Nissan X-TRAIL Ti 2019

The Nissan X-TRAIL is a household name when it comes to SUVs. If it wasn’t your own go-to family wagon, your friend’s parents or the next door neighbours likely had one.

But much has changed since the Nissan X-TRAIL first arrived almost two decades ago, along the way ditching its once-boxy silhouette in favour of a rounder, soft-road SUV. Still, it continues to vie for a top spot on the sales charts, albeit beaten time and again by the class-leading Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4.

Now offering more than 10 variants, there’s a wide range of X-TRAILs from which to choose and one to suit every family.

Here, we’re looking at the 2019 Nissan X-TRAIL Ti. With a price tag from $45,050, the Ti sits just below the flagship X-TRAIL TL in the local range.

The 2019 Nissan X-TRAIL range kicks off with the entry-level ST, priced from $29,490 plus on-road costs in front-wheel drive only and tops out with the abovementioned TL priced from $48,040 in all-wheel drive and with a five seat only configuration.

Those needing the option of a seven-seater can choose between the base ST and mid-spec ST-L and customers can choose from three powertrains across the range including two petrol and one diesel donk.

The Ti we’re testing here is priced from $45,050 and is fitted with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired to a CVT auto, driving either just the front wheels or all four wheels when switched to 4X4 mode via a knob on the centre console.

You’ll love the Nissan X-TRAIL Ti if you appreciate little luxuries like an electric tailgate, eight-speaker BOSE audio system and a heated steering wheel.

Indeed, the well-packaged 4X4 stamped with Nissan’s trusty badge and five-year warranty has enough kit to help you forget most of its less impressive features.

An extra-large panoramic sunroof lets in tonnes of light and opens up the cabin, but the outdated 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment unit lets it down and, for the time being at least, the X-TRAIL misses out on equipment like smartphone mirroring and Bluetooth music streaming --- both features you’ll find standard on base-models from other brands today.

The rest of the cabin is welcoming with a combination and soft and hard plastics which again aren’t offensive, but equally don’t really excite. There are plenty of storage areas including one drink bottle holder for each of the four door pockets, a rear fold-down centre armrest with two more cup holders and a large centre console.

The X-TRAIL does win points back with its leather-appointed seats (with heating for both rows) as well as air vents for back seat passengers.

A hidden ‘floor’ with two lids in the boot comes in handy, as does the retractable cargo blind and a 12V socket in the boot. Underneath all that lies a space saver, as opposed to a full-sized spare or repair kit.

Another small but noticeable niggle (depending on how you look at it) are ginormous sun visors that block a lot of your forward vision once folded down, but are perfect when facing the driver’s door to block out side-way-sun.

As you’ve probably worked out, the Nissan X-TRAIL Ti is not short on standard equipment. LED daytime running lights and headlights with auto-levelling and high-beam assist, chrome finishes on the door handles, bumpers and door sills, adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree parking camera with moving object detection, digital radio and rain-sensing wipers are all part of the offer.

The 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine provides adequate power, but is rather sluggish unless you work it hard. Churning out 126kW and 226Nm, you can hear it working hard under load, producing a fair bit of noise inside the cabin.

But, once you hit highway speeds and above, road and engine noise almost disappear and meandering along winding country roads is peaceful.

It also handles unexpectedly well with little body roll for the SUV it is. Many drivers will praise the light steering -- it doesn’t feel like you’re manoeuvring a bulky 4X4.

The appeal of the medium-SUV spans far: from small families needing more space; to empty nesters looking for a high-riding vehicle that’s easier to access. The Nissan X-TRAIL Ti does both jobs well and is big enough to comfortably carry four adults.

The decent-sized boot stretches out to 945 litres once the rear seats are folded flat and holds 565 litres with the seats in place.

Speaking of the back row, the X-TRAIL’s 60/40 split bench seat can be folded, reclined and slid back and forth delivering extra flexibility and making awkward items easier to carry. Head room is good for front seat passengers, but there’s slightly less room for taller folk to be comfortable in the second row.

Vision is great for both front and back seat passengers, but if you’re one of those people that still turn their head to check blind spots, you’ll notice the X-TRAIL’s chunky C-pillars block a fair portion of over the shoulder vision. Luckily, the Nissan X-TRAIL Ti is fitted with an array of modern safety features including blind spot monitoring, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with intervention and rear cross traffic alert.

There are plenty of reasons the Nissan X-TRAIL could fit the bill for most families, but if having the latest and greatest is important to you, there are better options at a similar price point.

While the Nissan has been a popular seller in the medium SUV category for years, the competition is tough out there and newer models with more tech could steal your heart.

The Nissan X-TRAIL is an SUV most could happily live with every day. Alas, it’s not one that will convince you to take the long way home.

2019 Nissan X-TRAIL Ti pricing and specifications:
Price: $45,040 (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: Five-star ANCAP