Nissan X-TRAIL 2014 Review

Nissan X-TRAIL ST AWD

Long-Term Test (Update)

The 2014 Nissan X-TRAIL certainly has plenty to live up to following the success of the T31 since 2007. Naturally enough, Nissan has high hopes for the new model, which was launched in April but continues to be outsold two-to-one by Mazda's segment-leading CX-5. To September this year, the CX-5 holds a 20.3 per cent share of the medium SUV market, with more than 16,600 sales likely to again make it Australia's most popular SUV in 2014. Toyota's once-dominant RAV4 is second with 16.2 per cent, while Subaru's Forester – another one-time segment leader – is third. Despite being newer than all of them, the X-TRAIL lies fourth with 10.9 per cent, but ahead of segment stalwarts like the Honda CR-V and Mitsubishi Outlander. So does the X-TRAIL nail the brief in regard to form, function and style?

Having had an X-TRAIL in my family garage since its inception, I was keen to get behind the wheel of the long-awaited MY14 model to see how it compared to previous generations.

Adam Davis recently took our long-termer off-road to see how it performed, whereas I have been driving it around town to see just how versatile the X-TRAIL is.

At the risk of going against popular opinion, I genuinely appreciate the updated exterior styling of the T32.  In stark contrast to the T31, the X-TRAIL boasts a softer, more European feel that is more likely to appeal more to the city driver.

The interior has had a serious makeover, and for an entry-level model variant I'm suitably impressed by the quality of the finishes.  Matt-charcoal trim and soft plastics paired with subtle piano black accents certainly give the X-TRAIL an upmarket feel. 

The centre display is nestled neatly in the dash and is ergonomically positioned, giving me a clear impression that the designers focused on both form and function when putting the cockpit together. 

I’ve come to expect that all frequently used controls such as volume, Bluetooth and cruise are positioned neatly on the steering wheel, and indeed they are, albeit on a steering wheel that appeared to be designed 10 years ago. Simply put, the design doesn’t seem to flow with the rest of the interior – not a huge deal, but worth noting all the same.

The infotainment system includes all the essentials, and I'm impressed by the decision to include a reverse camera in the entry-level ST. It was, however, slightly difficult to navigate – and it took me a few tries to hook my Android up to the Bluetooth.

Nissan has developed an app that syncs your phone with the car, however, after downloading and trying it out, I really didn’t see a huge benefit in having it.

It is worth mentioning that the X-TRAIL has a foot-operated parking brake. I personally don’t have an issue with this but some drivers might – it does seem a little old fashioned.

Also worth noting is the very spacious back seat and even better is the configurable storage system. Dubbed the ‘Divide-N-Hide’ cargo system by the manufacturer, you’re able to easily add, remove and fold seats and compartments to protect and conceal whatever it is you’re carting around town.

On the road the X-TRAIL is fairly vanilla, but with the target demographic leaning towards the growing family, functionality rather than performance is of course priority number one.

The X-TRAIL handles well, presenting little body roll even when cruising around sweeping bends a little faster than I normally would. For a car of its size, it's certainly stable, providing a great sense of security.

At speed, the X-TRAIL cruises along comfortably, however, it doesn't deliver the smoothest transition from stationery to freeway pace. The CVT results in rather noisy progress and the engine sounds somewhat strained. This wasn’t complimented whatsoever by the louder than anticipated road noise.

Driver comfort is better than expected and my back seat passengers also said they felt well accommodated. I was, however, disappointed with the poor vision out the rear window, and found myself head-checking like mad -- especially when changing lanes on the freeway.

Fuel economy was pleasing though, with an average reading of 9.8L/100km after five days of combined freeway and suburban driving. This may not seem like a fantastic number, however, but isn't too bad since this is a 2.5-litre petrol engine.

However, when you compare the X-TRAIL with the equivalent CX-5 2.5, which has a claimed combined fuel consumption of just 7.4L/100km, it doesn’t look so fantastic.

Safety-wise the X-TRAIL certainly doesn’t cut corners, with six airbags, stability/traction control, anti-lock brakes, a reversing camera and rear sensors all standard across the entire range.

Overall, I was pleased with some aspects of the X-TRAIL and disappointed by others.

Comfort, space and handling are definite winners; however, I was legitimately bothered by the visibility issues and the road noise.

As a suburban vehicle, the X-TRAIL is definitely worth considering – particularly if you’re keen to take it out of the city occasionally. You’ll be able to fill it up with camping gear, haul the family around safely and enjoy decent fuel economy combined with the versatility of something built to go off-road.

While it may not be as funky as some of its competitors, Nissan certainly has nailed the functionality component of the new X-TRAIL, the improved styling of which should also better appeal to the greater market.

2014 Nissan X-TRAIL ST AWD pricing and specifications:

Price: $33,980 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 126kW/226Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 8.3L/100km (ADR combined)
CO2: 192g/km (ADR combined)
Safety rating: TBA

What we liked:
>> Comfortable ride
 >> Spacious interior
 >> Good fuel economy

Not so much:
>> Complex infotainment system
 >> Average rear visibility
 >> Road noise

Also consider:
Mazda CX-5
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan