Nissan X-TRAIL vs Renault ZOE

What's the difference?

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.

The Renault Zoe is a fun to drive, ultra-efficient, practical little hatch. But the dollar-shaped elephant in the room is its price. Without the government ZEV subsidies offered in other markets, it's wickedly expensive, and with fresh competition in the shape of a new 'normalised' Nissan Leaf coming soon it'll have to work hard to wean more than a handful of small-car buyers off their fossil-fuel addiction.

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.

Renault claims no less than 60 patents came out of the Zoe's development, but while BMW's i3 is as hip as Kendrick Lamar on his third encore, and even Toyota's long-serving Prius hybrid still looks ready to roll onto the set of the next Avengers movie, this little hatch isn't shouty at all.

It seamlessly merges into the automotive landscape. A cute, small car with a few flashy blue bits in its head and tail-lights giving the only clue to its distinctly unusual internals.

Underpinned by the same platform as the Clio (with an identical wheelbase) the Zoe is slightly longer (+21mm), fractionally thinner (-2mm) and quite a bit taller (+114mm) than its conventionally powered sibling.

Lead exterior designer  Jean Sémériva has literally left his mark on the car, with a full-size thumb print applied in low-relief to the rear door handles. Nice touch.

And monsieur Sémériva has shown admirable restraint in a cool design combining soft curves around the nose, front guards and rear end, with sharp character lines top and tailing the car's flanks.

Vaguely diamond-shaped tail-lights mix a clear lens cover with those nifty blue highlights and brilliant LEDs for an arresting brake and indicator display.

Open the door and a similar blend of tech and tradition creates a clean and simple interior, with strategically placed bright-metal finishes highlighting key elements.

A broad TFT digital instrument screen sits under a minimalist hood, with the 7.0-inch 'R-Link' multimedia screen dominating a central stack lifted by a shiny black face and an illuminated blue keyline around the heating and ventilation controls.

A printed circuit pictogram on the front headrests and left-hand side of the dash is a creative reminder of the Zoe's means of propulsion. And the front seats feature a decorative curved panel, defined by dark piping on each side of the backrest.

Tech highlights include the TomTom Live nav system's ability to describe a circle showing the car's operational radius on current charge, determining whether you can reach a nominated destination. It also taps you into weather updates, traffic danger zones and Renault Assistance.

Plus, the drive-management system can report on energy usage and assess driving behaviour, so lead foots have nowhere to hide.

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.

Like most compact hatches the Zoe offers plenty of space up front and gets a bit squeezy in the back. Although the first surprise is that there's no height adjustment for either front seat.

Happily that wasn't a big issue. At 183cm I was still able to find a good driving position, with storage running to two cupholders (one small, one laughably tiny), plus a pen slot and two oddments trays in the centre console. The second of those trays houses a 12-volt outlet, SD card slot, 'aux-in' jack and USB port.

There are small bottleholders and storage pockets in each front door, a medium-size (7.0-litre) glove box with an open tray above it, and a small tray on the lower part of the dash on the driver's side.

Rear head and legroom is passable for a car of this size, but storage is limited to modest door bins and a single cupholder at the back of the centre console.

However, it's cargo space where the Zoe really raises eyebrows, with 338 litres available (to the parcel shelf) with the single piece rear seatback (as in, it doesn't split-fold) upright.

That's enough to easily swallow our three-piece hard suitcase set (35, 68 and 105 litres), or the CarsGuide pram. In fact, we were able to fit the largest suitcase and the pram at the same time, which is mighty impressive for a city-sized hatch. Push the rear seat flat and space grows to 1225 litres (to the roof), which is heaps.

Carpeting for the boot has been sourced from the cheap 'n' cheerful bin, but there are D-shaped anchor shackles, decent lighting and handy bag hooks back there.

The boot's unlikely volume is partly due to the absence of a spare of any description, a repair/inflator kit being your only option. And in case you were wondering, towing is "prohibited" (Renault's word, not mine).

Built at Renault's Flins plant, 40km west of Paris, on the same line as the Clio, the Zoe's offered in two grades; Life ($47,490, before on-road costs), and Intens ($49,490 BOC) as tested here.

That's big bucks for a little car. At just under $50,000 you're looking at internal-combustion competitors like the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, and Merc A-Class. And while the Zoe's a long way from spartan, it's an equal distance away from luxurious.

That said, the standard features list includes, climate control (with remote 'pre conditioning' activation), 16-inch 'Black Shadow' alloy rims, cruise control, 3D Arkamys audio (with DAB radio, voice recognition, two 'boomer' speakers, two rear bi-cone speakers, and two tweeters), 'Renault Smartkey' keyless entry and start, auto headlights, and rain-sensing wipers.

Plus, you also get rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, the 7.0-inch 'R-Link' multimedia system (with 'Text to Speech' function), one-touch driver's window (the base Life grade misses this), a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear knob plus black and grey cloth trim (with snazzy contrast stitching).

The DRLs may be LED but the headlights are halogen (a sure sign of this car's age), Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are MIA, and metallic paint, as per 'our' car's 'Zircon Blue' finish is $550 extra. 'Glacier White' is the only no-cost option from six available shades.

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.

The Zoe is powered by Renault's R90 synchronous electric motor, producing 68kW from 3000-5000rpm and 225Nm from step-off. Drive goes to the front wheels through a single reduction gear auto transmission.

Claimed acceleration for the city-specific 0-50km/h run is a handy 4.0sec, with the more grown-up 0-100km/h sprint taking a leisurely 13.2sec. Flat biscuit is 135km/h.

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.

None. Next question...

You can have the argument about fuel consumed and source emissions produced in generating the energy required to charge the Zoe's battery, but the fact is this car doesn't consume any fossil fuel and produces zero tailpipe emissions. Helped by the fact it doesn't have a tailpipe.

