2008 Nissan X-Trail diesel – First Steer
29 Jul, 2008
39 Comments 
Nissan considers it a bold move, some might consider it foolhardy given the escalation in the price of diesel fuel, but the addition of a willing 2.0-litre diesel engine to the Nissan X-Trail compact SUV is mostly just a good thing.
- David Twomey
The X-Trail is a strong part of Nissan’s sales success, accounting for nearly 12,500 sales last year, and currently posting about 800 sales a month for the company.
General manager marketing, Ross Booth, says he expects the diesel X-trail to add about 30 per cent to those sales – at least – so the contribution that this newest member of the X-Trail family should make the Nissan is not inconsiderable.
X-Trail comes under strong sales pressure from Honda CR-V, Subararu Forester and Toyotata Rav4, all of who top it in the sales stakes, and we suspect in the future from the only other diesel player in this segment, the VW Tiguan, which has high sales ambitions once its gets unlimited supply from early next year.
The Nissan X-Trail dCi TS diesel is priced from $36,990 for the six-speed manual model, and $38,990 for the six-speed automatic.
The premium X-Trail dCi TL diesel is priced from $39,990 for the six-speed manual version and $41,990 respectively for the six-speed automatic.
Having spent a day driving both six-speed manual and six-speed automatic versions on the road and over some reasonably challenging forest tracks around Canberra, we can say that both cars acquit themselves quite well, although as the manual version has 17Kw more power than the automatic, it does feel a much punchier drive.
Nissan calls the 4WD system All Mode 4×4-I and it is exceptionally easy to operate. Controlled via a large two-position, three-mode rotary knob situated behind the gear lever on the centre console, the system allows the driver to choose between front-wheel drive or fully automatic four-wheel drive: the ‘AUTO’ setting is the default mode, while the third ‘LOCK’ setting is for use off-road.
Two further features of the new All Mode 4×4-i are Uphill Start Support (USS) and Downhill Drive support (DDS).
That said, when it came to the off-road section of our drive, both cars performed very well and were reasonably capable, despite a large up and over hump at one stage managing to remove a section of the under body protection – a gentle reminder that these are ‘soft-roaders’ and they just don’t have the ground clearance, not ramp-over angles of serious four-wheel drives.
With MacPherson strut suspension at the front, and a multi-link system at the rear, the Nissan X-Trail offers a more refined, comfortable ride, while efficiency and handling are assisted by the adoption of electric power steering.
The natural habitat of the X-Trail is much more likely to be the speed humps of suburban roads and the challenges of negotiating the supermarket car park, and these challenges it is sure to handle much better.
There are a myriad of storage options in the X-Trail, from cooled drink holders in the dash to clever slide-out second level bins under the rear cargo floor.
But what about the big change, that engine, well we can say from the start that not only is it a much cheaper option than from some manufacturers at just a $1000 premium over the petrol models, but it does a pretty good job to boot.
The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine, is essentially a Renault engine- Nissan people prefer to call it an ‘alliance engine’ - that has already seen service in a number of vehicles and has been available in the European version of the X-Trail.
It delivers impressive performance thanks to its powerful and torquey characteristics, but at the same time it is smooth, refined and environmentally-friendly, with CO2 exhaust emissions rated as low as 198g/km.
The engine sets a high standard in the compact SUV segment and offers a standard Diesel Particulate Filter and is Euro 4 compliant.
It is available in two guises, the 110kW version mated to a conventional six-speed automatic gearbox, and the 127kW version, mated to a six-speed manual.
In 110kW guise, peak power is available at 4000rpm, with peak torque of 320Nm arriving at just 2000rpm.
In 127kW manual transmission guise, peak power arrives at 3750rpm and peak torque of 360Nm is reached at 2000rpm.
The two different power outputs are necessary apparently because the automatic does not have a transmission cooler and cannot handle the higher power outputs of the 127Kw engine.
It’s a bit of a shame really as the more powerful engine feels a lot more responsive and while the majority of buyers will opt for the automatic transmission they will have to accept the lower power output.
Space inside is generous and the 4/20/40 folding rear seats means that load lugging space can be expanded to a maximum of 1773 litres.
Seating, and its luxurious leather in the top-spec TL, is for five, but the truth is that four adults are the maximum you would want to carry, although three children or teenagers across the back seat would be fine, provided you didn’t test their patience for a long period of time.
Standard in all new X-TRAIL models are a trip computer, exterior temperature gauge, cruise control, height-adjustable driver’s seat, air conditioning, power windows, keyless entry, 12-volt cargo area power outlet, cargo area tie-down hooks and roof rails.
