X-TRAIL to go FWD

The Nissan Dualis is just too cute and cuddly for drivers who like their SUVs to look the business. But when the budget won't extend to purchasing a 'proper' four-wheel drive or keeping it running, the Dualis is the only model in the Nissan stable to suit -- until now. 

Nissan plans to bring to Australia an X-TRAIL with all the visual trappings of a hard-core offroad machine, but with just two wheels driven.

The company's marketing manager for LCVs and SUVs, Andrew Holbrook, announced during the 4WD Panorama event on Monday that Nissan acknowledges the appeal of the boxy SUV's style, packaging and comfort, but many owners want those virtues without the four-wheel drive.

"One thing that we can't ignore is that our forecast internally is saying that one in three in the future -- in this compact SUV segment -- is going to be two-wheel drive. We've already seen RAV4 do it, we've seen Outlander do it -- and we're going to be doing it."

"We're going to join them... there's obviously a healthy market still for 4x4 compact SUVs... but come January of [2011], we will also be introducing a two-wheel drive to play in that market."

There were no further details revealed by Holbrook, other than the additional information that the front-drive X-TRAIL would be petrol-only and would be sold in two levels of trim: ST and ST-L.

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