MOTORING REVIEW: Same but different: Nissan’s X-Trail with e-Power lands in Limerick

NISSAN’S fourth-generation X-Trail crossover arrived here last year drawing on the well-establish DNA that runs through all the previous versions — distinctive styling, impactful design, flexible utility and all-wheel drive capabilities. But now it is electrified, with Nissan's e-Power hybrid system.

This family car is robust in looks without being aggressive. The exterior features a floating roof style and distinctive V-shaped grille, while muscular wheel arches at the front and rear give the car real presence. The X-Trail is up against competitors Toyota’s Highlander, Skoda's Kodiaq, the Mazda CX-60, Hyundai's Santa Fe, the Kia Sorento and VW’s Tiguan.

The spacious cabin is elegant, with very good fit and finish. A stylish and uncluttered dash is dominated by a large 12.3-inch centre screen for navigation, entertainment and vehicle settings, and has smartphone integration. Heating-air conditioning functions and volume control are controlled by knobs on the dash. There are Type A and Type C USB ports front and rear as well as 12V sockets up front and in the boot.

Buyers can choose from 5- or 7-seat options, the latter only available with 4WD. Middle row seats slide to provide for taller people while the two third row ones are smaller and really just for children. It’s a simple exercise to pull them up or to stow them and access is easy as the doors open very wide. Boot capacity is 585 litres for the 5-seater, and 445 litres with all seven seats in use, when the car will only take a few shopping bags. A two-piece luggage board and a reversible tray for dirty items like sports gear are helpful.

Grades are SV, SV Premium, and SVE. Features on my top-specced car included privacy glass, roof rails, 19-inch alloys, electric sunroof and a power tailgate as well as full auto self-parking, all-around parking sensors, a big head-up display, and a host of safety features including emergency braking with pedestrian-cyclist recognition and junction assist, forward collision warning, active cruise control and rear cross traffic alert. My car included the AWD system dubbed by Nissan as e4orce.

The e-Power hybrid system consists of a high-output battery integrated with a 1.5 litre turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor, giving a system output of 204hp. The petrol engine charges the battery while the electric motor always turns the wheels. The main selling point of e-Power is the thrill of the drive and its responsiveness. The system also uses regenerative braking to help keep the battery charged. The level of regenerated ‘mileage’ provided to me on one longish journey in Eco drive mode was an extra 9kms of battery usage. My best fuel return registered at 5.8 L/100kms.

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Nissan’s e-4orce AWD adds a second electric motor for the rear wheels, providing more torque front and back and near perfect weight distribution. A many times faster rear torque response than a mechanical 4WD system helps the car accelerate from 0-100km/h in 7 seconds. There's an e-Pedal setting for single pedal driving that allows you start, accelerate and decelerate using just the accelerator pedal. Drive modes are normal, Eco and Sport and e-Pedal. Snow & Off Road are added on the AWD version.

With all the power seat adjustments, including lumbar support, I was able to get a really excellent driving position. Front seats can be heated. All round visibility was good and side mirrors had blind spot warning and intervention. Seats are extraordinarily comfortable and provide gentle support from your lower back right up to your shoulders. Steering is on the heavy side, which I like, and very precise.

The 5-seater is from €49,495; the 7-seater from €59,245 for the 7-seater. My car as tested €66,245.