Honda CR-V vs Nissan X-TRAIL

What's the difference?

What a joy it is to drive such a complete, solid, refined car. Close to three years into its life, the sixth-gen Honda CR-V remains one of, if not the best mid-size mainstream SUV in Australia. I say ‘one of’ as I am yet to drive the new-gen Toyota RAV4 so I’ll wait to test that before giving a final judgement.

The new entry-grade VTi X e:HEV is a winner and you likely won’t need much more kit than what it offers. But you wouldn't regret paying a bit more for the extra spec in higher grades.

Aside from the lack of a space-saver spare wheel in hybrid grades, most of the other negatives are forgivable.

If you are looking for a mid-size family friendly SUV, please go and test drive the CR-V. Very few brands are doing things as well as Honda right now.

For its silver anniversary, the X-Trail in e-Power guise remains better than ever. And the flagship Ti-L makes a convincing, value-packed, well-equipped and enjoyable to drive luxury medium SUV alternative for the family. Its only glaring fault is the omission of a full-sized spare wheel.

But other than that, given the Nissan’s warranty, reputation and the fact that it's still so functional, economical, gutsy and easy to live with, the e-Power remains one of our favourite mid-size SUVs. Our choice would be the Ti, though, chiefly because of its comfier 19-inch wheels.

If you’re familiar with the sixth-generation CR-V that launched in late 2023 then you’re familiar with the 2026 version. No visual changes have been made, although the flagship RS now has gloss black mirror caps and door handles.

It is a handsome design for sure, but it doesn’t elevate the medium SUV segment, nor does it do anything different or interesting.

I remember thinking it already looked a bit old when it launched, specifically the entry-grade versions, and given there’s a lot more competition in the segment now, a nip and tuck would've helped.

Nothing has changed design-wise inside. It has an appealing but somewhat conservative design with cool elements like the honeycomb mesh horizontal panel housing the air vents, and the classy chrome dials.

For its 2026 facelift, the T33 X-Trail Series II gains a fussy new grille design, different LED lighting elements, reprofiled bumpers front and rear, new colours and restyled alloy wheels.

But, essentially, it looks very similar to the previous model that was released locally back in 2022. Meaning this is a good-looking machine.

Proportionally, as with all previous iterations, today’s X-Trail blurs the fine line between SUV and crossover-wagon in silhouette – much more so than the latest Subaru Outback (that’s classed in the category above) manages.

Dimensionally, it’s bang in the middle of its class: 4690mm long, 2065mm wide (mirrors out) and 1725mm tall with a 2705mm wheelbase. Note, the e-Power rides lower, with 187mm instead of 205mm of ground clearance.

Stepping inside, the X-Trail’s interior presentation is conservative and perhaps dated to some eyes, with its separate central touchscreen and instrumentation displays. But, precisely because of this, it is neither compromised nor frustrating to understand or operate, like the worst of the inexplicably minimalistic single-screen applications beloved by most Chinese brands today. Physical buttons abound. This Nissan is for everyday people and the cabin design reflects this.

The CR-V is a medium-size family SUV with a long history of practicality at its core, so it has to get the fundamentals right. And, largely, it does.

Up front the CR-V is a spacious car with ample head room and decent space across. The seats are well-bolstered and comfortable across the model grades. The seats in the RS are almost sports seats with ample side bolsters and black leather-appointed trim with red stitching, but I prefer the cloth trim of the VTi X.

Storage is handled by sizeable door bottle holders, a pair of cupholders up front and a big central bin, with a few other nooks for phones and the like.

Connectivity-wise there’s a pair of USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad on all grades. The multimedia screen is small by today’s standards, but it’s hard to fault its functionality. Large menu tiles are easy to identify and swipe through, and thankfully there is a separate space on the stack for air-con with actual buttons and dials. And the dials look great! Virtually every Chinese brand (and Tesla), please take note.

Google Built-in is a solid system as it allows you to log into your own Google account and access your saved places on Maps. I used this when I reviewed the Accord and barely needed to use Apple CarPlay. On the launch we mostly used CarPlay because of time limitations, and unlike when I attended the original sixth-gen CR-V launch, the Apple connection worked without fault.

Rear-seat space is ample, especially when it comes to leg, knee and toe room, but headroom is impacted in the RS by the panoramic sunroof. There’s scalloping in the roof to help with this, but my head (I’m 6ft tall) almost scrapes the roofliner.

