2019 Nissan X-TRAIL vs 2020

What's the difference?

Let’s start with the good things. First, visibility all around is excellent – the A-pillars are thin and bend away to give you a better view and the rear windows are large and make parking simple. The X-Trail is also an easy SUV to pilot in car parks, with light and accurate steering and also on the motorway, where it’s big enough to feel secure and planted.

Now, the not so good. The CVT makes the engine drone and the nature of these automatics means acceleration isn’t brisk. Next, the ride is good on a smooth surface, but on Sydney’s patchwork of roads the X-Trail struggled to keep us comfortable with a firm impact felt over even the smallest of bumps.

The Nissan X-Trail N-Trek costs a grand more than the ST-L it’s based on but you’re getting a premium stereo, larger wheels, floor mats and the weather shields which does provide better value. Don’t expect that to pay off when it comes time to sell again, however, because research shows special editions don’t command any more money than the models they’re based on when sold second hand. You’re best off enjoying the extra value now and the great practicality this family favourite offers.

If minimal changes to the design of a car over the years translates to a better resale value, then the X-Trail should be a winner here, because not much has changed since the 2017 update.

That said, it’s a good-looking SUV that has aged well. I’m talking about its tough exterior, which somehow combines curvy elegance with a powerful stance.

The same can’t be said for its insides, which have dated. There’s the small screen and the analogue instrument cluster, all surrounded by a busy cabin full of buttons when we now live in a world of minimalist, cleanly designed cockpits.

Want to see how the French would design an X-Trail? The Renault Koleos is the French company’s restyled version of its Japanese partner company’s SUV, and it's very different indeed.

The Ti is the top-of-the-range petrol X-Trail and what sets it apart visually from the lower grades are the chrome strips, which skirt under the doors, a panoramic sunroof, LED headlights, 19-inch aluminium-alloy wheels... and that’s it.

The dark tinted windows you can see on our test cars also come on the ST-L grade below, and so do those roof rails and fog lights.

The Ti’s insides don’t look much different from the ST-L’s either (are you starting to get the message here?) with the black leather seats and larger touchscreen.

What are the X-Trail’s dimensions? At just under 4.7m long, 1.8m wide and 1.7m tall the X-Trail is longer than a RAV4, a CX-5 and even a Forester, which makes it a big, mid-sized SUV that’s getting into Hyundai Sant Fe territory, and that bodes well for space inside. 

The X-Trail lost its boxy looks when this new-generation model arrived in 2014 with its curvy exterior, and even six years on its design has aged well and is still pleasing.

The N-Trek adds accessories such as larger wheels, the bonnet protector and the weather shields but these are the only outward signs that this is a special edition, apart from the N-Trek badge on the tailgate, that is.

While the exterior styling has stood the test of time superbly, the X-Trail’s interior is showing its age with the 7.0-inch touchscreen looking a tad small now and the dash is busy with buttons as opposed to the cleaner designs we’re seeing in newer models.

That said, the fit and finish appears excellent and the standard leather upholstery lifts the quality to a premium feel.

Inside, the N-Trek edition kit includes door sill scuff plates and luxurious-feeling floor mats. 

Practicality has long been the X-Trail’s strength, but in recent times rivals have come out with better packaging and more modern utilities, such as wireless charging and USB ports.

Still, it does have tall, wide-opening doors, which make getting in and out easy, big front seats and great rear legroom (I’m 191cm tall and can sit behind my driving position with about 30mm to spare), plus good storage space in the form of cupholders (two up front and two in the back), door pockets and a deep centre-console storage bin.

Headroom is reduced thanks to the sunroof, which comes standard on the Ti;  it’s also partly due to the theatre-style seating in the second row, which has the passengers sitting high for better visibility. Great for kids, but not for tall adults.

The X-Trail Ti is a five-seater, so if you need seven seats I have good news and bad news, and then good news again. The first good news is that a seven-seat version of the X-Trail can be had in the form of the ST or ST-L, and both cost a lot less than the Ti. The bad news is that those grades don’t come with all the Ti’s features, but the other good news is that this means they don’t have a sunroof, and therefore headroom is great in the second row.

Back to the Ti. For charging and media you have two 12V outlets up front, along with a USB port, and a 12V in the boot.

At this price point we’d like to see more USB ports. The new RAV4 GXL has five USB ports on board, including two in the second row, along with a wireless phone charger up front.

Backseat riders do have directional air vents, though.

The X-Trail does have a big boot – we’re talking 565 litres with the second row in place and 945 litres with those seats folded flat. Keep in mind those aren’t VDA litres, which is what Volkswagen and Mazda use to calculate boot sizes.

If you were to get a group of parents of young children together to build an SUV the X-Trail is probably what they’d come up with. That’s because family practicality seems to have been at the top of the priority list.

There are the rear doors that open tall and wide at almost at 90 degrees, large cupholders in the front and back (four in total), giant door pockets, a theatre-style second row that seats the kids high so they can see out, dark-tinted rear windows so you don’t need a shade cloth, directional air vents in the back, plus a big boot (565L) that has under floor storage and a low load lip.

If you’re tall or large you’ll be happy with the space up front – the seats are wide, while shoulder and elbow room is great. Those in the second row will be pleased with the X-Trail’s roominess, too. I’m 191cm tall and can sit behind my driving position with about 30mm to spare.