And the X-Trail TL model has what must come close to being the largest sunroof in any car - covering 0.59m2, it incorporates automatic closing.
Nissan’s diesel-powered X-Trail is a worthwhile addition to the range that’s well priced, is a first amongst its competitors and is certain to appeal to a good number of compact SUV buyers who are looking for an alternative fuel option.
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July 29th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Good car Fugly styling and dash.
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July 29th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
If only Nissan’s corporate fugly look was dropped, all the range is just plain unattractive, especially that grill.
With Diesel fuel costs going up the introduction of such an engine may be too pricey & too late.
Goodluck to them though….
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July 29th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
That has to be the ugliest Nissan ever. Don’t they realise that people buy cars that look good as well as all the spec stuff.
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July 29th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
People will buy these for the perceived economy benefits, so curious as to why you quote co2 emissions but not economy figures.
Nissans claim of diesel making up 30% of sales to me sounds conservative.
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Nissan will sell plenty of these diesel monsters, and I might be wrong but I rekon the perceived economy gains of diesel will really drive sales to the point where they outsell the petrol.
Toyota have blundered badly by installing the 200 killer wasps V6 into the RAV4. It isn’t selling and they’ve now provided Nissan an important point of difference with this classy euro diesel.
With loads of important safety gear as standard the award winning X Trail should now really climb the sales charts.
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July 29th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Paying the extra for an auto and losing the extra grunt - a tranny cooler wouldn’t cost that much extra would it? Stupid beancounters!!!
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July 29th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Congratulations must go to Nissan for being one of the first car manufacturers in this class to offer a diesel version. What puzzles me is why was it not available before now as it has been selling overseas for quite some time. Anyway, Nissan are on a winner here as I think the diesel models (being only around $1000 more than petrol equivalents) will become so popular that supply might be a problem.
Cheers !
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July 29th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Another good BUT ugly vehicle……i’ll wait and see what the Ford Kuga looks like in the metal coz the reviews and photo’s seem very good!!!!
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July 29th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
It would be interesting to see how well the diesel sells. I think Honda & Mitsubishi will have diesels’ by next year, this won’t be the only diesel in this segment. I think even the Mitsubishi Outlander outsell x-Trail.
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July 29th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Yep the latest version gets an award for flling out the ugly tree and hitting all the branches on the way down.
But this is more about diesel. A good move by Nissan. At a guess 99% of X-trails sold here (UK) are diesel powered. Much better for towing of course. Can’t help but think Toyota Australia are missing a whole market not having diesel ranges.
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July 29th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Yet another FWD car with a weak auto.
Beware of owning one of these out of warranty when the auto sh!ts itself.
People seem to like ugly cars - they are buying these, they buy the Prius, they buy Camrys, go figure.
I don’t think the bulk of the diesel latecomer manufacturers have any idea what it is that will cause a buyer to choose the diesel version.
It’s definately NOT an underpowered auto variant.
I think it has to have performance (ie, power/torque) that leaves the petrol version a long way behind. These fail that test, so they will not sell well.
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July 29th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Better than the previous dash.What is it with the speedo in the middle on those? yaris has that too.Would not buy a car with speedo in the middle!
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July 29th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Yeah, Auto could be a worry.
Same deal with the original Ford explorer.
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July 29th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Correct me if im wrong. Thought the Suzuki Vitara was the first of the tiddlers to wack a turbo diesel in.
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July 29th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Yeh right Trackdaze but a real crap version of Renaults engine not the same as this smoother unit. Come to Europe to see plenty of small diesel SUV’s, basically if it ain’t got a diesel in ti it won;t sell many. A la Subaru , now they have a diesel.
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July 29th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Have driven the following diesels Xtrail(manual), Tiguan (manual), Freelander (auto), and Outlander (CVT petrol) & so far the XTrail is the best of the bunch - I was surprised.
For space/cost/features etc, I think despite the rather bluff front, the XTrail diesel will be a success for Nissan. The diesel is one of the new generation which Australia is one of the first to get its hands on.
Some options missing : HID headlights, electrically folding external mirrors, autodimming rear vision mirror & sat nav, but these are minor.
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July 29th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Trackdaze, the Jeep Patriot and Compass had also diesel before this X-Trail! But at least the Vitary has a Low range transfer case.
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July 29th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
To true Tomas79. but somehow they dont rate. wrong side of the pacific maybe.
Too bad i cant get a vitara dual range with the 2.0Dci nissan engine for a Jeep price.