Sadly the CR-V doesn’t have the ‘magic’ seats of other Honda models. That system allows you to fold the base upright on all three rear seats, or even remove the seat entirely, to allow for extra cargo space in the second row. The CR-V just has standard 60-40 split-fold seats.

You also get map pockets on the rear of both front seats, two more USB-C ports, fold-down armrest with cupholders, knee-level air vents and enough space for a small bottle in the doors.

The boot measures a healthy 589 litres for the five-seat petrol, as well as VTi X and L hybrid grades. That drops ever so slightly to 581L for the VTi LX and RS hybrids. And it’s just 150L for the seven-seater with the rear rows in place. The boot in the five-seat versions has a flat floor for easier loading of heavy items, as well as a 12V outlet, hooks, nooks and lights. It’s a decent, practical space.

Only the five-seat petrol grade has a full-size spare wheel. The seven-seat petrol has a space saver spare, while the hybrid has none at all - just a dismal tyre repair kit. That’s not good enough, Honda. Many of your hybrid rivals have at least a space-saver these days.

Large and rectangular, the X-Trail is sized and packaged to be used. Nowhere is this more obvious than using the wide doors, with the rear pair opening at almost a 90-degree angle to facilitate entry/egress.

Climb inside, and – as with all three previous-gen versions – there is an abundance of space for heads, legs and shoulders. Occupants sit up fairly high, with easy views afforded by a big windscreen and deep side windows.

Except that Nissan now uses much-better looking and feeling plastics than back then. Nobody is going to mistake the Ti-L for a Lexus, but quality and finish is beyond reproach. No squeaks or rattles to report here.

Aided by a fine driving position, the dash is pleasant to look at and simple to use. A new steering wheel, up-spec digital graphics and updated camera views help keep things relatively fresh.

Yet it is the basics that make this interface so sound. Clear and obvious switchgear for the very effective climate controls (and other vehicle functions) that feel good to the touch, logical menus within the responsive touchscreen, an enjoyably strong audio experience, wireless Apple CarPlay that never dropped out and a sense of no-nonsense solidity. Nissan’s been making cars for almost a century and it’s in the little things that show up big time here.

Likewise, 700km-plus in the front seats over a variety of road conditions reveal appreciable comfort and support. Factor in plentiful storage and sufficient all-round vision, and the X-Trail’s interior is difficult to criticise unless you’re nit-picking. A fiddly gear lever and a one-pedal braking button that’s a bit of a stretch for the driver are about it.

The back-seat area is as fine as we’ve experienced in any mid-sized SUV rival, with the Nissan dutifully ticking all the required spec boxes: USB ports, rear-facing air vents, cupholders within a 40/20/40-folding, sliding and reclining backrests and – in this Ti-L – separate climate control access. And don’t forget how usefully huge those rear doors are.

Further back, the X-Trail’s wagon-esque shape comes into play with a long, wide and flat load area, measuring in at 575 litres VDA (10L fewer than the petrol versions), extending to 1298L in two-seater mode.

But there are two points of contention.

Firstly, given the length of the load area, there are no remote-release handles for the backrests, so the user must use the side doors to lower them. This is an annoyance.

Secondly, and this is more serious, is the lack of spare wheel, period, in the e-Power models like ours. The space is taken up by some of the hybrid tech, resulting in a tyre repair kit instead. Regular readers will know our disdain for such compromises, as these cannot patch up larger punctures, ruin the tyre in smaller ones and are costly to replace. It’s such a rubbish solution.

Our advice is to seek an aftermarket space-saver wheel and jack kit, which do not cost much more than replacing just one ruined tyre and spent repair kit. When will this foolishness end? If Toyota can manage a spare in their RAV4 hybrid, others can as well.

A sour note to finish on an otherwise noteworthy interior experience.

Before we get started, here's a myth-busting fun fact.

That original 2001 T30 X-Trail in base ST manual grade cost over $60,000 (all prices are before on road costs) in today’s money. As all SUVs did back then, because Australia needed to protect our car-manufacturing industry with tariffs on imports like the Nissan. But, sadly, not any more.

Great news for today’s consumers though, since currently the most-expensive X-Trail – the Ti-L e-Power tested here from $58,215, before on-road costs – costs less than its cheapest predecessor of a quarter of a century ago adjusted for inflation.

