Nissan X-TRAIL 2012 News

Buying a used car is difficult enough in normal times.

Flares have never gone out of fashion in Japan and the annual Tokyo Auto Salon shows why.

... some buyers are actually taking advantage of their "softroader's" off-road capability by venturing - well, off road. Plenty are suburban tractors all their lives but some actually get dirty. And there's a growing trend for women to get into the bush and go four wheel driving. Plenty of women are taking the big, stump jumping, mud plugging, bush bashing family 4WD "truck"  but a growing number are departing the bitumen in "sensible off roaders" like the Nissan X-Trail, a dual purpose vehicle that is eminently capable off the beaten track (not the 2WD model). X-Trail is hovering around the top of the segment in sales and has been here for a decade and through four re-vamps. Some 113,000 have been sold. There is a bewildering range of them available with front wheel drive 2.0-litre petrol power and 4x4 in 2.5 petrol and 2.0-litre turbo diesel. Add in four or five specification grades and auto (CVT and six speed) and six-speed manual transmission and you get the picture. There's an X-Trail for just about everybody. Compact SUVs and the X-Trail in particular lend themselves to occasional off road driving in moderate conditions because they are simple to drive and feature locking 4x4 mode as well as on-demand 4x4. On demand uses sensors that detect wheel slip on the driven front wheels to channel drive to the rear wheels as well. It is an OK system but does have some drawbacks which is why the locking 4x4 mode is so handy off road. The X-Trail uses an electronic system to switch from front wheel to all wheel drive and it's quite adept. But better still on the new models is hill descent control, hill start assist and other features to make off road driving easy. The new autos are great for the dirt because they are adaptive - meaning they change the way they operate to suit driving conditions, and a driver can keep both hands on the wheel all the time with an auto. Definitely an advantage off road. X-Trail has 212mm of ground clearance and a comfortable and supple suspension that capably isolates rough roads. The 11.0 metre turning circle is acceptable but the steep approach and departure angles are impressive. Some state governments foster off road driving courses tailored for various groups including women. The focus is put on a range of skills and knowledge needed to successfully and safety drive off road. Things like: 4WD characteristics and handling. Pre-departure checks. Steep ascents and descents. Side slopes. Basic navigation. Water crossings. Negotiating all types of terrain. Recovery equipment. It's all good clean fun and has been designed to have as light a footprint on the environment as possible. Get going.

There were a handful of hybrids, and a few fuel cell techno treats, but all the real action was just what you would expect in the style-conscious French capital: fast and flashy.Diesel was very big, and there is a lot more to come for Australia, but the headliners at the show were cars that proved there is life in the automobile for many years yet.Audi finally had its R8 supercar ready for the road and then announced it would be coming out to Sydney for the Australian International Motor Show this month.The Mini was bigger, Volkswagen previewed its born-again Scirocco coupe, and Australia tipped in with the outrageous Chevrolet WTCC Ultra, which points directly to the next Holden Viva hatch.Toyota had a thinly disguised and underwhelming new Corolla that looked like a fluffed-up Yaris, Renault finally got into four-wheel drives with its Koleos and previewed the next baby Twingo. Suzuki showed the car it will make in India.Ferrari pulled crowds with the Pininfarina P4/5 custom supercar, as did Alfa Romeo with its 8c Competizione, which will quickly become a hero car for Italy."Europe is still into premium cars," says Michael Simcoe, the Australian design guru who is now based in Detroit with General Motors."All the brands are looking to move up because that's where you get your profit. People are all about being noticed here, so the fuel price doesn't matter."Simcoe had a solid take on Paris, the last serious overseas international show of 2006."This show is growing. GM's presence here is much better than ever before, with a real effort to understand Europe. And it, like all shows around the world, is seeing a lot more non-European stuff. It says a lot about the way the international market is developing."So, too, is the growing emphasis on diesel hero cars, which are driving the economy end of the business in Europe and will soon be making much more of an impact at the top end.But the Audi R8 and the Alfa 8c, which both looked great and are seen as threats to Ferrari and Porsche, were up in lights with old-fashioned petrol power. The Alfa boasts 313kW and a 0-100km/h time that should be in the sub-five second range. The Audi R8 is much more than just another concept car.It, like the Alfa, is a genuine road runner.It is a full-on two-seater with a 309kW, 4.2-litre engine that also punches out 430Nm of torque. The performance numbers are simple and brutal: top speed of 301km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint in 4.6 seconds.There is no news yet on price or delivery dates for Australia, but the R8 should be coming and will stick out in a crowd with its radical body — and the latest use of Audi's confronting frontal treatment.The other production heroes included, surprisingly, the chunky Dodge Nitro and Jeep Commando, which drew plenty of interest to the Americans, the vital new Volvo C30 compact and even the sporty Honda Civic Type R, still only a maybe for Australia.Nissan had the X-Trail based Qashqai that is likely Down Under, but there was no sign of the all-new Smart fortwo, even though Paris is packed with the funky little city runabouts.And then there were the concepts.Ford previewed the adventurous new Mondeo, which should be top of the shopping list for Ford Australia thanks to some of the best design work yet from the blue oval brand. What it does do is point to design elements in the new Falcon, due in 2008.Ford Australia's Sinead McAlary says: "Kinetic design is, if you like, the new global DNA of Ford and elements of it will be evident in the Falcon. That is not to say you are going to see a grille like that on a Falcon but there will be recognisable design language."Citroen was outrageous with its C-Metisse, while Renault tested the water for a rear-drive flagship with its Nepta, while pushing towards showrooms with the Koleos and Twingo, and Peugeot went racy with its 980RC.The Volkswagen Iroc is the template for the return of the Scirocco coupe, and looked brilliant with Kermit-green bodywork. Australians will also see production versions of the Hyundai Arnejs concept, which will be the next Accent, and Kia Cee'd twins — hatch and wagon — before long.Paris also featured lots of Chinese cars. Most looked like early South Korean work, or straight rip-offs of existing models, but demonstrated that the world's fastest growing car brands are looking for international expansion. At least one local importer — Ateco, run by Neville Crichton — took a very close look.