Nissan's X-Trail gets a makeover

Last year Nissan sold three quarters of a million examples of the X-Trail to the world. That remarkable figure is now followed by a mid-term makeover and you may not be surprised to hear that Nissan hasn’t taken any risks. There’s a refreshed look to outside and in, some new tech, much of it focusing on safety, and really not a lot else. So does that do enough to guarantee those sales figures keep churning forward?

What hasn’t changed is the engine line-up. There’s one petrol, a 1.6-litre turbo model with 161bhp, otherwise it’s a choice of diesels, a 1.6-litre with 128bhp or, as here, the 2.0-litre with 174bhp. You can choose two- or four-wheel drive, manual or CVT auto transmissions, and a range of trims.

What you see here is the most powerful engine in the range, working with a six-speed manual box and finished in Tekna, the range-topping trim. At first glance it’s an impressive vehicle. The recent refurb has added some more dynamism and presence to both the front and rear ends, with new bumpers, chrome and, on top trims, a chrome strip along the bottom of the doors.

Inside what the driver will likely notice most is the flat-bottomed steering wheel, which is fat and feelsome and has a wide range of abilities thanks to the increase in buttons on it. The whole cabin feels fresh, with upgrades to the centre console for more storage and, in this Tekna trim, heated seats in the first two rows. Which reminds us that the X-Trail is one of those useful SUVs that can be fitted with three rows of seats, yet you still have a decent-sized boot.

That’s the thing about the X-Trail, it’s a very practical, useful, steady sort of vehicle that you can rely on, whether it’s going to the shops or taking the family down some muddy track in the hills. It’s like one of those friends you can rely on. It’s not exactly exciting, but it’s always dependable, and that’s not a bad thing in your transport. Nor in friends either, come to that.

It’s no hot-shot driver’s choice, but nobody is going to choose it for that anyway. And that no-nonsense attitude is enhanced by some options for driver assistance, like Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Stand Still Assist and, next year, ProPilot which will add a lot of semi-autonomous skills to the mix.

While all of that is good news, it’s worth noting that the company has done a similar number on the Qashqai, its very popular smaller SUV. The results for that are very encouraging as it’s become definitely more refined in character and delivery. It’s something the latest X-Trail really does need.