This all-new X-Trail is nothing like any X-Trail you have seen in the past. It has lost its “boxy” and “utilitarian” looks and has moved into this Century. The previous models sold fairly well, around 53,000 units were sold in the UK in the past 10 years. But I am not sure those owners will take to the new one, it might be just too modern.

It could be argued that the new X-Trail is not really an X-Trail and Nissan could easily have changed the name and nobody would have noticed the name had disappeared. But Nissan decided the badge was strong enough and has a good following, so the name stayed.

The car we had on test was powered by the new 1.6dCi diesel engine that produces 128hp, goes from 0-62mph in 10.5 seconds and has a top speed of 117mph. This new Renault-Nissan Alliance engine is a sweet thing, so quiet and refined and feels to be much larger than a 1,598cc unit. No other engine is available yet, but I don’t think it needs anything larger, this 1.6 litre suits it perfectly.

Nissan built over 500,000 vehicles in Sunderland in 2013 and exported to 97 countries. Around 80% of all Nissans sold in the UK, are built in the UK. But the X-Trail is built at the Fukuoka plant in Japan and is up to a very high quality, almost as good as those built in this country!

This new model looks good; it has some great lines and looks great from every angle. It is very modern and its design will certainly stand the test of time, it will look as fresh in 10 years as it does now. On first viewing you can see some elements of Qashqai in there, which is not a bad thing, as the Qashqai is very popular. Although put the two together and they both have their own unique styling features. As you walk around the X-Trail there is nothing about the design that you can fault, one line blends into another effortlessly and works so well. It is obvious that the European design team had something to do with it.

This new SUV which measures 4,635mm long is going into a crowded sector with plenty of choice, with the closest rivals being the Honda CR-V which is 4,570mm long and the Toyota RAV4 at 4,570mm. Other competitors would be: Ford Kuga, Volkswagen Tiguan, Jeep Cherokee and Volvo XC60, to name just a few from a long list.

Out on the road it drives more like a saloon than a SUV, so comfortable, quiet and easy to drive. Its higher driving position helps in most situations, whether on the motorway, in town or parking. These “higher-up” vehicles have now become the norm, whether a SUV, Crossover or Mini MPV. The 1.6 dCi produces more than enough power and at no time while we had the car did we feel it needed anything larger, even with five adults in it and a boot full of luggage. It really is a very nice car to drive and it feels solid and safe and a car you can travel mile after mile in complete comfort. The car we had on test had only five seats, but for an additional £700 there is the option of seven seats.

A lot of people will try and compare it to the ever-popular Qashqai, and wonder why it is not in the Qashqai family. The X-Trail is 25.8cm longer than the Qashqai and costs around £2,500 more, comparing model for model. The X-Trail 5 seat is around £1,750 more than the old Qashqai+2 (the 7 seat version) used to be, although comparisons between the two is not straightforward. 

This new SUV is also available with four wheel drive, although we have not driven it, we have been assured it is very capable. This option costs £1,700 and will no doubt be bought by the caravan towers who are worried about getting stuck in fields in these wet summers in the UK.

The official combined fuel consumption figure is 57.6 mpg, but during the time we had the X-Trail we achieved just over 46 mpg which we thought was a very good result, considering the size of the car and the sort of journeys we did: which included motorway trips, although the majority were around town. We were quite surprised just how well it did. The CO2 emission figure is 129g/km for the 2WD and 139g/km for the four wheel drive.

The smooth, quiet engine is coupled to a 6 speed manual gearbox, although an X-Tronic automatic is available for an additional £1,350.00 OTR (£1,220 for the gearbox plus another £130 for the VED due to the CO2 increase). We found the manual to be a bit “clunky” and not as smooth as it could have been. The car we had was brand new and a pre-production model, so we can make an allowance. But to say everything else was so good, the gear change was a bit disappointing.

Prices for the new X-Trail start from £22,995 and go up to £31,695, but the car we had on test costs £29,295 OTR.

Nissan have got this new SUV absolutely right; it looks great, drives well and is high quality. They also have plenty of dealers in the UK, a well-respected fleet department and used cars generally find homes easily – things continue to look up for Nissan.

Martin Ward, Manufacturer Relationship Manager