2024 Nissan X-Trail review, first drive - smart engine, smart cabin, smart choice?

A new Nissan isn't a common occurrence in the Indian automotive world, but the brand says plans are afoot to change this scenario quite comprehensively over the next two years. But what has us more interested is the car that is kicking off this resurgence. The Nissan X-trail is back in India after an over 10-year gap, but can it still leave an impression in a different market?

2024 Nissan X-Trail styling, dimensions

The Nissan X-Trail has grown quite a bit since it was last here, being 4,680mm long, 1,840mm wide and 1,725mm tall, which makes the SUV hold its own in the segment it is expected to compete in. That said, there are flashier, larger options around. Similarly, the X-Trail takes a more restrained approach with its details but the large V-shaped grille and the wide, tiered headlamps make their presence felt.

You have some neat practical touches like closing air-dam covers and a good 210mm of ground clearance. These go well with the simple shapes and the tall functional glass area. Nissan has broken from the norm and fitted the X-Trail with large 20-inch wheels. These give the car a fuller look and a good stance.

The rear carries on with this theme with a simple boot lid but fairly catchy lighting, although a full-LED set-up is a miss here. We would have liked a powered tailgate but even with the third row up, there is good space for a few overnight bags. The third and second rows can further be folded flat to give you a large, wide space that will be good for moving large items if you need to(585 - 1,424L). Further, you can use the 50:50 split in the last row and the 40:20:40 split in the second to find more storage combinations. The price you pay for the added seats is the lack of a spare wheel, a notable concern in our conditions.

2024 Nissan X-Trail interiors, space, practicality

This simple but effective theme continues to the inside of the X-Trail. The look of the dashboard doesn't break new ground with its layered theme and strong central band. Far more impressive is the execution of this theme. The X-Trail feels especially well-built and has a high-quality sense to it. This comes from the varying soft materials and their contrasting shades. Most panels are soft and there's good detail too with the contrast stitching and the good quality plastics in the lower reaches.

This sense is taken up a notch with the refreshingly simple and chunky controls for the climate and the neat arrangement of the central tunnel. The floating effect to the shifter again feels rich, a sense you also get from the tactile and well-damped stalks and buttons on the steering wheel. Even the fabric seat upholstery has a premium touch to it that doesn't make you miss leather.

The centre console has good storage too with its open lower section and the deep storage bin. You get both Type A and C ports and a large wireless display. Most controls here are well-placed too. That being said, the door pockets could have been larger.

In this context, the small 8-inch touchscreen feels out of place. It seems like the same unit that was used on the Kicks five years ago and feels as such in practice. The graphics have been updated and it is a generally competent system that's easy to learn with its physical controls, but the fluidity and responses leave much to be desired. In stark contrast to this is the 12.3-inch driver's display. This is easy to read and configure, information is easily accessed and you have some uniquely detailed gauges for the engine that add a bit more to the experience.

The X-Trail's focus on practicality also pays off in the second row with its 2,705mm wheelbase. The doors open 85 degrees, making entry and exit easier. There's generous room here for your feet especially when you fully use the sliding function. and the tall roof also brings with it a good amount of headroom. This spacious feeling is helped by the large windows and sunroof. Other things that add to comfort are the generous recline angle and the centre portion of the seat that folds down to create the armrest.

But we would have liked the bench to have been better contoured, the flat shape makes it easier for the third passenger but this takes away support. Fitting a third row also seems to have compromised the bench's length, taking away some thigh support. As with the front, this space could have been better equipped. You have two chargers but a separate climate zone or sunshades are expected.

This Nissan is best seen as a 5+2. The third row of seats will also be of use to children given the heavily compromised leg space. Entering this area isn't easy either with the small opening and you have the usual knee seating position when the second row is slid forward enough to make space for an adult. The seat back reclines but the cushions are too flat to be especially comfortable. You have cup-holders here but amenities like AC events, charge ports and grab handles are missing.