And, naturally, today’s T33 generation comes with massively more features.

The Series II facelift brings improved 360-degree monitor functionality, including a new spooky-sounding ‘Skeleton Hood’ view of the road directly ahead, as well as the standardisation of the larger 12.3-inch touchscreen.

Additionally, service intervals have been extended, bolstering an already impressive available aftersales care package, while Nissan’s 'Connected Car' services app, offering remote-access, vehicle maintenance updates and alerts among other benefits, has been introduced. But it’s only free for the first three years. There’s also a decent wedge of advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) tech on all grades. More on those later on.

As before, there are four X-Trail grades for 2026, using largely the same nomenclature since 2001, and they’re probably easiest to tell apart externally by their (restyled) alloy wheels: ST, ST-L, Ti and Ti-L.

All come standard with Nissan’s PR25DD 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that, incredibly, has roots going all the way back to the 2001 original. In car parlance that’s known as 'proven' technology.

Now, the two cheapest X-Trails, the ST and ST-L from just over $38,140 and $42,540 respectively, come in either 2WD (front-wheel drive) or unique seven-seat AWD option, for $3000 extra, while the Ti and Ti-L petrol AWDs revert to being a five-seater-only configuration.

Actually, so are all of the EREV hybrid versions, which start from $48,915 for the ST-L e-Power, offering two electric motors – one on each axle ­– for AWD, raising prices by up to $4000, depending on specification.

But, as you’ll find out if you keep reading, we think going e-Power is worthwhile, as this behaves more like an electric vehicle (EV) than most hybrids, without needing to plug it in.

The Ti-L e-Power you see here scores most of the usual luxury trappings, like Nappa leather, Bose audio, tri-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, electric/heated front seats, absolutely brilliant adaptive LED headlights, a head-up display, automatic entry/locking, a powered tailgate and 20-inch alloys.

Even though it’s the most expensive X-Trail today, it remains fiercely competitive against most of its hybrid-only opponents from Japan and South Korea, like RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Subaru Forester.

China’s hybrid AWD and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) AWD alternative mid-sized SUVs are cheaper than all of the above, though all are yet to be proven in the longer term.

Pure petrol powered CR-Vs use Honda’s 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine that’s also found in the HR-V and ZR-V SUVs. In the CR-V, it pumps out 140kW of power and 240Nm of torque.

It is paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) driving the front wheels only.

The hybrid uses a 2.0-litre petrol engine combined with a hybrid setup and a shift-by-wire E-CVT. The total system output for the hybrid is 135kW and 335Nm. There’s a choice of two front- and two all-wheel-drive hybrid grades.

The CR-V’s power output is less than the RAV4 (143kW) and Forester (145kW), but it offers more torque than the latter (212Nm).

The X-Trail e-Power system is not a traditional hybrid set-up.

Instead of having an electric motor(s) and small battery assist an internal combustion engine (ICE) that does the driving (as per a Toyota hybrid), this one’s the other-way round: an ICE solely charging a larger battery that feeds an electric motor(s) that powers the driven wheels. No plugging in required. This is the essence of an EREV. The Holden Volt famously relied on such a system nearly 15 years ago.

In the X-Trail e-Power’s case, a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine making 106kW of power and 250Nm of torque is mated to a 2.1kWh battery, inverter and an electric motor on each axle (front: 150kW/330Nm - rear: 100kW/195Nm), for a combined 157kW and 525Nm, distributed to all four wheels.

That’s a lot more than the 135kW and 244Nm that the regular 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and CVT set-up can muster.

Fuel consumption for the petrol grades is 7.1 litres per 100 kilometres for the five seat VTi X, while the VTi L7 is a tad thirstier at 7.3L. CO2 emissions for the petrol SUV is 162-167g/km.

Front-wheel-drive hybrids sip 5.5L and all-wheel-drive versions consume 5.7L. CO2 emissions for the hybrids range from 125-131g/km.

Hybrid versions of the Kia Sportage drink between 4.9-5.3 litres, while the new-gen RAV4 sips just 4.5-4.6L. The CR-V is not the most efficient hybrid in the medium SUV segment, but it’s more frugal than most petrol engines.

The theoretical driving range of the CR-V hybrid is close to 1040km, while the petrol CR-V is 804km.

Both powertrains are rated for Euro 6b and they can both drink 91 RON fuel.

