Nissan X-TRAIL Diesel 2008 Review

Nissan X-TRAIL dCi TS and TL

What we liked
>> Ultimate practicality and good packaging
>> Gutsy but refined diesel engine
>> Surprisingly fun driving fast on dirt

Not so much
>> Engine a little noisy when cold
>> Steering response on-road
>> Manual variant overstretched in slow going

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 2.5/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 2.5/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
Nissan's compact SUV, the X-TRAIL, has been sold in Australia for some years now. With the recent migration to the T31 series of X-TRAIL, the importer was roundly questioned by local media as to whether there would be a diesel model coming to Australia.

Nissan, part of an 'alliance' with French parent company Renault, could draw upon the diesel expertise and existing resource to find a suitable powerplant for the SUV, but the problem lay not so much with finding the resource to make it all happen as much as ensuring the notoriously diesel-shy Australian market would accept such a vehicle.

The signs have been there, though. When European vehicle importers the likes of Peugeot and Volkswagen are selling a majority of their small passenger cars with diesel power, it's clear that there's a groundswell of opinion in favour of the oilers.

And if you can't sell diesel engines in SUVs, you might as well pack up and go home. Just ask Holden about that company's diesel Captiva, which now accounts for roughly 50 per cent of sales.

So we come to the X-TRAIL. While the company has high hopes for the diesel model, Nissan still regards this vehicle as a leap into the great unknown. In July, Suzuki sold 302 units of the Grand Vitara compact SUV, but Nissan reckons that typically, only about 50 units a month of the Suzuki model are diesels -- hardly the sort of sales performance to instill confidence in a competitor planning to enter the same market segment.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
The X-TRAIL dCi range is structured in two distinct grades, each offering manual and auto variants.

As the entry-level variant, the X-TRAIL dCi TS is priced from $36,990 when specified with the six-speed manual or $38,990 for the six-speed automatic variant. For the higher grade X-TRAIL dCi TL, pricing starts at $39,990 (manual) and finishes up at $41,990 (auto).

Some buyers will question the base model diesel X-TRAIL costing $5000 more than the base petrol X-TRAIL ST, but the X-TRAIL dCi TS is also trimmed to a higher level, featuring an upgraded audio system and larger alloy wheels (versus the steel wheels of the X-TRAIL ST). Even so, that's some premium -- for a different engine, alloy wheels and a fancy stereo.

Standard features for the X-TRAIL dCi TS comprise: dual front airbags, side-impact and curtain airbags, ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, stability control, 17x6.5J alloy wheels, 215/60 R17 tyres, remote central locking, electric windows/mirrors, trip computer, alarm, MP3-compatible six-disc CD audio system, air conditioning and triple-split-fold rear seats.

Extra features fitted to the X-TRAIL dCi TL include: leather upholstery, electric seat adjustment for driver (six-way adjust) and passenger (four-way adjust), front-seat heating, sunroof and climate control air conditioning.

MECHANICAL
Meeting the Euro IV emissions standard and featuring a diesel particulate filter, the new 2.0-litre turbodiesel in the X-TRAIL is coded M1D and is offered in two states of tune: a 110kW/320Nm output for the automatic variants or a 127kW/360Nm version for the manual X-TRAIL dCi. Both variants develop peak torque at the same engine speed, 2000rpm, but the auto needs to be revved to 4000rpm for peak power, versus 3750rpm for the manual.

Nissan claims that the manual variants use just 7.4L/100km of fuel in combined cycle testing and emit 198g/km. In its detuned state, the X-TRAIL dCi auto returns a fuel consumption figure of 8.1L/100km and emits 216g/km. To keep NVH to a minimum, the M1D engine benefits from balance-shaft technology.

Both the transmissions are overdrive units and transfer the engine's torque to the front wheels in 2WD mode, or all four wheels -- as required -- in the 4WD/auto mode.

Underpinning the drive system, the suspension comprises MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link IRS system behind, whilst the steering is electrically-assisted rack and pinion. For more on the latest X-TRAIL's technical details check out our international and local launches at the links below

PACKAGING
The Carsales Network has now driven the X-TRAIL (in petrol variants) on both international and local launches. To read more concerning Nissan's compact SUV, click here for the local launch, or here for the international launch.

Briefly though, the X-TRAIL boasts tons of headroom in front and rear, with plenty of accompanying rear-seat kneeroom in most circumstances and even an adequate amount for average-height adults with front seats set back as far as possible.

One of the X-TRAIL's outstanding virtues is the voluminous -- and practical -- luggage compartment, which is large and features a slide-out drawer under the double floor. The drawer is excellent for wet items that need to be separated from other goods to be carried in the rear.

