What about this for a smart way of driving on electric?
There’s a petrol engine but it does not drive the wheels. Starting to think I’m talking nonsense? Don’t blame you.
The e-4ORCE is Nissan’s novel name for electric four wheel drive but the engine’s job is to charge the batteries that send power to two electric motors, one on each axle, that drive the wheels.
This is where you say ‘why not just buy an electric car’? Not everyone is comfortable going down the all electric road, so called range anxiety is still a concern, but the X-Trail is different because it does not need to be charged so no worries about finding a charging point during a long journey, just fill up with petrol.
And it has given X-Trail a new lease of life. It arrived 23 years ago as a trailblazing off roader that wasn’t afraid to wade up to its wheel arches in water or mud. Then Nissan pulled a master stroke producing a small SUV that drove like a family hatchback. It was called Qashqai and X-Trail has played second fiddle ever since.
Both cars share the same electric technology but this time X-Trail gets one over its sibling with all wheel drive. Qash only gets e-power on the front wheel drive model.
The next surprise is the engine. Who would have thought a three-cylinder 1.5 litre petrol would be enough for a big 4×4? That is where the electric motors come in providing instant power the second the throttle is pushed to the floor accelerating X-Trail to sixty in seven seconds, quicker than the new Honda C-RV plug-in hybrid.
Quicker it might be but X-Trail lags behind on economy, recording 41.6mpg at the end of a week’s driving when some rivals are hitting the 50mpg mark.
Regenerative braking is common on the new generation of hybrids and the Nissan goes a step further with e-pedal. This system brings the car to a virtual stop without touching the brake pedal harnessing power for the batteries and saving on brake wear although not quite as efficient as a Volvo which brakes the car to a dead stop.
With a new chassis the Nissan is surprisingly nimble given its size with a lot less body roll than the previous model while the suspension manages to stifle the worst of our road surfaces.
The big fella has been given a total makeover to bring it in line with Nissan’s more modern face while the cabin is a lot plusher. A digital driver’s binnacle provides a mound of information accessed through steering wheel buttons, a brilliant class leading head-up display on the windscreen, and there is even more reading in the central 12.3in touchscreen, but credit to Nissan for sticking with traditional switches for climate control.
X-Trail is a car for a growing family so there will be no concerns about back seat legroom although it can’t quite match the CR-V. An extra £1,000 will buy two extra seats but these are only suitable for young children. Leg and headroom is too tight for adults and getting into them is not easy. You will also gain extra boot space without them.
The top of the range Tekna+ driven here is packed with equipment, so expect smart phone connections, heated front and rear seats, heated windscreen, 360 degree all round camera among a long spec list. You won’t even have to unlock or lock the doors, the hands free i-key does it for you.
There are more than enough driver safety aids to keep you safe. I am a big fan of cross traffic alert which is so useful when reversing out of side parking slots, and it will emergency brake to help avoid a frontal shunt.
In many ways this X-Trail has come of age, impressively efficient and with lots of skills in its locker.
Fast facts
X-Trail Tekna+ 4WD
£48,375
1.5 litre turbo; 211bhp
0-62mph 7secs; 111mph
42.8mpg combined
144g/km. 1st road tax £620
Boot: 585-1298 litres
Towing capacity 1650kg
Insurance group 31
