Nissan launches X-TRAIL Hybrid in Japan

Nissan has announced a new addition to its X-TRAIL range in Japan, a hybrid variant, but don't expect it to arrive in Australia in the near future.

Powered by the company's 2.0-litre MR20DD four-cylinder, the X-TRAIL Hybrid officially goes on sale in Japan from May 13.

The engine is combined in an efficient package – named Intelligent Dual Clutch Control – requiring one motor/generator unit and two clutches.

For the hybrid application, the four-cylinder engine comes with a low-friction oil seal and does without an auxiliary drive belt. Both the engine and the electric motor drive through Nissan's XTronic continuously variable transmission, and the motor is powered by a lithium-ion battery that Nissan describes as 'compact', allowing the vehicle's luggage compartment to accommodate 400 litres.

Peak power is 108kW for the engine and 30kW for the motor, with torque topping out at 207Nm and 160Nm, respectively.

However, there are "no plans to introduce it to Australia," according to Peter Fadeyev, General Manager for Corporate Communications at Nissan Australia.

Quite simply, there's just no gain for Nissan to bring the hybrid X-TRAIL in, when the company already sells the X-TRAIL in diesel form.

"The market opportunity for a hybrid-powered version would be very limited," Fadeyev explained.

Although the Nissan spokesman was careful in his reply, it appears that in order for the hybrid X-TRAIL to sell alongside the diesel in this market, it would have to be in the same ballpark for price – with possibly higher landed cost and the need to keep a larger parts inventory eroding profit as a consequence. Asked whether the availability of the hybrid could actually expand the X-TRAIL's market share in the segment, Fadeyev cautioned that such a strategy would be risky for Nissan.

"There is potential, but based on what we know, it would be quite small – and possibly at the expense of people who might consider a turbo-diesel variant."

Without a diesel variant selling alongside conventional petrol models however – as in the case of the larger Pathfinder – hybrid-drive variants are finding acceptance in Australia, Fadeyev told motoring.com.au.

"As a result, around nine per cent of all the Pathfinders we sell are of the hybrid variant."

"It's an impressive number, and it's the type of figure we expected when we introduced the model, primarily because we don't have a turbo-diesel variant in that segment."