Requiring 95 RON premium unleaded petrol, the e-Power drinks from the more-expensive bowser. It also comes with a capless filler, saving clean hands from handling dirty caps. How European of this Japanese SUV!

Nissan reckons the e-Power averages 6.1 litres per 100 kilometres, which translates to 139 grams/km of carbon dioxide emissions. The Urban rating is just 6.4L/100km and Extra Urban returns 6.0L/100km.

In contrast, the petrol CVT AWD’s corresponding numbers are 7.8L, 10L and 6.5L, respectively.

Out in the real world, over 700km of at-times very demanding driving, we managed a tad under 6.9L/100km – which is what the trip computer also calculated – while, driven more frugally – it dropped to under 5.5L/100km.

That’s impressive stuff, meaning you can expect around 800km between refills even if you don’t care about fuel economy, and over 1000km if you do.

It’s been about two-and-a-half years since I attended the CR-V launch and it’s always good to reacquaint yourself with a car, particularly one I was so impressed with.

The CR-V has a few more rivals than when it first went on sale. A lot of them are from Chinese brands. But even with the fierce competition in the segment, the CR-V remains an absolute standout.

Honda didn’t have any petrol grades at the launch, which isn’t surprising given the Japanese carmaker expects hybrids will make up a whopping 85 per cent of CR-V sales by the end of this year.

The two-wheel-drive VTi X e:HEV is the most affordable hybrid grade and it should appeal to a lot of potential buyers. This does not feel like a base grade car in terms of the cabin or how it drives. The cloth seats are the only giveaway that it’s not a higher grade.

Honda engineers have managed to produce something rare - a silky-smooth hybrid system. The company is using the word ‘smooth’ in its TV ads for this car, but for once the ad execs got it right.

The powertrain operates on electric power until highway speeds but the transition to the petrol engine is seamless. If you floor the throttle you’ll hear the engine, but it’s a pleasant note. Certainly more appealing than the sound of Toyota’s petrol-electric hybrid on the go.

Acceleration is brisk enough for a car like this. Not overly quick, but it’s linear and the build up to higher speeds feels natural yet still urgent when required.

There is no whine from the electric CVT, in fact it is virtually unclockable. I don’t love the shift-by-wire transmission buttons. I’m fine with buttons rather than a traditional shifter generally, but it’s the layout of the Honda buttons that’s unnecessarily confusing.

When it comes to ride and handling, the CR-V excels.

The launch drive from Melbourne up through the Yarra Valley to Marysville features some of the best driving roads within an hour or so of the city. A carmaker would only include these roads in a test loop if it was confident of the vehicle’s dynamic ability.

In both two- and all-wheel drive guise, the CR-V hybrid exhibits excellent body control, thanks to a well-balanced chassis. It carves through tight, twisty sections like a car half its size and never feels like it will lose control.

The ride quality is hard to fault. Those roads are littered with shockingly large potholes, the sort that could damage a lesser car. The CR-V eats them up with barely a hint of disruption in the cabin. Given the rough ride of some newer rivals it’s a pleasure to drive a car with such a well-sorted suspension setup.

The cabin is well-insulated from external noise, but that engine note will be evident if you switch to Sport mode and give it a bootful.

There’s an overall feeling of quality behind the wheel of the CR-V. This company has been building cars for 60 years and it shows. I would happily live with a CR-V as my daily drive.

So, what's the X-Trail e-Power like?

Well, as it turns out, it marries really well with the Ti-L flagship, because it is a smooth, refined and sophisticated powertrain experience.

It's an EV first, and even though the petrol engine fires up and charges the battery regularly, pausing the electric dream for a few moments, it isn't noisy or buzzy, blending in with the general road, tyre and wind noise at speed. The ICE’s intervention is seamless, though it does rev away at a pre-set constant speed. That varies according to load and conditions, at between 2400rpm and 4800rpm.

That’s the theory. In practice, the X-Trail e-Power’s performance is one of its greatest attributes.

As with all good EVs, this one’s silky smooth and quiet as it zips away from standstill, whooshing forward with a determined, even lively, attitude. Turn the (cumbersome) driver selector to 'Sport' mode and the throttle response reacts accordingly, for rapid point-to-point performance. Give the 1900kg Nissan it’s head on a long empty road, and this thing can be downright fast. Hauling around 83kW per tonne, we recorded a 0-100km/h sprint time of seven seconds flat.