When launched in 2016, the Zoe's upgraded 41kWh 'Z.E. 40' high-energy lithium-ion battery ranked as the highest energy density automotive unit available.

Developed in collaboration with LG Chem in South Korea, it houses 12 modules (of 16 cells each) for a total of 912 individual cells and weighs in at 305kg.

Renault lists a driving range of 403km for the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), with a real-world number of 300km a more realistic estimate. And that's almost exactly the range we achieved over a mix of city, suburban and freeway running in seven days with the car. Using overnight electricity rates, a full charge should average less than $8.00.

The Zoe's on-board 'Chameleon' charger allows it to be charged using different power levels (single or three-phase) through the same socket, from 3kW up to 22kW. A Type 2 charging cable (6.5m) for wall box and public charging points (in a natty canvas Z.E. bag) is included with the car.

According to Renault, a wall-box charger (not included with the car) is typically $1600 to $2000 for a residential installation and a mid-range 11kW unit will allow you to charge up in around four hours. High-powered 'Fast' and even juicier 'Rapid' charging points would reduce that time appreciably.

The dash indicator displays charge level and remaining range calculated over the last 200km of driving. A reset function can drop that to an average of the last 30km.

We'll touch on it further in the Driving section but regenerative braking, low-rolling resistance tyres, and 'Eco' mode (reducing air-con load and motor output) are big contributors to maximum range.

And while cabin cooling comes courtesy of a conventional a/c unit, heating is far more exotic. The Zoe's 'Heat Pump' system traps calories in the ambient air outside the car, with a pump compressing and heating them, then directing the heated air into the car, with no impact on range. Super clever.

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.

Some believe cars have a soul, but the Renault Zoe expresses its feelings with a distinctive accent, the car's 'Z.E. Voice' function giving an audible warning to pedestrians up to 30km/h (when wind and tyre noise take over).

The whirring hum sounds like The Beach Boys warming up the theremin for a rendition of 'Good Vibrations'. Spooky and fun in equal measure.

Like all electric cars the Renault Zoe accelerates quickly from rest, thanks to the motor's ability to deliver maximum torque (225kW) from step off.

At 1480kg (battery 305kg) the Zoe is 177kg lighter than an equivalent Clio, so it's snappy in its natural city habitat, but thrust begins to taper off markedly around the 55-60km/h mark.

The single-speed, reduction gear automatic transmission combines with the motor's sewing-machine smoothness to provide close to perfect drive delivery.

Sitting on the same 'B platform' as the Clio (and 20 other Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance models) the Zoe features a strut front, beam rear suspension set-up.

Ride comfort is surprisingly good for such a small hatch, and the battery's location under the floor sets up a centre of gravity 35mm lower than the Clio's, so despite a 59 per cent front/41 per cent rear weight distribution, the car feels well planted in corners.

...the dash graphic – a blue AA-style battery surrounded by rising rings of energy – is reminiscent of 'the machine man' animating in Fritz Lang's Metropolis.

The standard 16-inch alloy wheels are shod with Michelin Energy E-V low-rolling-resistance tyres (195/55), which won't win you pole on a qualifying lap, but are commendably quiet.

There are three driving modes, with the dash graphics aligning to each – Eco (green), Neutral (blue), and Dynamic (violet).

But ECO mode should be reserved for hardcore environmental warriors only. Press the console-mounted button and power from the motor is reduced and air-con output is limited.

It may increase range by a claimed 10 per cent, but what price your sanity? This setting sucks out the car's will to live, and thankfully a second press of the button or pinning the throttle pedal to the floor sees full-strength service resumed. Phew.

The regenerative deceleration and braking system distributes braking force between the clamping of the brake pads and the engine on over-run to maximise battery charge.

While the BMW i3's regen system will have you head-butting the steering wheel (not really) when you get off the throttle, the Zoe's system is more subtle, and watching the dash graphic – a blue AA-style battery surrounded by rising rings of energy – is reminiscent of 'the machine man' animating in Fritz Lang's Metropolis.

Speaking of brakes, the fronts are relatively delicate 258mm vented discs and the 9.0-inch rear drums look like miniature versions of the elaborately fluted units found on 1920s Grand Prix racers. They're beautiful and work well.

Some niggles. The wipers skip and stutter in light rain, the lightweight doors feel clangy when you close them, and the R-Link multimedia system is annoyingly flaky when recognising content (or not) via Bluetooth or USB from a mobile device.

The Zoe hasn't been assessed by ANCAP but was awarded a maximum five-star ranking by EuroNCAP in 2013, with annual reviews allowing it to maintain that score through to April this year.

Active crash prevention tech includes ABS, EBD, EBA, ESC, traction control, tyre-pressure-loss sensors, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

But forget about more recent systems like AEB, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alerts or adaptive cruise.

Interestingly, the Zoe continuously monitors the state of each cell in the battery pack and will switch off current immediately if it senses an overheating-style abnormality.

If an impact is unavoidable the airbag count runs to six - driver and passenger front, front side (head and thorax), and full-length side curtain.

There are three top tethers and two ISOFIX positions for child seats/baby capsules across the back row, and all seats feature Renault's 'Fix4Sure' anti-submarining design.

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.

According to Renault, the R90 motor is "maintenance-free", waterproof and requires no lubrication, with servicing costs "20 per cent lower than an equivalent ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle."

Despite that, servicing is recommended every 12 months/30,000km for an estimated cost of $231 each time.

Warranty is three years/unlimited km with 24-hour roadside assist included for the first year, and three after that if you have your car serviced at an authorised Renault dealer.

The battery is covered by a separate five year/100,000km warranty.