Nissan Hi-Cross is our next X-Trail

Nissan is shy about confirming right now, but.....

The slab-sided Nissan X-Trail will morph into a more curvaceous model based on the looks of the mid-sized Hi Cross SUV concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show.

Nissan product head Andy Palmer says the Hi Cross is more than just a styling exercise and cites the hybrid drivetrain as an example of what will power upcoming Nissan SUVs.

The seven-seater concept pairs an electric motor and batter sourced from the Leaf with a 2.0-litre direct injection four-cylinder engine to reduce fuel use and CO2 emissions.

Palmer says that equates to similar performance as that found in a 2.5-litre engine. The trade-off will be in the four-wheel drive system. The Hi Cross's hybrid powertrain was developed for front-wheel drive vehicles and then customised to give an on-demand all-wheel drive system.

The system also uses Nissan's Xtronic continuously variable transmission, which the company says can cut fuel use by up to 10 per cent.

The Hi-Cross is bigger in every dimension except height than the existing X-Trail, reflecting the trend among all carmakers to "grow" each generation of a given product.

"The Hi in Hi-Cross doesn't just mean high riding, it means high technology that's eco-friendly. It means high value and it means high excitement," Palmer says.

"Nissan created the crossover segment with Murano and has expanded the genre with top selling cars like Qashqai (sold as the Dualis in Australia) and Juke. Hi-Cross Con cept shows we are not sitting still, but exploring ways of cementing our crossover leadership by exploring new ideas."