Nissan X-Trail long-term test: report 7

The Car Nissan X-Trail Tekna+ e-4ORCE Run by Jonty Renk, video production manager

Why it’s here To prove that you can still buy an SUV that is both sporty and utilitarian

Needs to Offer a versatile and practical space for camera gear and triathlon equipment, be more frugal than a petrol-engined SUV and carry up to seven people comfortably.

Mileage 7103 List price £48,095 Target Price £43,317 Price as tested £50,240 Official economy 42.8mpg Test economy 39.9mpg

25 February 2025 – The way it works

When we first got our hands on the new Nissan X-Trail for a video review some three years ago, I asked our head of video Doug Revolta to explain to me what ePower was and how it worked.

You see, I found the car intriguing because, while filming the review, I was trying to make sense of why Doug was describing the X-Trail as basically an electric car (EV), but one that you only put fuel in – meaning you never have to wait more than five minutes to top up.

I found the explanation fascinating: the X-Trail has a petrol engine, but it only acts a generator. It's sole job is to charge a battery, acting as somewhat of a range extender like the setup in the Mazda MX-30 REV. However, unlike the MX-30 REV, the ePower system doesn't give you the option to plug in and charge the battery yourself, as you would in an electric car.  

In my X-Trail (which is a four-wheel-drive version), the battery then powers four electric motors – one on each wheel. The result is good fuel economy and smooth EV driving without having to fuss about with any charging cables. 

I've had countless compliments about how quiet the X-Trail is around town, with some passengers going so far as to ask if it's actually an EV. This admittedly has led to me being called a nerd each time I’ve explained the inner workings of the system, but I quite enjoy explaining it.

The system does have its flaws during motorway driving, though. When you get beyond 60mph, the four electric motors begin to whine away. It's the kind of high pitch sound that you'd find fish and chip shops of the early 2000s playing to deter loitering teenagers, which is quite annoying. Still, it's nothing turning up the volume on the stereo can't fix.

What's more, while it's mostly a blessing not to have to worry about charging the car myself, I sometimes find myself wondering if it'd be better to at least have the option. Unlike a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), the X-Trail ePower can't drive very far without the petrol engine needing to spring into action to charge the battery. If it were a PHEV with a decent all-electric range, that would lower its CO2 figure – which currently stands at an uncompetitive 144g/km – and therefore lower your company car tax bills too.

Plus, if I could keep the battery topped up myself (preferably using a cheap overnight energy tariff) I'd spend even less on fuel, too. Why has Nissan resisted doing this? Well, I imagine it's because it might also mean a larger, heavier battery and a higher list price as a result. As ever, then, it's about compromise, but the X-Trail's setup is still innovative in my book.

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