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2022 Nissan X-Trail features and engine details finally revealed: Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, Kia Sportage rival to gain latest in-car and safety tech

Nissan has revealed initial specifications for its new-generation X-Trail SUV ahead of its showroom debut in the second half of this year.

The Japanese car maker is in the midst of a massive product renewal that kicks off with the Z coupe mid-year and will be followed by the X-Trail, as well as the new Qashqai and Pathfinder that are all launching at a very similar time.

But it is the X-Trail that will provide Nissan with the biggest volume, with the company expecting the new medium SUV to overtake the Navara as its best-selling model.

As expected, the new X-Trail will be powered by a carryover 2.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine that has been revised for the new-gen model.

This is the same powertrain found in the freshly launched Mitsubishi Outlander with which the X-Trail shares its Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance CMF-C platform.

Power and torque have increased by 9kW and 19Nm respectively so the X-Trail now outputs 135kW and 245Nm - the same figures as the Outlander.

The engine is matched with a revised continuously variable transmission (CVT) and it will be available in both front (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) guise. The AWD variants come with multiple driving modes (road, snow, auto, eco, sports) and hill descent control to assist with light off-roading.

Nissan has upped towing capacity by 500kg to 2000kg for the new model, which is more than the Toyota RAV4’s 1500kg capacity.

Eventually Nissan is expected to add a hybrid version, dubbed e-Power, that will also roll out in the smaller Qashqai, and will give Nissan a direct rival for the wildly popular Toyota RAV4 hybrid.

Safety gets a big uptick in the new X-Trail, with auto emergency braking with cyclist, pedestrian and junction detection, rear cross traffic alert, emergency lane keeping, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control and blind-spot warning and intervention all standard across the range.

Other new safety and multimedia tech roll out in the new X-Trail but many of those features are reserved for higher grades.

In terms of model grades, the ST+ has been dropped and the range is now topped by a new Ti-L flagship. But the entry level X-Trail will continue to carry the ST badge.

The entry level ST standard features include 17-inch alloy wheels, front and rear LED lights, roof rails, high-beam assist, a reversing camera and sensors, and an 8.0-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto.

Moving up to the ST-L adds 18-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, fog lights, a surround-view monitor, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, sliding rear seats, front parking sensors, synthetic leather trim and the Pro Pilot lane keeping and self steering active safety system.

The Ti ups the alloy wheel size to 19 inches, and adds leather-accented seating, a panoramic sunroof, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, tri-zone climate control and a power operated tailgate.

Multimedia gets a lift in the Ti with a 12.3-inch touchscreen with sat-nav, a 10.8-inch Head-Up Display, wireless phone charging and wireless Apple CarPlay, as well as a 12.3-inch TFT digital driver display.

Finally the Ti-L flagship features a heated steering wheel, Bose 10-speaker sound system, full Nappa leather seating with memory seat function, rear sunshades, a hands-free rear tailgate, and remote engine start.

Nissan is expected to offer five- and seven-seat versions of the X-Trail but the company hasn’t announced which grades will come with a third seating row.

Pricing and full specification is being held back until closer to the model’s launch.

Tim Nicholson
Managing Editor
Calling out the make and model of every single car he saw as a toddler might have challenged his parents’ patience, but it was clearly a starting point for Tim Nicholson’s journey into automotive journalism. Tim launched the program, Fender Bender, on community radio station JOY 94.9 during completion of his Master of Arts (Media and Communications). This led to an entry role at industry publication GoAuto, before eventually taking the role of Managing Editor. A stint as RACV’s Motoring Editor – including being an Australia’s Best Cars judge – provided a different perspective to automotive media, before leading him to CarsGuide where he started as a Contributing Journalist in September 2021, and transitioned to Senior Editor in April 2022, before becoming Managing Editor in December 2022.
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