I know that certain elements in our society are going to turn a vivid shade of GREEN in horror when I say this, but that is their problem not mine. This Nissan X-Trail makes the perfect family car ! As tested, it was fitted with a 2.0 litre, four cylinder petrol engine and perhaps, you may be of the opinion that it may have been better suited to its family car role, if it had a diesel instead. However, the facts do not support this hypothesis. The fact is that the diesel automatic actually produces a higher level of exhaust emissions, but these still come within the same band, so there is no difference in the tax rate. The differences in the fuel consumption between this car and the diesel automatic are so minimal as to be of no consequence at all ! The answer to this unusual state of affairs can probably be put down to the super efficient automatic transmission fitted to this car. It actually gives a better fuel consumption than the same engine fitted with a manual gearbox ! This automatic gearbox is of the constantly variable type, so you always have the best ratio for the operating conditions at the time and being automatic the driver simply slips it into Drive at the beginning of the journey and then forgets about it until the end of the journey, when it is shifted into the Park position. From a driver’s point of view, besides being utterly effortless, its super efficiency, gives the best fuel consumption in every situation.
In normal conditions drive is transmitted to the two front wheels, but when conditions demand, the drive can be split between both the front and rear wheels. When going off-road four wheel drive can be selected and if the conditions demand, it can be locked in four wheel drive for as long as necessary. This four wheel drive facility is particularly useful if you are towing a heavy trailer or caravan. On the subject of towing this X-Trail can tow braked trailers of up to 1300 kg in weight, or unbraked trailers of up to 750 kg. It will also tolerate up to 100 kg in a suitable box on the roof. This sort of versatility is very welcome in a family car.

Above left : Normal luggage space - 0.439 cubic metres
Above right : Normal luggage space with part of the floor removed and sliding drawer open

Above left : Normal luggage space with floor removed - 0.603 cubic metres
Above right : Expanded luggage space with floor in position - 1.649 cubic metres

The jack and wheel changing tools are stored in a covered foam box on the left hand side, behind the wheelarch. The spare wheel is kept in a well below the luggage floor. This does mean that you have to remove the two sections of the removable floor, the sliding drawer and the lower floor moulding to gain access to it. However, on the plus side it is a full size wheel, but an unusual one. It is a sixteen inch wheel (6.5JJ x 16), whereas the road wheels are seventeen inches. At 216/65 x 16 the spare tyre is almost the same size as the road tyres, which are 215/60 R 17, yet the moulding on the sidewall says “Temporary” and the wheel does have a sticker limiting its speed to 80 kph (50 mph). For a vehicle with an off-road ability, it certainly makes a lot more sense than a skinny Spacesaver tyre.

Above left : Sliding glass roof fully open
Above right : Sliding glass roof open to first stop

Above left : Sliding glass roof fully closed
Above right : Sliding glass roof tilted open at rear edge

Above : Sliding headlining fully closed

Comfortable seating is provided for five people. Like most cars today the rear bench seat is better suited to two adults than three, as the centre section of the seat is harder that the positions on either side and a third adult restricts shoulder room for all three. It is satisfactory for three children and to facilitate the safe carriage of children, the two outer positions are provided with ISOfix fittings for child safety seats. While this arrangement is nothing out of the ordinary, it merely goes to underscore the X-Trail’s excellent family car credentials.

As I mentioned earlier, driving this version of the X-Trail is utterly effortless, thanks in no small measure to that jewel of an automatic gearbox. As this is a family car, par excellence, I will concentrate on its fuel consumption first, especially as it is petrol powered. On the Urban cycle it gives 26 mpg (10.8 lt/100 km). This needs to be put into perspective. One, it has an automatic transmission and two, it is a large 2.0 litre petrol engine. My first company car, away back in the nineteen seventies, was a miserable two door saloon with a 1.1 litre petrol engine and it never managed more than 26 mpg in urban driving.
On the Extra urban cycle the consumption improves to 39 mpg (7.2 lt/100 km). This gives a Combined cycle average of 33 mpg (8.5 lt/100 km). I looked back for some comparisons and came up with the following :

Chevrolet Epica saloon - 2.0 petrol auto - 22 mpg - 41 mpg - 31 mpg - 215 gm/km
Mazda 5 MPV - 1.8 petrol 5 speed manual - 26 mpg - 44 mpg - 35 mpg - 190 gm/km
Toyota Rav 4 SUV - 2.0 petrol 5 speed manual - 25 mpg - 39 mpg - 32 mpg - 202 g/km

Technical data