And here’s the thing. When the battery starts running low, there’s no shortfall in performance as you find in many PHEVs that feel neutered at this point, since the peaky little engine is feeding electricity back into the battery that drives the motors. It’s all so effortless.

Speaking of recharging, a single-pedal function provides a noticeable amount of braking off-throttle, collecting that otherwise wasted energy back into the system. It won’t bring the car to a full stop, though, and is not adjustable as per many rivals’ paddle-shifter-actuated systems. Maybe a suggestion for the next-gen model.

Underneath is a Renault/Nissan/Mitsubishi Alliance platform, complete with struts up front and a multi-link rear suspension set-up, imbuing the X-Trail with a solid, dynamic European flavour. The steering is light yet nicely weighted, for a sense of connection and balance.

It isn’t quite as agile through fast corners as, say, a Mazda equivalent might be, as the e-Power is a bit too top-heavy to be considered sporty and athletic, but there’s control and grip for days. No doubt the Ti-L’s 20-inch Michelin Primacy tyres help here. And, at highway speeds in teeming rain, the AWD grip feels reassuring.

Speaking of big wheels, the ride is surprisingly okay. Firm but never unyielding or crashy over bumps, the electrified Nissan is comfortable enough. The Ti e-Power’s smaller 19-inch rubber reveals a more supple and isolated ride experience, and without any dynamic degradation, so that’s what we’d choose. And they’d be less prone to occasional tyre drone to boot.

Finally, there’s the X-Trail’s overall suitability to Australian roads from an ADAS point of view. Working away in the background, the Ti-L’s driver-assist tech does not bombard you with unsolicited buzzes or sudden jolts of the wheel. Once, the auto emergency braking (AEB) did gently activate at speed through a heavily-trafficked curve, and the lane-departure light regularly blinks discreetly away, but never to a bothersome, distracting degree. And meanwhile, some Chinese companies question the need for Australian road tuning. Fail.

Overall, then, the latest X-Trail e-Power remains enjoyable and even enriching vehicle to live with, being both a mainstream family car and grand touring SUV. In this context, the sub-$60K pricing seems like a bargain. This Nissan deserves to sell better.

Based on the related but smaller Qashqai SUV’s results, the previous X-Trail managed a maximum five-star ANCAP crash-test rating back in 2021, and Nissan expects the 2026 model to do the same.

All grades feature Nissan’s 'Pro-Pilot' driver-assistance systems, including AEB front and rear with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep systems, adaptive cruise control, a driver fatigue monitor, auto high beam, traffic sign recognition and seven airbags. Note the latter includes curtain airbags that reach all outboard occupants.

The previous X-Trail’s AEB kicks in from 5.0-130km/h, pedestrian and cyclist AEB from 5.0-80km/h and the lane support systems operate between 60-250km/h.

Also fitted are ISOFIX child-seat latches to the outboard rear seats, along with a trio of top tether anchorage points.

Honda’s ownership proposition is solid, thanks to renowned reliability and an extensive dealer network across the country (more than 80).

The CR-V is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Yes, that term length looks a bit average by today’s standards when so many have seven and 10-year terms. However, Honda offers an additional three years - bringing it to eight - if you service with Honda dealers.

Nissan and Mitsubishi advertise a 10-year warranty, but it’s conditional, as long as you service with their dealer network. The difference is Honda promotes it as an add-on, whereas Nissan and Mitsubishi splash the 10-year figure first and foremost, with caveats. Honda’s marketing of its warranty just feels a bit more authentic. 

Hybrids come with an eight-year battery warranty, too.

The service schedule is every 12 months or 10,000km. That would be more competitive if it was 15,000km.

But the rest of the aftersales offer is excellent. It includes five years of roadside assistance and services are capped at just $199 per visit for the first five years.

At the time of publishing, Nissan offers a 10-year, 300,000km conditional warranty if you choose to service your car at an authorised Nissan dealer. That's up from the brand’s regular five-year, unlimited kilometres and it leads the industry now.

Nissan has also extended X-Trail service intervals from 10,000km to 15,000km annually, while offering capped-price servicing as well as roadside assistance for the first five years.

The first five annual services cost $399 each, then are $565, $392, $562, $470 and $725 for years six to 10, respectively.

Finally, as of January this year, there were 177 Nissan dealer outlets throughout Australia.