Nissan X-TRAIL 2022 Review – International

When the new-generation 2022 Nissan X-TRAIL lands in Australia late this year it will be priced from $36,750 plus on-road costs and climb to $57,190 plus ORCs for the most expensive hybrid version we’re driving here.

We’ll run through the model line-up in the next section, but essentially the e-POWER hybrid commands a $4200 price premium over the equivalent combustion-engined model and is restricted to the top-shelf Ti and Ti-L grades in a five-seat layout only.

The new X-TRAIL will be offered with two powertrains. The base engine is a revised version of the current model’s 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder, while the more powerful and efficient e-POWER versions come with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol-electric powertrain.

See our separate pricing stories on the first wave of X-TRAIL launch models and the e-POWER versions that have just had their details confirmed and touch down a little later.

At launch, the 2022 Nissan X-TRAIL will be available in four model grades – ST, ST-L, Ti and Ti-L – when combined with the 2.5-litre petrol engine, while e-POWER hybrid is limited to Ti and Ti-L.

Whatever version you pick, standard specification levels are high, with the most affordable X-TRAIL offering LED headlights and tail-lights, a rear-view camera and parking sensors and an 8.0-inch infotainment system that works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Four USB slots are also provided.

If you want all-wheel drive with your 2.5-litre petrol, or seven seats, they’re bundled together and raise the entry price from $36,750 to $39,790 plus ORCs. That’s for the ST version, with the ST-L the only other seven-seat model available at launch – priced from $46,290 plus ORCs.

At ST-L level (opening at $43,190), Nissan throws in privacy glass, a 360-degree camera, heated front seats, faux leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, a sliding rear bench seat, front parking sensors and 18-inch alloy wheels (up from 17s).

Plump for the Ti (from $49,990) and all-wheel drive is standard, bigger 19-inch rims are provided, and other spec highlights include real leather trim, a panoramic roof, three-zone climate control, adaptive driving beam, auto wipers and an electric tailgate.

There’s also a larger 12.3-inch infotainment system that works wirelessly with Apple CarPlay, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.8-inch head-up display and a wireless charger that lives just ahead of the transmission shifter.

Finally, the new Ti-L grade (from $52,990) introduces a heated steering wheel, Bose 10-speaker sound system, full Nappa leather, useful rear sun shades, heated rear seats and a remote engine start function.

The e-POWER models have e-4ORCE all-wheel drive as part of the hybrid drivetrain and are highly equipped, based on Ti (from $54,190) and Ti-L (from $57,190) grades.

All Nissan X-TRAIL models will be covered by the car-maker’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia, backed by five years’ roadside assistance.

A capped-price servicing program will run for six years, although pricing and intervals are still to be confirmed.

Since the closely related Nissan QASHQAI has already been awarded the full five stars for protection by Euro NCAP, scoring more points for safety than its closest rivals, we’re willing to wager the 2022 Nissan X-TRAIL will romp home with top marks when it’s finally tested by the European safety body and perform equally well in ANCAP testing.

As standard, the new X-TRAIL gets variety of airbags – including front side, front centre and curtain airbags – as well as the ProPILOT suite of advanced driver assist safety systems.

These include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear cross traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control and intelligent emergency lane keep with lane intervention and blind spot monitoring. Active lane keep assist kicks in at ST-L level.

A spare wheel is offered on all models except the e-POWER hybrid that has to make do with a tyre repair kit.

The 2022 Nissan X-TRAIL is a considerable technological step forward over the model it replaces.

Migrating to Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi’s latest CMF-C platform, the X-TRAIL’s new architecture is not only stronger and stiffer but incorporates lightweight materials in its construction. Also carving the kilos are an aluminium bonnet and doors, plus a tailgate made of lighter composites.

Considering the X-TRAIL is largely the same size as the outgoing model, measuring in at 4680mm long (-20mm), 1840mm wide (+20mm) and standing 1725mm tall (+15mm), Nissan has managed to cull around 60kg from the kerb weight.

