X-Trail designed with adventure in mind

THE fourth generation Nissan X-Trail will take any Nissan supporter by storm as the car is made to chase adventure.

Top Revs recently had the privilege of taking the X-Trail on a short excursion to see what all the hype is about.

For starters, the car’s distinctive front and rear grabs one’s attention, prominently featuring the large chrome bordered front girl and integrated head and daytime driving lights. The rear lights cut in perfect with the X-Trail’s lines and high roof mounted spoiler which is also fitted with an integrated brake light.

The 19-inch wheels gives the vehicle an adventurous look, however, they would be better replaced with all-terrains, for better off-roading adventures.

Speaking to Pupkewitz Nissan sales consultant Manfred Ndjoonduezu, who recently attended the launch of the car in South Africa, the 4th generation car offers much more than expected.

“The car feels solid on the road and is ideal for car rental companies,” says Ndjoonduezu.

When the vehicles come to us, it is merely for services, hardly for any repairs or replacements, he added.

When it comes to the “solidness” on the road, Top Revs experienced heavy crosswinds while driving to Okahandja, but the car handled well and at no time did we experience a feeling of losing control on the road.

Another plus is that the car can be used as a seven-seater, with the two rear foldable seats being ideal for children.

For extra comfort, the X-Trail has an arm rest with two cup holders.

All the doors open up to 85 degrees for easy accessibility, which is an added advantage for parents with baby chairs fitted.

Though the car looks basic, some drivers say the advanced technology and futuristic-looking centre console is less preferable than a basic yet information-rich display.

This is what the X-Trail offers.

Without any feeling of being cluttered, the driver has all information at hand, and settings can be changed to get all the relevant information needed.

Just like the design of the vehicle was important, so was safety also high on the agenda. According to the net, the car scores a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on crash testing of its Qashqai model I 2021. This rating is said to cover all models, including the upcoming hybrid model.

Some of the standard safety features incorporated are as follows:

Autonomous emergency braking (AEB), pedestrian and cyclist detection, junction assist, reverse AEB with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, automatic high-beam, adaptive cruise control and seven airbags including a front-centre airbag, to mention a few.

The vehicle comes standard with a 2,5 engine delivering 135kW.

Fuel economy on a vehicle this size is pretty impressive and Nissan said the entry level uses an average of 7,4 to 7,8L per 100km. These figures are under normal driving conditions, while tank capacity is 55 litres.