The N-Trek is only available with a five-seat configuration. If you’re looking for a third row of seating the ST-L seven-seater X-Trail will do the job nicely.

The Nissan X-Trail N-Trek special edition lists for $38,700, which is a grand more than the mid-spec ST-L grade it’s based on.

What do you get on the N-Trek that you don’t on an ST-L? There’s the larger 19-inch alloys wheels, an eight-speaker Bose stereo, bonnet protector, weather shields for the front and rear side windows, kick plates for the door sills and carpet mats.

That’s on top of all the standard equipment which the ST-L brings such as a 7.0-inch screen with sat nav, digital radio, heated front seats, leather upholstery and dual-zone climate control.

Is it good value? Well the Bose system is good, and the larger wheels look great, but rivals such as the Toyota RAV4 are offering more equipment and newer tech such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for less money.

The RAV4 GXL 4x2 for example is $35,640. Be sure to check out the front-wheel drive versions of the Renault Koleos Zen X-Tronic and Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport, which are also more affordable.

You know how I said the X-Trail Ti has the same features as the TL but for less money? Well the reason is the engine – the Ti is a petrol and the TL is a diesel. Both are all-wheel drive.

Powering the Ti is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 126kW and 226Nm. I found that to be only just enough oomph (kerb weight is 1.5 tonnes) out on motorways and hilly country roads when overtaking.

The continuously variable transmission (CVT) does nothing for the driving experience, either, causing the engine to ‘drone-on’ and providing lacklustre acceleration, but it is a fuel-efficient automatic (see the mileage figures below).

The X-Trail Ti comes with an intelligent all-wheel-drive system a dial on the centre console allows the driver to select from three modes: 2WD, which will send drive to the front wheels only, but will activate all-wheel drive if it detects a loss of traction; Auto, which monitors the four wheels and will distribute torque to maintain traction; while in LOCK the electronically controlled coupling splits the torque evenly between the front and back. The Lock mode works at up to 40km/h and will switch to Auto mode at higher speeds.

It’s important to remember that while the X-Trail Ti will handle a bit of mild off-roading, such as dirt and gravel roads, the vehicle isn’t equipped with High and Low range four-wheel drive, which is vital for serious off-road excursions.

The X-Trail N-Trek has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 126kW/226Nm. You won’t be able to have it with a manual gearbox as only a continuously variable automatic is available with this grade. I’m not a fan of CVTs because they seem to make the engine’s torque disappear, resulting in lackluster acceleration.

The Ti has a 2.5-litre petrol engine and Nissan says that after a combination of urban and open roads your fuel consumption should be 8.3L/100km. I took our test car on motorways, CBD peak-hour commutes and on suburban duties, too, with preschool picks ups and shopping thrown in, and when I measured mileage at the pump I calculated our test car was using 11.1L/100km.

Just to be totally clear, all my testing was done in the Auto drive mode setting,  which toggles between front wheel drive and all-wheel drive, when the system detects a wheel slipping.

Nissan says the 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and CVT auto in the front-wheel drive X-Trail N-Trek should use 7.9L/100km after a combination of open and urban roads.

I drove exactly 100km of open and urban roads and used 13.8L, measured at the bowser. In the X-Trail’s defence there were only 500km on the odometer, and vehicles generally use more fuel when they have less than a couple of thousand kilometres on the clock.

Let’s start with the good things. First, visibility all around is excellent – the A-pillars are thin and bend away to give you a better view and the rear windows are large and make parking simple. The X-Trail is also an easy SUV to pilot in car parks, with light and accurate steering and also on the motorway, where it’s big enough to feel secure and planted.

Now, the not so good. The CVT makes the engine drone and the nature of these automatics means acceleration isn’t brisk. Next, the ride is good on a smooth surface, but on Sydney’s patchwork of roads the X-Trail struggled to keep us comfortable with a firm impact felt over even the smallest of bumps.

The driving experience of the X-Trail N-Trek in a single word is, easy. Easy around carparks with its light steering, easy to see out of with the ride height and big windows with thin pillars, and easy in terms of the placement of controls and configuration of the seating position.

It’s not perfect though. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a driver in the sporty sense, the CVT and lackluster acceleration won’t impress you. And if you’re looking for a super comfortable experience then the jiggly ride on less-than-great roads will leave you a bit disappointed.

The Nissan X-Trail was given the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2017 and the N-Trek comes with the same standard safety features as the ST-L. There’s AEB, rear cross traffic alert and blind spot warning.

Along with the advanced tech there’s ABS, traction and stability controls and a hill hold function.

You’ll find two ISOFIX mounts across the second row along with three top tether points for child seats.

Under the boot floor is a space saver spare wheel.

The X-Trail Ti is covered by Nissan’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and five years’ roadside assistance, which is transferable to the next owner at no cost.

Servicing is recommended at 10,000km/12-month intervals and as a guide you can expect to pay $234 for the first service, $384 for the next, $244 for the third, $459 for the fourth and $254 for the fifth.

The Nissan X-Trail N-Trek is covered by Nissan’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Nissan provides a servicing price guide on its website which covers the first six services. Servicing is recommended every 12 months or 10,000km and you can expect to pay $234 for the first, then in subsequent years, $348, $244, $459, $254 and $377.