The diet was inevitable, especially since the weight of the innovative dual-motor e-POWER powertrain adds back a considerable 230kg.

Nissan says it’s well worth it for both the considerable efficiency gains and EV-like driving experience it provides.

We’ve driven e-POWER before, both in a Japanese-market Nissan Note supermini and the more recent Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER that will also be introduced to the Australian market early next year.

The concept of e-POWER is simple – it removes the combustion engine’s physical connection with the driving wheels. Instead, motive force is delivered by an electric motor – two in the case of the X-TRAIL – which leaves the combustion engine to act merely as a generator, feeding current to the electric motors as required.

Clawing back energy through regenerative braking is a small 1.9kWh battery that is fast to charge and quick to deploy and can provide up to 3km of EV-only range, if desired.

The beauty of the arrangement is that in an urban environment, where there’s plenty of braking, Nissan says the e-POWER hybrid system sees up to 80 per cent of kilometres travelled covered in EV mode.

It’s less effective on the highway, which is typically the enemy of all heavy hybrids, although Nissan claims the X-TRAIL e-POWER is theoretically only two per cent less efficient compared to an equivalent non-electrified vehicle.

And in the real world, where there’s varying topography and traffic to manage out on the open road, the e-POWER SUV should use less fuel than a regular car in the same conditions.

Of course, it helps that the little 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo is itself an engineering marvel, featuring Nissan’s advanced variable compression tech that switches to low compression for maximum power and high compression for enhanced efficiency.

Finally, the new X-TRAIL also debuts the brand’s next-generation e-4ORCE all-wheel drive system that uses advanced software and sensors to infinitely balance torque for maximum traction front to rear, as well as side-to-side via torque vectoring.

Nissan says the system is not only more efficient but also 10,000 times quicker at working out where (and deploying) torque to improve stability at speed and to also drag you out of a sticky situation.

We didn’t get to sample the 2.5-litre petrol engine that will be first offered to Australians in the 2022 Nissan X-TRAIL from later this year, but plentiful revisions see the naturally-aspirated four-cylinder deliver 135kW and 244Nm – 9kW more power and 18Nm more torque than before.

Handily, the higher output has contributed to a boost in the X-TRAIL’s braked towing capacity to 2.0-tonnes (+500kg).

Other markets are offered a 12-volt mild-hybrid version of the variable-compression 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine that blends 120kW and a generous 300Nm of torque, but it’s off the menu for Australia.

We’re also denied the two-wheel drive e-POWER hybrid powertrain that will live under the bonnet of the QASHQAI, but Nissan Australia suggests that could change if e-4ORCE AWD proves a success.

Which brings us to the headline act – the X-TRAIL e-POWER e-4ORCE.

Long name and equally perplexing powertrain, this flagship version of the X-TRAIL has an electric motor at each axle. At the front is a compact motor that produces 150kW and 330Nm while on the rear there’s a smaller unit that pumps out 100kW/295Nm.

Combined, the maximum torque delivered is 525Nm from zero rpm. Power, meanwhile, is a lot less as the battery can only supply current at up 66kW. Combined with the petrol engine’s 106kW, after loss the peak power drops off to 157kW.

Thanks to that imposing torque, the X-TRAIL hybrid is quick, with the 0-100km/h benchmark dispensed in just 7.0 seconds. Top speed is limited to 180km/h on account of the electric motors’ direct drive.

That acceleration puts the Nissan more than a second quicker than the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWD.

Concentrating on the 2022 Nissan X-TRAIL e-POWER e-4ORCE we’ve driven here at its international launch, the Japanese car-maker claims the hybrid mid-size SUV can average 6.1L/100km while emitting 139g/km of CO2.

Those figures are significantly higher than the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid that is claimed to be capable of returning 4.8L/100km and 109g/km of CO2 on the same WLTP test cycle.

The 2022 Nissan X-TRAIL e-POWER might miss out on matching its closest rival for efficiency, but with the dual-motor powertrain driving all four wheels it certainly delivers when it comes to the experience behind the wheel.

