Two Nissan X-TRAIL e-Power variants confirmed for Oz

Nissan Australia has locked in a two-pronged attack on the electrified mid-size SUV market, today confirming the 2023 Nissan X-TRAIL e-Power will be offered Down Under exclusively in high-end Ti and Ti-L trim levels from early next year.

The Japanese brand says this is an introductory measure because it deems electrification to be more of a premium preference in the local market, but revealed it would re-evaluate the situation as the technology gains more traction in Australia.

This puts the electric-drive Nissan twins at an immediate disadvantage against the segment-leading Toyota RAV4, which offers a hybrid powertrain in every model grade, not to mention the Mitsubishi Outlander – which offers a plug-in hybrid system for four of its five variants.

The news gets worse when factoring in the Mitsubishi because the new-generation Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV also offers a third row of seating in selected PHEV variants – something Nissan Australia has opted not to do with its local X-TRAIL e-Power line-up.

According to Nissan, this decision was taken to minimise pricing overlaps and cannibalisation with what will almost undoubtedly be the two most expensive X-TRAILs and the bigger new Nissan Pathfinder.

But while Aussies won’t have access to seven-seat X-TRAIL e-Power models, both local versions will come standard with an ‘e-4ORCE’ all-wheel drive system that features an electric motor on each axle, combining for a total system output of 157kW – pretty much on par with the RAV4 Hybrid AWD’s 163kW, but lagging behind the Outlander PHEV’s combined 185kW.

However, the ace up the sleeve of the new Nissan X-TRAIL, which arrives in local showrooms with conventional petrol power across four model grades late this year, is that drive for next year's e-Power versions comes exclusively from its electric motors while a turbocharged 1.5-litre variable-compression petrol engine only generates power for the 2.1kWh battery pack.

That combination of AWD grip and instant electric torque delivers a claimed 0-100km/h time of seven seconds and a top speed of 180km/h… not that performance is a primary objective in this segment.

Japanese versions utilise a smaller 1.2-litre engine to sustain the battery pack while the Aussie and European markets nab the aforementioned 1.5, something Nissan Technical Centre Europe engineering chief Adam Robertson attributes to the wider and more demanding applications the vehicle will be faced with.

“We look across the whole of the AMEIO region and we look for the severest scenes when we’ve calculated the power balance for the vehicle,” he said.

“So we’re looking at everything from mountain climbing, towing a trailer, driving on the German autobahn, for example, at maximum weight on a five per cent incline at maximum speed. And through all of this, there’s been a lot of complex calculations to calculate the best balance of the components for the vehicle.

“That’s why we’ve uprated the engine to the variable compression ratio 116kW engine, we’ve increased the battery size to 2.1kWh and the electric motor itself has increased from the Japan-spec which is 80kW to 150kW.

“Through that we can easily manage every type of severe scene that we find across the regions.”

On the subject of towing, both X-TRAIL e-Power e-4ORCE models will offer a maximum braked capacity of 1650kg – pretty much spot on the segment average.

The official ADR fuel consumption figure for the Australia-bound variants is 6.1L/100km on the combined cycle, while CO2 emissions are pegged at 139g per kilometre.

Europeans will also be offered a new turbocharged 1.5-litre mild-hybrid powertrain outputting 120kW/300Nm and driving the front wheels via continuously variable transmission (CVT), but it won’t be coming here due to the looming launch of the new X-TRAIL range with a conventional 2.5-litre petrol engine as standard.

Save for the previously detailed e-Power drivetrain, the X-TRAIL hybrids will largely share their standard equipment lists with the corresponding petrol versions, meaning the Ti’s kit list should be headlined by a 12.3-inch infotainment interface, a matching 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.8-inch head-up display, digital rear-view mirror, wireless phone charging, leather accented upholstery, 19-inch alloy wheels and three-zone climate control.

The more lavish Ti-L will almost certainly build on these features with premium Nappa leather, a Bose 10-speaker sound system, rear sunshades and a heated steering wheel.

“We’re excited that the all-new X-TRAIL with e-Power and e-4ORCE will be arriving in Australian showrooms in early 2023,” Nissan Australia managing director Adam Paterson said.

“We’re confident customers will love its unique combination of electrified performance, confidence inspiring handling and robust practicality.”

Local pricing and full specification details for the X-TRAIL e-Power twins will be released in the coming months, however, pre-orders will open imminently via the Australian division’s website.