Nissan X Trail 2023 Review

The Nissan X-Trail - this fourth-generation version included - has always been a thoroughly good car in its own right, but its problem has always been that among such a vast number of talented and tempting rivals, it tends to get a bit lost. It's available with both five seats and seven seats, so on the former front, it competes with cars such as the Ford Kuga, Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4, while on the latter front, it rivals the Peugeot 5008, Seat Tarraco and Skoda Kodiaq. And that's quite some competition.

Now, though, Nissan's big SUV has got something to mark it out from the crowd. Hybrid technology is nothing new in this (or any other) sector of the car market, but in the new X-Trail E-Power, the petrol engine never drives the wheels directly. That job is left to the electric motor, while the petrol engine merely exists to act as a generator for supplying the motor with electricity. The idea is that it provides an electric-car-like driving experience in terms of its instant torquey response and seamless single-gear acceleration, and combines that with limitless range and strong official fuel economy of 48.6mpg. Now, that's all very well in theory, but is it the case in reality?

That's exactly what Rebecca Jackson finds out in this CarGurus UK review video, and she also provides a detailed rundown of the X-Trail's quality, practicality, technology, value for money, and of course, what it's like to drive.

Pros
Hugely practical
Lots of safety equipment
Comfortable on long journeys

Cons
e-Power model is not as economical as you might hope
No plug-in hybrid option
Some rivals offer more space in the third-row seats

The CarGurus verdict
We really like the Nissan X-Trail. It’s a quiet, comfortable and confident drive, teamed with a very well equipped and roomy interior that benefits from the always-popular option of a seven-seat layout. Safety standards, in particular, are also hard to fault.

We’re not totally convinced by the real-world – or even official – economy of the X-Trail e-Power hybrid system but it is at least very similar if not a touch better than you’ll achieve with conventional, non-electrified petrol alternatives. You’re also getting usefully better performance and refinement, so there are clear benefits, but even so we’d say that a pure electric X-Trail would be an even better option if Nissan were to make it available sooner rather than later.

Even without a plug-in option, the Nissan X-Trail is a fine and functional seven-seat family crossover that offers exactly what a lot of family buyers are looking for.

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#cargurusUK #nissanxtrail #nissanepower

[JasonLucchesi-ip]

I've had the NCONNECT epower e4orce for little over a week. Getting over 40 mpg easy. done 480 miles of country, city and motorway driving and the MPG sits at 48. still have a 120 miles in the tank.
it's a fantastic uplift compared to the last generations. i rate this generation of x-trail well above the Range Rover sport and Evoque (which i use for business) in terms of drive and cockpit layout.

[garyjones]

Had my xtrail 3 months now found it to be way above my expectations, fab to drive, very comfortable, I am averaging 48 mpg so more than happy, excellent review by the way.

[roberthill]

Precise review. My e power AWD Acenta is a smooth drive and fuel economy so far is a tad above 40mpg. In three months I haven’t tried e power and just use the normal drive mode. I often use the cruise control on trunk roads to rest my sciatic right leg and the speed adjusts automatically with the car in front. So far I’ve not driven on motorways. Thanks for confirming my choice of vehicle.

[skullft]

Nice car, I’ve sat in one and love the interior, feels solid and actually looks a fair bit different to the Qashqai now 👍

[Snowhite]

after about 10 different tests we tried - it gets up to speed under 8 sec just fine.
but the most impressive in this day and age would still be the comfort - in comparison to many others in this size class - the nissan is really subtle on the rough roads.

[kubinka]

Now own an X Trail NConnect 4force, previously had the last version of the trail, but last car a Skoda Karoq. This new x trail knocks the socks off the Skoda. 😊better layout inside, larger leg room in the back, the Karoq had very little rear seat legroom. Power pick up superb and road handling really smooth and feels planted.

[NordicMeatShield]

Nissan have it spot on with the epower e4orce, it drives like an EV because it is only driven by 2 electric motors front and rear with a small 1.5 petrol engine used as a generator to charge the battery so you don't have to plug in it and it chargers while you drive. can see people buying into that more than sitting around hours to get charged

[Nigelrudyardmusic]

Great review. Someone visiting our building has one of these and I'd wondered what it was, looking a good deal bigger than a Qashqai.

[deandoughty]

Got Tekna+ e-Force e-power in order.can’t wait 😍

[chionyenkwu]

wonderful (if a wee bit left of field) use of tech - great review 👍👍

[paulwardzynski]

Nice review of a car which can't quite make its mind up about its potential customer base.

[quarkkinoanimals]

Didn't heard anything about Mitsubishi Outlander. It's available with 5 and 7 seats, PHEV and all the good stuff.

[gwill]

No 7 seat option on the Citroen C5 mentioned as an alternative at the start here. Strictly 5 seat only.
Quite interested in this Xtrail though.

[Matt-hmuo]

Test drove against the new qashqai. Much better to drive, lovely position, seems to float over imperfections. I suspected more likely to get 40mpg rather than 50. On long fast motorways, you'll probably not get a great mpg either. However, I'd seriously think about buying one, very enjoyable.

[HeadphoneDog]

I now have a bright grey e-power Nissan x-trail

[CharsChronicles]

Question for anyone who has this please. Can you seat 3 adults in the back comfortably? Leg room wise?

[keiththompson]

For a second I thought your jumper said 'Bon Jovi'

[pravinprithviraj]

What's with the four n six eye design of the headlights, seems to be a new trend.

[kurtbonner]

Can this car be driven in electric only mode for any distance?

[anthonystevens]

A great quick review Rebecca, this car will be on my test drive list as and when I decide to change mine. I hope that you didn't forget to retrieve your hand bag (perfect to store a banana or two) from under the boot floor at 2:06 but I guess your CarGurus colleagues would find it eventually later on.