Nissan X-Trail long-term test
Promising to combine seven-seat practicality with the low running costs of a hybrid, the Nissan X-Trail sounds great on paper – but what's it like in reality?...
The Car Nissan X-Trail Tekna+ e-4ORCE Run by Jonty Renk, senior videographer
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 3600 List price £48,095 Target Price £43,317 Price as tested £50,240 Official economy 42.8mpg Test economy 38.8mpg
11th December – Winter warmers
When my Nissan X-Trail first arrived, I wondered whether I’d come to regret my decision to spend extra on luxurious Tekna+ trim, rather than sticking with something cheaper. However, with the frosty mornings we’ve been experiencing recently, I’ve been thankful I did. That’s because my car comes with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, which have kept me toasty warm while the weather outside has turned frightful.
Even better, the controls for those heated elements are physical, so I can reach to turn them on or off rather than delving into a touchscreen menu like you have to do in some rivals.
I’ve also been impressed at the speed with which those heated parts activate – combined with the heated windscreen, which clears the inside of my car from fogging up in record time. I’m usually being suitably heated by the time I reach the end of my street.
Speaking of the windscreen, it’s the subject of a small niggle. You see, my car comes with automatic wipers which activate once a certain amount of water has hit the screen. And even on its most virulent setting, too much rain splatters before the wipers activate. It’s a first-world problem I know, but considering how much rain we’ve had in recent weeks, it’s an annoyance which occurs rather regularly.
Partly to escape the winter weather, I’m taking my car on a trip to Europe in the coming days, where it’ll be put to work helping to produce content for the What Car? YouTube channel. How will it get on? That’s the subject of my next report.
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