Greeted with absolute silence from the powertrain when you select drive, the most impressive aspect is just how effortless the twin-motor e-POWER dishes up its performance.

Breathe on the accelerator and the way the mid-size SUV shrugs off its hefty 1911kg kerb weight is also nothing short of remarkable. Stab the throttle and the little 1.5-litre turbo smoothly joins the party, with revs rising to mimic a normal combustion engine as you build speed.

Where things get confusing is when the engine is still running and you encounter a steep hill. The Nissan simply continues to accelerate as if it’s simply not there.

The power delivery is seamless on account of the electric motors channelling their power via a single-speed transmission. This means the X-TRAIL is far smoother than many hybrid rivals.

It’s refined too. The sound system’s subwoofer works to actively cancel any powertrain-related noise at speed – not that there’s much anyway. The petrol engine never spins beyond 4750rpm; up to speeds of 50km/h it only ever needs to rev to 1600rpm to produce its peak current, needs only 2000rpm between 50-80km/h and up to 2400rpm at 80km/h.

There is a disadvantage to a quiet cabin. Occasionally the petrol noise can suddenly sound a little coarse and we heard a distinct high-pitch whine that’s apparently the sound of the rear inverter.

Clawing back energy, up to 66kW of power can be recovered under regenerative braking at up to 0.3g.

As seen in dedicated Nissan EVs, there’s a one-pedal driving mode, but unlike the LEAF it no longer brings you to a halt when you lift off the throttle.

Apparently, parking a car in one-pedal mode is tricky at best. The new system also automatically retracts the brake pedal while in regenerative mode, for a more natural feel if you have to jump on the brakes.

A less aggressive regen mode is operated using the gear lever and regen is also altered depending on the driving mode you’re in.

Traction is another strong point of the new dual-motor e-POWER set-up, thanks to its e-4ORCE tech, both off the line and picking up the throttle early out of a corner.

We also took the X-TRAIL off-road on a small section of gravel and mud. Most impressive was a hill start with two left wheels on a very slippery damp surface. The Nissan pulled away without fuss.

Despite its decent turn of speed, the X-TRAIL hybrid isn’t a sporty SUV. Come into a corner too hot and you feel the presence of every single one of its kilograms.

The steering could also do with more precision and we wish its ride quality was better. The hybrid gets stiff springs that add harshness over a poorly surfaced road, but the dampers maintain decent body control.

The final party trick of the advanced all-wheel drive system is its ability to help reduce pitch under braking. Cleverly, the onboard computer’s governing of the chassis expertly blends regen for a flat body, improving comfort.

Following on from the latest QASHQAI, the new-generation 2022 Nissan X-TRAIL once again impresses with the fit, finish and quality of its cabin.

It’s yet another example of the huge leap forward the brand has made in design too, while the infotainment system is also as easy to use as ever.

We must award top marks for the reappearance of the excellent 85-degree rear door openings that make access to the second row a cinch, while the rear vents, presence of USBs and separate climate controls (in high-grade versions) is evidence of no stone left unturned in the pursuit of practicality and versatility.

The second-row bench also slides on most model grades, while the boot, even in the hybrid version, is still a decent 575 litres with the rear seats upright.

With the Australian buying public’s appetite for the current Toyota RAV4 Hybrid showing little sign of being sated, it’s heartening to report what a convincing alternative the new 2022 Nissan X-TRAIL is with the twin-motor e-POWER set-up.

Efficiency aside, we think many owners will actually prefer the Nissan to the RAV4, thanks to its fine blend of impeccable refinement and smooth CVT-less power delivery.

Throw in its classy cabin and smart looks and the latest Nissan X-TRAIL deserves to succeed.

2023 Nissan X-TRAIL e-POWER e-4ORCE Ti-L at a glance:
Price: $57,190 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Early 2023
Powertrain: 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 106kW/250Nm (electric motors: 150kW/330Nm front; 100kW/295Nm rear)
Combined output: 157kW/525Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Battery: 1.8kWh lithium-ion
Fuel: 6.1L/100km (WLTP)
CO2: 139g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested