-Trail back on track.
The Nissan is also suitable as a draft animal.
The trailer load is only 1,800 kilos.
For a trailer with a horse that's just about enough.
But it also depends on the weight of the horse.
There should be differences.... But that would be the story of the horse.
All in all, the X-Trail has become a nice car, but the proverbial good price-performance ratio of the Japanese has slipped slightly off track.
Rudolph Boegel
Nissan X-Trail e-4ORCE Tekna+
Engine / drive 1.5 liter turbo petrol engine + two electric motors / four-wheel drive
Power / torque 157 kW (214 hp) / 330 and 195 Nm (front / rear)
V max / 0-100km/h 180km/h/7.0s
Length / width / height 4.68 / 1.84 / 1.72 m
Weight 2,345 / 2,535 kg (7-seater)
Trunk 575 – 2,024 l
Consumption 6.3 - 6.7 l
Price 55,730 euros