YOU COULD DESCRIBE the X-Trail as the Qashqai’s practical bigger brother. They both look quite similar until you put them side by side and notice the size difference – the X-Trail is larger all round. It’s taller, longer and wider.
That is partially due to the fact that the X-Trail is a seven seater – well, it has the option of being a seven-seater. My test car did indeed have those extra seats.
With just the three seats in place in the back, there is plenty of leg and headroom all round. But those extra two seats? Well, they are just for children as adults would be too cramped back there.
Furthermore, the legroom for the middle passengers will be compromised with the sixth and seventh seats in place as the middle row has to move forward to accommodate the extra passengers.
There is a very large and useful boot that can hold 445 litres. This can expand to a massive 1,982 litres with the rear seats folded – although with all seven seats in place, the boot space drops to just 135 litres.
However, those extra two seats in the third row do split 50/50 to give some flexibility and there is virtually no loading lip so sliding things in and out of the boot is very easy. With the seat tumbled the loading bed is also flat.
The rest of the cabin has plenty of storage and cubby spaces and the materials are a good mix of soft and hard plastics. The seats are comfortable and have good amounts of adjustment and the centre console is well laid out and easy to use.
Although I did mention earlier that the X-Trail is bigger than its Qashqai sibling it isn’t as big as it first appears to be. In fact, it is 17cm shorter and 2cm narrower than the Ford Mondeo.
Nevertheless, the driving position is good and high and you have a great command of the road from behind the wheel – making the seven-seat X-Trail quite easy to manoeuvre. This is also helped by its nimble and light steering.
That 1.6-litre diesel makes 130hp and 320Nm of torque which is adequate enough to get the X-Trail moving as the SUV is quite lightweight at just over one-and-a-half tonnes. With all seven seats full and luggage on board that may be a different story, but Nissan is only offering this one engine with the car.
It comes in three trim levels, XE, SV and SVE and prices start at €29,995 for the XE five-seat version and €33,250 for the XE seven-seat model.
Overall, the X-Trail is a good option for large families. The driving position and visibility are great and it is easy to manoeuvre around town as well as being comfortable out on the open road. It is practical and rugged and even entry-level models come well equipped with an array of driver-friendly features.
These make the car feel safe and well planted out on the road and this instils confidence behind the wheel. Definitely one to put on your car shopping list.
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