Nissan X-Trail review

The new Nissan X-Trail is good looking and well equipped, but is it too sensible?

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With its less boxy, more curvaceous styling and a stack of new tech on board, it's clear Nissan has got one objective for this all new X-Trail.

Can it possibly emulate the success of the smaller Qashqai crossover, but as a bigger, more versatile and more expensive new package?

This third-generation Nissan X-Trail sits on an all-new platform that Nissan co-developed with its alliance partner Renault. The wheelbase is longer and the tracks are wider. Nissan claims it has done this to improve interior space and give the X-Trail more mature handling.

You wouldn't exactly call the X-Trail beautiful, but it has a smarter, more sharp suited design than before, which buyers can jazz-up with optional all LED headlights, 29-inch wheels and the biggest glass roof of any family SUV.

Inside the X-Trail, its expanded platform pays dividends as Nissan claims it to offer the best legroom in its class. Buyers can specify a seven-seat layout as a £700 option, and it's possible to slide the seats depending on whether tall passengers or lots of luggage are on board.

In terms of driving, don't expect the X-Trail to get the heart racing with an amazing experience behind the wheel. Nissan has done everything it can to make this car as easy to drive as possible, so there's Active Trace Control to trim your line through the corners, and there's an active suspension system where the car comse on and off the throttle in order to smooth out lurching over speed bumps.

As for the controls Nissan has gone for lightness and ease of use over any real feedback. But that's probably the right decision given this car's intended buyer.

The X-Trail's dashboard is a Qashqai Copy and Paste job. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, as it's intuitively laid out and miles more upmarket feeling than the old X-Trail. A five inch LCD screen in front of the driver can display 12 different handy configurations which include satellite navigation and a real-time engine torque split.

The rest of the toys in here are operated by a seven-inch main touchscreen on high-spec Tekna and Tekna n models.

The only engine option (until 2015) is a 1.6-litre diesel. Surely that's downsizing gone mad, but the X-Trail does just about get away with it. This 1.6 has just as much torque (320Nm) as the old 2.0-litre diesel X-Trail. However, it's cleaner, more efficient and that torque is on hand from lower down from 1,750rpm so it's fine getting away from the lights.

Where the X-Trail is going to struggle, though, is out of town. This is the optional seven-seater and if there are five passengers and all their assorted paraphernalia, it's going to feel a bit underpowered and sound a bit grumbly when compared to its bigger engined rivals.

For real SUV credentials, its best to spec the X-Trail with the optional four-wheel-drive system. Buyers can choose between a two-wheel-drive set up, an automatic four-wheel-drive which cuts in when the car senses slip and for emergencies, and a locked, full-time four-wheel-drive.

These setting may read like a brochure gimmick, but in light of some of the recent winters we've had in the UK, this little dial down here and a good set of winter tyres could become extremely useful.

From the first moment you see the new Nissan X-Trail, it's clear it's turned from a rugged, utilitarian 4x4, into a much more stylish crossover.

Okay, it's probably lost a little bit of character along the way and that's something that its ordinary driving experience can't inject back in. But on the other hand, it's a comfortable, well-equipped and keenly priced family crossover.

For every customer it probably puts off with its play-it-safe attitude, the new X-Trail is probably going to win two, three or more new families just because of its more crowd pleasing direction.

After all, if there's any company right now that knows how to build a crossover people want to own, it's Nissan.