New Nissan X-Trail Gets Crisp Styling, Modern Interior, And New Hybrid Powertrain

A modern look for one of Nissan’s most popular family SUVs in the world

• New X-Trail looks mild-mannered and neat with its modern design.

• Most notable styling elements include the larger V-motion grille, split headlamps, boxy profile, and chiselled rear end.

• Interior features a clean geometric design. 

• Gets a digital driver’s display and free-standing touchscreen infotainment system.

• No details on the technical specifications of its China-spec debut but e-Power hybrid powertrain confirmed. 

• No official word on the relaunch of the nameplate in India yet.

Nissan’s mid-size family SUV goes by two names depending on the country of sale. While it’s known as the Rogue in America, we know it as the X-Trail in Asia, and both iterations look quite identical. It now gets a more geometric exterior styling and a modern interior as part of its generational update. While the new Rogue was unveiled in the US last year, the new X-Trail made its Asian debut at the ongoing 2021 Shanghai Auto Show.

The new X-Trail’s front fascia features a split headlamp design with sleek LED DRLs along the bonnet line and the rectangular headlamps on the bumper. Both are shaped like the larger V-motion grille that dominates the front end.

Its rear design is more chiselled and upright than the previous generation, with a recess in the middle that also houses the number plate. The new LED tail lamps look sharp while the roof-integrated spoiler lends it some sportiness. Overall, it appears crisper than the outgoing model but still looks mild-mannered, in line with its purpose as a family SUV.

Its interior design sees a major upgrade to keep the X-Trail relevant. It is now equipped with a digital instrument cluster and a free-standing touchscreen infotainment display atop the central air vents. The driver’s display gets some cool animations while the infotainment system features connected car technology. The overall dashboard design is quite clean with most of the details positioned a bit out of view. 

Its central console with the elegant drive selector, the rotary dial for off-roading modes, and cup holders is on the same height as the front armrest, creating a storage space underneath. While it debuted as a 5-seater offering, it seems capable of accommodating a third row of seats in place of luggage space.

Nissan has not announced any technical details of the X-Trail revealed in China but it has confirmed it will feature the brand’s e-Power hybrid system with all-wheel drive. The likely powertrain on offer will use a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 190PS/320Nm electric motor to drive the wheels. In this hybrid setup, the petrol engine acts as a range extender that powers the electric motor and there is a small battery that can't be charged externally.

Also read: Nissan To Launch Hybrids And Electric Vehicles In India, Africa And Middle East

The latest generation of the X-Trail does not share the ruggedness of the second-gen model that used to be on sale in India. While the third-gen X-Trail hybrid SUV was being considered for the Indian market, its launch was eventually scrapped. This fourth-gen SUV may just revive the X-Trail badge in India as an imported offering, possibly in its hybrid avatar. Nissan has confirmed the X-Trail will go on sale in China in the second half of 2021 so its India arrival could be feasible by 2023.