Nissan X-TRAIL 2.0 dCi 173 Acenta 5dr Car Review - February 2012

Inside the cabin there’s ample adjustment of the driver’s seat and steering wheel to make finding the perfect driving position an easy task. Front seats are supportive and offer a comfortable ride. The thick rear pillars hamper the rear view slightly, but forward visibility is excellent.

The 175bhp engine has lots of low down grunt (266lb-ft of torque) – well suited to a 4X4. It has a top speed of 124mph and is capable of doing 0-62mph in 10 seconds. The 175bhp car comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox fitted as standard.

Priority is given to passenger comfort in the X-TRAIL rather than driving exhilaration. The suspension gives a smooth ride over most surfaces but with some body lean while cornering. Good grip and well-weighted steering make for an enjoyable ride, even if lacking in feedback a little. The X-TRAIL comes with selectable 4-wheel drive, and hill-start and hill-descent systems on all models.

Refinement on the X-TRAIL is pretty good with suspension noise and road noise well suppressed. The engine and 6-speed manual gearbox work well together and it’s relatively hushed at speed. Acceleration brings out the noisy side of the diesel unit and wind noise due to the X-TRAIL’s boxy shape is evident at speed.

The X-TRAIL will never win any beauty pageants but it more than compensates for its somewhat boxy appearance in other areas.

This Acenta model comes with stability control, alloy wheels, climate control, electric door mirrors, electric windows, cruise control, alarm, immobiliser, CD+MP3 connectivity, Bluetooth.

Up front in the cabin it’s spacious and comfortable, but in the rear the legroom isn’t as good as in some rivals. The boot however is extremely practical with two useful easy access storage areas under the floor. Maximum space available with the rear seats down out of the way is 1,773-litres while with the seats in position you still get access to 603-litres of useable space.
Safety is addressed by front, side and curtain airbags, while stability and hill-descent control systems are fitted as standard. Euro NCAP gave the X-TRAIL ratings of 4 for occupants, 4 for children and 2 for pedestrians in their crash testing.

Anti theft measures include an alarm, immobiliser, deadlocks, and an integrated CD system to deter thieves.

The X-Trail's cabin is generally impressive with good quality and durable material used for trim and it has a good solid feel to it all. Recent customer satisfaction surveys have supported this so you shouldn’t have much to worry about.

Like its rivals, the X-Trail is not as cheap as a family car to run and maintain, but the 175bhp engine manages 44.1mpg which is pretty decent for a 4X4. CO2 emissions of 168g/km are also competitive for its class. The X-TRAIL falls in group 35 for insurance and VED band H for Road Tax which is typical for this 4X4 class and it comes with Nissan’s 3-year, 60,000 mile standard warranty and service intervals of 12,500 miles.

The X-Trail isn’t renowned for holding its value so if buying new try to obtain a good discount on the list price of £25,780. However, it is an excellent off-roader and makes the more expensive Tekna model seem pricey.