2024 Nissan X-Trail features, safety

Notable features available on the X-trail include auto-headlamps and wipers, LED headlamps, dual-zone climate control, panoramic sunroof, wireless charging and drive modes. You miss out on ventilated seats, powered front seats, a third climate zone and sun shades.

There is no ADAS but you get fairly clear front and rear cameras, and seven airbags including a unique centre airbag between the front passengers. There is also a limited-slip differential for better control

2024 Nissan X-Trail driving impressions

In keeping with its practical theme, the Nissan X Trail is an easy car to drive despite its large size. You have good visibility with the large windows and low sills. You also sit fairly high up like you would want to in an SUV, which also makes the edges of the bonnet visible. The front seats are wide and supportive and controls fall to hand easily too.

The X-Trail is the first car in India to get a variable compression turbo petrol motor. It can effectively change how much the fuel mixture is compressed in the cylinder. It can shift between a high compression ratio that helps efficiency or a low one that brings more performance at higher revs.

This motor males 163PS and 300 Nm. You might think that a small, highly-strung engine pulling a large SUV may not be a good recipe but in practice this Nissan motor is impressive. It is usually refined and quiet and there's good performance as you set off. Some might find the X-Trail's responses in traffic to be a touch too sharp, but the Eco mode settles this easily. Past this, there's clean, linear performance in most situations. The -Trail doesn't feel caught out by heavier throttle inputs either.

This has also to do with the 12V mild-hybrid system, which Nissan says will add up to 6 Nm for 20s to fill up gaps in the powertrain's torque delivery. In heavier traffic, it is also not too intrusive with its stop-start function. Nissan says this can improve efficiency by up to 4 per cent, but we will have to spend a longer stint in the X-Trail to find out how this and the new engine tech affect its mileage figures.

You do notice that the motor slightly loses steam in the higher reaches of the rev band. This isn't a problem in isolation but the performance here isn't quite as potent as some other higher displacement turbos in this segment. But in calmer highway driving this isn't too much of an issue. The motor is still alert to throttle inputs so you don't find it difficult to hold higher speeds or make overtakes. You have that good, seamless sense of power coming to that makes for a calm situation.

The CVT gearbox plays a major role in this smooth demeanour. This unit again puts Nissan close to the top of this technology. There's not much of the lag you expect in these gearboxes, aside from especially sudden throttle changes or heavy driving. Enough for you to think it could be a torque converter if you haven't driven a CVT before. The gearbox also notably changes demeanour with drive modes. But more impressive are the eight fixed ratios you get via the paddles. These do a good job again of mimicking a torque convertor and give you that same sense of engine braking and acceleration with reasonably quick shifts.

We didn't get a chance to get deeper into how the X-Trail handles but you do find that the wide tyres give it a good sense of grip. So you can feel confident over fast, sweeping turns. The body movements here are also linear but you always have a sense of the car's mass, given that this is a tall SUV. The LSD also probably helps with this sense of control but we would have liked for a more connected feel from the steering wheel. It's quite light and shrinks the car around you in traffic which is great but you don't find it to be too communicative at higher speeds even though it does seem to get heavier.

But otherwise, the X-Trail will be stable and secure at high speeds. You also find it to be comfortable over the largely smooth surfaces we drove it over. High-speed undulations too don't seem to bother it a lot. But yes, there's no denying that the 20-inch wheel gives it a sharp edge over broken surfaces, but the suspension continues to do a good job of damping out impacts here.

2024 Nissan X-Trail verdict, expected price

The Nissan X-Trail, like before, brings with it a fresh execution of what a premium SUV can be like. The cabin is great in the first two rows, as much as the opinion might be split on how useful the third row is. The cabin's rich ambience despite some notable feature lapses is also a win for Nissan. The powertrain also seems more effective in the real world than on paper but we hope Nissan gets its pricing right in a segment that has some strong, established brands. The X-Taril is set to launch in India on August 1 with prices expected to be around Rs 45 - 50 lakh.