2018 Nissan X-Trail

By: Alex Forrest

Aggressive pricing and competitive equipment levels have helped keep the Nissan X-Trail among the five top-selling medium sized SUVs in Australia.

Features like the option of seven seats in a vehicle this size have been among its differentiating factors, as has its affordable starting price.

In May 2017, it had some styling tweaks to the front and rear, new alloy wheel designs and some changes to the interior cosmetics.

The X-Trail also got a new 2.0-litre diesel engine boasting 130kW and 380Nm – a significant upgrade from the previous diesel’s 96kW and 320Nm. The 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre petrol engines (106kW and 126kW respectively) are carried over from the previous model.

But the X-Trail’s main appeal in recent times has been the neat combination of its seven-seater option and mid-sized SUV dimensions. It means buyers don’t have to spend more on a larger SUV and the extra fuel consumption that usually entails, but can still have the option of carrying extra passengers.

The seven-chair X-Trail starts at $36,050 drive away, which places it between the entry level Mitsubishi Outlander seven seater at $29,990 and the entry level Honda CR-V seven seater at $43,415.

Of these, the Outlander is the only one available with seven seats and all-wheel drive. However, the Outlander is also built down to a price, particularly in the entry-level models and you’ll notice it.

The most important safety upgrade to arrive with this new X-Trail was the addition of autonomous emergency braking to all variants in the range, a move which brings it into line with the safety leaders among medium SUVs.

Autonomous emergency braking is a sensing technology that uses radar and/or cameras to detect obstacles ahead of the vehicle and then automatically apply the brakes if the driver does not.

Higher spec variants get pedestrian detection added to the auto braking system along with other driver assist tech, including rear cross traffic alert and intelligent cruise control.

To many who have no plans to go off road and like the idea of slightly lower fuel consumption and great interior flexibility and build quality, the seven seat equipped, front-wheel drive X-Trail will be a winner.