This all-new Nissan X-TRAIL Ti 4×4 e-POWER is packed to the brim with technology to help you use less petrol, connect with the vehicle, and to keep occupants safer. It features Nissan’s newly developed hybrid power train, e-POWER, which offers a unique electrified experience, is available on the updated X-TRAIL model range alongside a traditional 2.5 litre petrol engine.
The Nissan hybrid system differs from others because the 1.5 litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine does not power the X-TRAIL’s wheels at all, rather it generates electricity for the 2.1kWh battery, which sends power to the wheels via the front and rear electric motors through a single-speed automatic transmission. Nissan calls this new electric-drive four-wheel-control technology, e-4ORCE and for me the ride was a bit on the firm side.
The X-TRAIL e-POWER was generally quiet to drive except on start-up when the powertrain was very noisy on a number of occasions first thing in the morning. The X-TRAIL’s power output is a combined 157kW from the front and rear electric motors, and it has peak torque of 525Nm. The official combined fuel consumption for the X-TRAIL 4×4 e-POWER is 6.1L/100km and for my week I used 8.0L/100km. This is less than the 9.5L/100km of fuel I used driving the previous generation X-TRAIL Ti that was powered by a 2.5 litre petrol engine.
There are five drive modes that can be selected from, Sport, Eco, Auto, Snow, and Off-road. But you would not want to venture too far off-road as there is no spare tyre, only a tyre repair kit under the boot floor. I spent my week in Auto mode with the e-Pedal Step engaged, which allows you accelerate and decelerate effectively with just the accelerator pedal at speeds above 10km/h, leaving the brake pedal for harder braking or coming to a complete stop.
On the interior the X-TRAIL Ti gets genuine black leather-accented seat trim and both front seats are heated with power adjustment for recline, forward/back and seat height front and rear. The X-TRAIL has dark brown highlights across the dash and the top of the door trims that I think would have looked better if they were in black as well. I did like the brushed plastic look on the centre console as it was less prone to show dust, but unfortunately still got fingermarks on it. The overall feel of the X-TRAIL interior is trying to be luxurious, a bit like orange caviar being passed off as true caviar and instead it’s just non-sturgeon fish roe, and as such the interior doesn’t hit the mark for what I would call luxury.
There are three large screens on offer though with a 12.3″ Drive-Assist Display instrument cluster, 12.3″ central touchscreen display and a 10.8″ Head-Up Display that enables the driver to keep their eyes ahead. The infotainment system has voice recognition allowing the driver to issue a command by pressing the on the steering wheel with the masculine looking silhouette on it. I found the voice control worked well for making a phone call, changing the radio station and setting a destination on the sat nav.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto will connect you smartphone seamlessly and there is also a wireless smartphone charger at the front of the centre console with one 12V, one USB-C port and one USB-A above this cubby. In addition to smartphone projection the other media sources available include AM/FM radio and DAB+ digital Radio, Bluetooth, and USB 1 and 2.
The rear doors of the X-TRAIL open widely to make it easier to fit a car seat or lift a child into their car seat. Your get two ISOFIX/three rear tether child seat restraint points, but most likely I think only two car seats would fit due to the overall vehicle width. The rear seats have a 60:40 split so can be slid forward/back individually and they also have manual recline adjustment. I found that the head and leg room was adequate for adults, but I felt like I was sitting up high and that the under-thigh support from the seats was lacking. The centre seat completely folds down creating a void into the boot and creating an arm rest with two rigid cup holders and a smartphone slot in it. There are good sized drink bottle storage cubbies in all of the X-TRAIL’s doors.
Rear seat passengers get digital temperature adjustment for their climate control and this can be adjusted from the front of the vehicle as well. There are two central rear air vents with individual direction control and one central air speed on/off dial. I liked that there was a mat over the transmission tunnel as well as the floors of the rear seats, this makes it easier to vacuum the carpets and protects the transmission tunnel from wear.
The boot on the X-TRAIL Ti has power open/close with access using the button under the boot lid, on the key fob and in the cabin. The boot fits a weekly shop and the boot floor can be removed to create a small amount extra depth in the boot space. There are four substantial tie down points, no hooks, one 12V outlet and a light in the roof above the boot space. If more space is required the rear seats have a 60:40 split folded mechanism and can be manually lowered down by pressing the button on the seat shoulders.
All models in the all-new X-TRAIL range have a 5-star ANCAP (2021) safety rating with Adult Occupant Protection score of 91% (34.66 out of 38) and a Child Occupant Protection score of 90% (44.12 out of 49). Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard.
The X-TRAIL Ti is fitted with Nissan’s ProPILOT active safety systems including Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Intelligent Emergency Braking with junction assist & pedestrian/cyclist detection, Intelligent Rear Automatic Braking, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Warning, Intelligent Blind Spot Intervention, Lane Departure Warning, Intelligent Lane Intervention, and Intelligent (adaptive) Cruise Control.
ANCAP tests of the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) (Car-to-Car) system showed GOOD performance, with collisions avoided or mitigated in all scenarios, including AEB Junction Assist where the test vehicle can autonomously brake to avoid crashes when turning across the path of an oncoming vehicle. ANCAP tests of lane support system functionality showed GOOD performance, including in the more critical emergency lane keeping test scenarios. Overall, the ANCAP Safety Assist score for the X-TRAIL is 97%.
For reversing safety, the X-TRAIL Ti has an Intelligent Rear View Mirror, Intelligent Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection combined with a standard reverse parking camera with front and rear parking sensors. There is also an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (low speeds up to 30 km/h) to warn nearby pedestrians that the e-POWER X-TRAIL is moving. For convenience you also get Auto lights and Automatic rain-sensing front wipers, with a display on the driver’s dash to tell you what mode you are in, plus to make night time driving easier it has Adaptive Driving Beam headlights.
All new Nissan vehicles come with a 5-Year Unlimited Kilometre warranty and five years of 24-Hour Roadside Assistance. The service interval for the X-TRAIL T33 e-POWER + 1.5 Litre Automatic 4WD is 12 months or 10,000 km, whichever occurs first. Owners can purchase a three-, four- or five-year service plan upfront for $1,235, $1,743, or $2,113 respectively.
The Nissan X-TRAIL Ti 4×4 e-POWER is priced from $59,161 driveaway and this colour is Scarlet Ember (driveaway price is indicative only and may vary based on location). You can build your X-TRAIL online or visit your preferred Nissan dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| More fuel efficient than old 2.5 litre X-TRAIL | Noisy powertrain on start-up sometimes |
| Voice control works well | The dark brown trim on dash & upper doors |
| Loads of safety tech comes as standard | Only comes with a tyre repair kit |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.