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By
EWAN KENNEDY
4 August 2008
Nissan has introduced a turbo-diesel option to its X-Trail 4WD
range. A sensible move as large 4WDs have benefitted from the
reduced fuel consumption offered by this fuel for some time now.
It was only a matter of time until the trickle down of technology
hit the compact 4WD market.
Nissan
joins Hyundai with the Santa FE, the Suzuki Grand Vitara and the
(more expensive) Land Rover Freelander in offering a diesel.
Expect others to follow if fuel prices rise much further.
Potential buyers should take into account that diesel fuel is
currently running at about 15 per cent more than petrol in price.
Which cancels out a fair slice of its 20 to 25 per cent greater
economy.
The
local Nissan importer is well aware of the rising price of diesel
fuel and has compensated by adding a mere $1000 to the price list
should you go for the diesel over the X-Trail with petrol power. A
more normal turbo-diesel price premium is around the $2000 mark.
Prices for the X-Trail dCi begin at a pretty reasonable $36,990
for the TS six-speed manual, and range up to $41,990 as the
recommended retail for the TL automatic.
Even
more interesting is the fact that Nissan has gone for two
different versions of the 2.0-litre unit. The first is used on the
automatic transmission models and develops 110 kW and 320 Nm.
These figures are pretty well the norm for diesel engines of this
size throughout the market.
But
Nissan Australia has stolen a march on its competitors by also
importing a semi-sports version of the same diesel engine tuned to
produce 127 kW and 360 Nm. This big-power diesel only comes with a
six-speed manual gearbox and gives sparkling acceleration, as well
as good throttle response once the original turbo-lag period has
gone.
Both
diesels have a lovely plateau on their torque graphs, are happy to
work from low revs and excel in the mid range of the tacho.
A
downside of the Nissan X-Trail dCi with automatic transmission is
that the maximum towing capacity is now only 1350 kilograms, well
down on the 2000 kg limit on the turbo-diesel manual and the same
vehicle with a petrol engine. This is due to problems with keeping
the auto box cool, it shares its temperature-control system with
the engine rather than having an independent circuit.
Though
some competitors in the compact SUV field have gone for a sleeker
look, Nissan has retained the square style that appeals to many
buyers. If you do want a slicker, lower vehicle, then Nissan
Australia also offers the Dualis which uses X-Trail underpinnings,
but has less ground clearance, is lighter and comes with a
smaller, more economical engine.
Nissan
X-Trail has good interior space, particularly in the back seat, so
four adults can be carried with no real compromises. The
40/20/40-split rear seats can be folded flat to provide up to 1773
litres of storage space.
Nissan
has retained an excellent 4WD system that gives the X-Trail
genuine off-road ability for moderate conditions. This includes a
hill-descent system and a hill-start facility. We did some
heavy-duty testing and there's no doubt that the X-Trail has more
than enough off-road ability for those wanting to do some
reasonably serious driving away from sealed surfaces.
On
bitumen we found that the Nissan X-Trail dCi cruised smoothly and
comfortably, with not a lot of additional engine noise due to the
use of a diesel engine. There was only moderate body roll when
cornering briskly and the car is safe and predictable in the way
it responds to the road surfaces and driver commands.
The
X-Trail’s full-size spare wheel is stored under a double-deck
rear storage area that features two handy compartments, one with a
full-length sliding drawer.
Nissan
offers a formidable array of vehicles in the 4WD market; beginning
with the Dualis (which is more SUV than 4WD), then the offerings
rise through the petrol and new diesel X-Trail, through the
Pathfinder, to the tough off-road Patrol. And the Navara 4WD ute
range has just been expanded as well.
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Marque Publishing Company
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