The controls in the X-TRAIL proved easy to use and the interior styling -- if it were a bit uninspiring -- was uncomplicated, nonetheless. From the driving position, the seats lacked under-thigh support -- and that was particularly noticeable offroad.

SAFETY
Tested by Euro NCAP late last year, the X-TRAIL has scored a four-star safety rating and, according to Nissan, performed especially well in the area of child safety.

In respect of passive safety, the both grades of X-TRAIL dCi come equipped with dual front airbags, side-impact and curtain airbags. In addition, ABS, EBD, brake assist and stability control are standard active safety features fitted as standard.

See the above links for more.

COMPETITORS
As far as diesels go, the X-TRAIL is, according to Nissan, unlikely to feel threatened by the Suzuki Grand Vitara or the Kia Sportage CRDi. On the face of it -- and despite all three being diesel-powered -- they're different enough not to poach sales from each other. The Sportage is a little softer, the Grand Vitara is a little more offroad-capable and the Nissan falls somewhere in between.

Much as we like the Suzuki, the Nissan is undeniably more refined, is slight longer and will tow more. As against that, the Nissan lacks the Suzuki's approach, departure and ramp-over angles, but it's generally better equipped for not much more money and the Nissan is significantly more powerful, as well as being more economical.

One of the key competitors to the X-TRAIL dCi could come from its twin under the skin, the Renault Koleos (more here). The Renault offers a touch more styling flair and a more European-influenced interior at the cost of some luggage space. Unlike Nissan, Renault intends to offer front and all-wheel versions of the Koleos.

ON THE ROAD
Compared with the Suzuki Grand Vitara -- which was one diesel-engined compact SUV to reach market ahead of the Nissan -- the X-TRAIL's engine is much quieter, more refined and just generally more capable

Offroad, however, there's not much in it between the two. Interestingly, the two diesel engines (in the Grand Vitara and the X-TRAIL) are both supplied by Renault. Nissan says that the engine in the X-TRAIL is a new generation powerplant and offers greater refinement and improved efficiency over the engine in the Grand Vitara. From having driven both, we'd agree, but the Suzuki is not to be shoved aside by the X-TRAIL when it comes to heavy-going offroad toil.

The first impression of the X-TRAIL's diesel is it's a bit noisy when cold, but it does improve at normal operating temperature and isn't guilty of the turbo whine encountered in some turbodiesels. At open road speeds, the drivetrain produces less NVH than the low-level road and wind noise.

The engine was remarkably revvy for a diesel (better than 5000rpm!) and yet mustered decent torque from as low as 1200 -- 1300rpm without the labouring occasionally experienced in some modern diesels, so it's quite well suited to offroad work. There's virtually no discernible lag and the trip computer recorded an average fuel consumption of 8.6L/100km across the drive program.

Matched to the excellent engine, the six-speed auto transmission was occasionally slow to respond in sequential-shift mode and, on a couple of occasions, dropped into second with a hefty thump.

On dirt, driven for fun rather than profit, the manual version outshone the auto, which, despite that, was arguably more capable for traditional offroad work. In that conventional offroad role, the auto X-TRAIL diesel worked better with the hill descent control than the manual did. With the auto's torque converter, there was no worry about the diesel's stall characteristics over mud moguls and other sorts of terrain you wouldn't want to tackle with too much gusto.

When the hill descent control was engaged, the driver could feather the brake in auto variants without having to ride the clutch or run the risk of disengaging the system, which Nissan describes as DDS ('Downhill Drive Support').

Nobody expected the X-TRAIL to be as capable offroad as a Patrol; to approach the level of offroad competence of more capable SUVs, the diesel/manual X-TRAIL would really need a low-range transfer -- for a start -- and, in common with other models in the Nissan range, better approach and departure angles. Having said that, the wheel articulation of the X-TRAIL seemed surprisingly good...

While the X-TRAIL seemed sure-footed on smooth dirt, such as the rally roads sampled during the drive program, it's fair to say that the track provided few real challenges to a half-decent 2WD car, other than a moderately deep ford and a couple of steep downhill grades.

Even so, the grades led to at least six of the vehicles losing their under-body splash trays from beneath the front end. Those splash trays should not be confused with sump guards, being held in place by just vinyl cable ties.

As already mentioned, the manual X-TRAIL was more fun to drive tail-out on dirt, but in the case of both variants, the steering response felt slow on the road, although turn-in improved from higher speeds.

There's a sense of weight transfer affecting the handling on-road, with the X-TRAIL picking up a tighter line mid-corner. Sampled in both 2WD and 4WD/auto mode, the X-TRAIL felt more consistent and balanced in bitumen corners with all four wheels driven.

And overall, balance is what the X-TRAIL offers in buckets -- or at least, moderation, to be more precise. It is everything anyone could want on-road from a compact SUV, but it will still keep up with some of the more capable medium SUVs offroad.

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