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July 29th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
When’s nissan bring the Qashqai+2 down under
much better looking - though looses a few cup holders…
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July 30th, 2008 at 10:32 am
The diesel X-Trail is a superb idea. You cannot get the best performance from a petrol engine in SUV/4WD guise and diesel engines seem far more suited to these saught of applications. The 360Nm for a 2.0L diesel seems actually quite impressive considering the 2.0L TDi in the Golf does 350Nm in 125kw guise. I would rather have the manual version personally as I dont find shifting some gears and using a extra pedal much of a hardship, though diesels are probably quite well-matched for diesels for the most part so its a shame a compromise was necessary there. Nissan have thought long-term putting a diesel in the range.
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July 30th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
I know this is a first steer not a full review but any idea on real world fuel economy figures for the manual/auto in city/hwy mode.
I have heard the front end of the X-Trail can dive excessively under hard deceleration. Wouldn’t the 100kg heavier diesel version exacerbate this or have they stiffened the front suspension on the diesel versions to counter the extra weight?
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July 30th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
what an ugly car! I can’t believe people would buy it. I driven one the suspension ride is nice but the new subie is better, besides when it comes to handling, subie beats it hands down. subie should built a LPG hybrid to make everyone looks silly…
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July 30th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I don’t think it looks ugly at all. I say congratulations on bringing a Turbo Diesel to the market although I don’t see why they can’t introduce the lower spec model with it? This will hurt sales in my eyes.
Anyway, the X-Trails biggest failure (personally) is a lack of reach adjustment in the steering. The CR-V has it but this doesn’t. At 200cm tall it is very important to me!
Seeing that I can’t afford either right now it is a moot point.
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July 30th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I agree with you Steven that the shape is not ugly & would have to say its an improvement over the old model. Of coarse looks are in the eye of the beholder but you made a very good point as to why they could not introduce a lower spec model & I also cannot think why they did not. Still, congratulations must go to Nissan for finally listening to the public & making the diesels available.
Cheers !
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July 30th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
After test driving one of these cars last week, I can say the X-trail diesel is an excellent drive. The engine is fantastic, and really makes the X-trail the diesel compact Suv class leader in terms of price/features. It will also do some moderate off-roading. They aren’t bringing in many this year, so they may be hard to get hold of.
I don’t believe they are ugly, maybe a bit boxy…. damn if you want a pretty car by a Pug….
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July 31st, 2008 at 4:41 pm
I would like to see a proper comparison of the Xtrail Vs Tiguan Vs Santa Fe Diesels head to head (Manuals). I am in the market for one of these.
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August 2nd, 2008 at 11:47 am
The FWD of the x-trail will mean bad handling. It s diesel competitors with fulltime 4WD/AWD such as Landrover Freelander and Suzuki Grand Vitara would be a better option.
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August 2nd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
It seems that Big Jim (after reading a few of his other posts) is still living in the 80’s. The Freelander has the honour of being the most recalled car in history and has lost nearly every comparison it has ever been in. They have shocks like a bicycle pump and handle like a whale on castors…yet because it is an AWD you are saying it handles better?
I remember years back when Motor tested the Integra type R (the good one), the WRX and the s15 200 sx back to back.
Fact was the quickest car point to point.
Lose the old-school approach and you will open yourself up to a world of FWD cars that can mess with the big boys.
Anyway, back on topic.
The x-trail seems to only sell well when Nissan run heavily discounted advertising campaigns. It’s just another me-too soft roader that looks good on paper but compromises on absolutely everything it’s supposed to excel at in the real world. Luckily though, somebody has their head screwed on right at the Nissan Oz in the pricing department and has not made the same blunder as other manufacturers by over-inflating the diesel option. Therefore Nissan will sell plenty of these (to the uninitiated - that believe that they need a diesel and dont know why) and most likely spell the end of the V6 Rav, OUtlander, Forrester GT and any other anti-social petrol soft roader.
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August 2nd, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Correction…Fact was the integra was the quickest point to point…
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August 2nd, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Fenno, sorry to be a car nazi, but the new Forrester Turbo is called the Forrester XT. Been that for quite a few models now.
And BIG JIM, the x-trail has the option of putting the car in AWD, so it’s not just a FWD car at all. When I test drove the TL X-trail, I made a note of sticking it into AWD mode, and it handled nicely, just like any other AWD car. For comparison, I drove the Forrester XS today, which is consistant 50-50 AWD, and it didn’t handle any better than the X-Trail…
Cheers,
Chris.
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August 2nd, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Fenno
Have you driven the Freelander2? I assume you are referring to the previous model for the recall history. I actually thought the new diesel model with the ZF automatic very good, but I don\’t drive autos on a daily basis. The suspension setup was no different to any other vehicle in this category.
