Nissan X-Trail - Version 2
The 2008 X-Trail is a totally new and updated Nissan entry into the soft-roader market, but with some real off road muscle. If you are wanting to follow in the footsteps of trailblazing adventures then you may need to look at either the Nissan Pathfinder or the whooping great patrol, but if your needs aren’t quite so demanding then the X-Trail was invented for you.
Version 1 was launched with a whoop and a holler and has been a steady seller even though the look of it was more inclined to be severe rather than sexy. It was just a Plain Jane that drove well with a torquey four cylinder engine and a small amount of off road ability, although that wasn’t its natural habitat.
Now Version 2 is here and although the differences may be difficult to spot at first glace. This is all new. Completely. From the front to the back, it’s bigger and better in everyway. And there is not a single body panel that is interchangeable. Yet the Version 2 looks so much like the Version 1 that you might think they have made a mistake. They haven’t.
The principals are the same, but it’s all new. X-Trail Version 2 is based on the smash hit Qashqai platform and is 120mm longer overall than the original, 10mm taller and 20mm wider.
Suspension is upgraded, electric power steering is used for the first time and the 2.5 litre, four cylinder engine has been revised with a flatter torque curve giving better drivability in the mid-range. Transmissions are either a new six-speed manual or a CVT.
The biggest change to the drive train is the incorporation of a more intelligent version of Nissan’s four wheel drive system that carries the name ALL MODE 4×4i. The entry level ST model gets this system in its most basic form while the ST-L and Ti models get added electronic intelligence that gives them remarkably similar off-road potential as the Pathfinder and Patrol - the biggest limiting difference is that the X-Trail doesn’t have the tall ground clearance of the other two.
The impressive thing about this system is that it not only makes the X-Trail a genuine off-roader but it also improves onroad grip and stability when left in “Auto” mode.
Inside the gimmicky centre speedometer of Version 1 has gone, replaced by a far more mainstream dash and instrument layout. There are stacks of room inside for five people and a mountain of luggage. There are no less than six cup holders and there is a pull out draw under the rear luggage compartment floor for smuggling contraband across boarders when your in explorer mode or just for hiding valuables if you’re an urban dweller.
This is an intelligently planned vehicle.