Richard Jones
richard@pixy.asia
We took the 2.0V 4WD model for a spin around Phuket and there’s a lot of good things to be said about Nissan’s compact SUV. First-up, the body design is a big improvement over the previous model’s boxy and somewhat dated look, with smoother angles and more similarities with the Nissan Teana styling, the X-Trail should no longer be dismissed on its looks alone.
Inside there are seven-seats, though you will sacrifice nearly all the luggage space by utilising the additional two back seats, and given the available legroom in the back, these are really only practical for children.
The 2.0 litre petrol engine that we tested delivers 144hp, a 10hp improvement over the previous model, but we still found the vehicle to be on the heavy side and would recommend the 2.5 litre option which should have the additional horses to remedy that.
Since the 1990’s Nissan has been putting Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) – or single speed transmission – into it’s vehicles, and their latest version developed for the new X-Trail is very smooth – an advancement over it’s predecessors where there would be noticeable lag between putting your foot to the floor and the car responding.
Perhaps where the X-Trail excels the most is with the driver technology. The Around-View Monitor (AVM) impressed us by combining four cameras (front, back, left and right) into a single real-time birds-eye view of the vehicle displayed on the class-leading seven-inch touchscreen display, an amazing aid for getting in-and-out of those tight parking spots. Other gadgetry includes dual-zone climate control, cruise control, Nissan Connect navigation system with six speakers, multifunction steering column and Hill Descent Control (HDC), though some of these options are only available on the higher spec models.
The four-wheel drive (4WD) on model that we tested is also worth a mention. As you would expect the driver can choose between two or four wheel drive, but there’s also an automatic option where the vehicle determines whether to engage a four wheel drive and calculates the optimum distribution between the front and back wheels.
This is the first X-Trail to be made-in-Thailand at Nissan’s Bangna Trad factory near Bangkok and there’s speculation that the build quality has been improved over previous Indonesian-made X-Trails.
Despite being the market leader in Japan, all previous models of the X-Trail, since 2002, have failed to make inroads into Thailand’s SUV market losing-out to the dominant Honda CRV and more recently the Chevrolet Captiva. With Nissan predicting modest domestic sales of only 8,000 units a year, this could make it a compelling choice for those who want to stand-out from the Toyota/Honda crowd.
With prices starting from B1,172,000 for the 2.0-litre 2WD, it’s the cheapest SUV in it’s class and with all the improvements both inside and out, the X-Trail now gives the Honda’s CRV a run for its money.
For more information or to book a test-drive in the all new Nissan X-Trail, you can contact Siam Nissan A.R located in Chaofa West Road on 076 217 953-8.
Richard Jones is the Managing Director of BuyCar24 and can be contacted through www.buycar24.com