I think the Nissan diesel (for those who do in excess of 30,000kms & also enjoy the odd weekend taking them off road) is an honest vehicle. I have been out with a 4wd club and seen a 75 series turn back from a path that the Xtrail and a few other so called \’soft roaders\’ with a bit of track pre-preparation got over. Realise the limitations and enjoy the capability.
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August 5th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Hi Guys.
I see a lot of different opinions about the new x-trail.
Well, I am in the lookout for a new (let call it) 4wd. I am going to retire soon buy a Caravan (about 1.6 tonnes, and 150 kgs down ball weight)and do the run most would like
but now with fuel prices going to the roof is becoming difficult. I would like to know if any of you has lift the suspension or any other modification to get it better. I have been looking aat the new Navara D22 but power and torque are well low that the x-tail. cheers.
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August 7th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Actually it was Hyundai who had the first diesel in this segment with the Santa Fe. Bought mine in 2006 and have never looked back. Almost 40k on the clock and still going like a train. Not a squeek or a rattle even after several beach runs and Mt Mee forest excursions.
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August 7th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
The Hyundai is a nice vehicle too, except how do you live with that foot operated parking brake!
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August 13th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Diesels have several advantages including better resale value, better torque and better fuel consumption.
The X-Trail manual has more torque than a Commodore auto (360 vs 330 Nm) and better fuel consumption (7.4 vs 10.9 L/100km). The Commodore is only slightly better for towing (2100 vs 2000 kg braked). Diesel is dearer, unfortunately, but the X-Trail will still save you $750 in fuel for 20,000 km, assuming diesel is $1.70 and ULP is $1.50/L.
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August 13th, 2008 at 11:54 am
John, I have the manual version of the Santa Fe and its handbrake IS in the normal position (beside the driver seat & console), not a foot brake as you assumed. In any case, such a minor matter would not detract from the overall great package Hyundai offer with their car.
Full marks to Nissan however. I certainly would have looked at this car also if it had been on offer 3 years ago! Now I’d wait for an update model with a more modern exterior. It’s already dated I’m afraid.
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August 23rd, 2008 at 9:11 am
Hi guys, been following this disscussion with interest as was supposed to upgrade my old X-Trail 4 months ago but convinced the boss it was worth the wait. Picked up new X-trail this week, already done one thousand kms and would have to say am so far pleased, average fuel consumption (according to the trip computer) 7.5 L/100km (even with the odd 120 km/h stint), not short of power to get around the odd road train and although nothing like a sports car handles quite well.
I can’t beleive some peoples critisisms of vehicles, sure it’s not going to win a modeling contest but than every thing in life is a compromise. It has the most floor space of any of its competitors (Rav4, Forrester, Captiva etc), uses less fuel than more expensive vehicles with the same floor space, and even tows more than some more expensive/larger rivals (Territory TX AWD requires a suspension upgrade to tow a 2 Tonne trialer approx $1500) and can’t say for certain but beleive it uses less fuel for similar kw/nm outputs of larger engines.
But all this being said, the decission on buying a car is reportadly 75% heart and 25% head.
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August 23rd, 2008 at 7:37 pm
After looking at all on offer in soft roader and wagon segments I ordered a TL Turbo Diesel Manual today. Personally I think that they are pretty ordinary looking(especially up against the new pug 308 HDi Touring that was the other final contender) but it has a number of good features and the boot size was a massive draw card in the end. I have driven a large variety of diesels in the past but this new engine is like a revelation compared to not so old diesel offerings. I am looking into suspension upgrades for a little more clearance but from what I have heard the X-Trail handles beach work reasonably well. A second set of wheels with All-Terrains is on the cards but I will take it out for a beach test before committing to the purchase. My 2 testdrives returned an average of 6.6l/100km on a 80km motor and included a bit more hard driving than I normally would engage in.
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August 31st, 2008 at 8:12 am
Hi guys,
It took a while for me to make my final decision, as I had been looking at a whole host of the soft roaders for quite some time. My final decision came down to the DDiS Grand Vitara and the Xtrail Dci. Both of them were nice cars and had their pros and cons, but what sealed the deal for me was the performance of the manual diesel xtrail. For a 2.0L, its responsiveness and mid range torque blew me away. So much so, I was never going to be happy with the Vitara knowing the xtrail’s motor and 6 speed gearbox existed.
I have had the car for 4 days now, and have just gotten back from a decent drive in it and it is returning 6.5L/100km (mostly highway, sitting between 100 and 120). It has plenty of grunt to overtake, and is very quiet at the higher speeds. So far, im very happy with the purchase
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September 9th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
I have also purchased a diesel X-Trail manual and am very happy with it. As mentioned above the large load area was a big factor, and after 3000km of mixed driving, it is returning 6.9 litres/100km! Very comfy suspension and ride also.
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