All-New Nissan Xtrail Goes For the Urbanites
The All-New Nissan Xtrail is now available at selected showrooms throughout the country. You may have seen one, or you may have driven past one in the street without realizing it, because the new one looks very much the same as the older model. The new Nissan Xtrail versus the old Xtrail is much the same as the new Freelander versus the old Freelander. The models were so popular that the designers didn’t want to do too much to the silhouette or the overall shape. So, the easiest way is to put the two of them side by side to see the differences. Upon closer inspection, however, you will note that the lines are neater, and there are distinct changes to the profile. One sure giveaway would be the last window glass at the rear, which is distinctly different. In fact, the two are totally different, and according to a spokesman from Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd, the local franchise holders and importers of the Nissan brand, there is not one body panel from the current Xtrail that can be used in the new Xtrail.
The new Xtrail is more fuel efficient than the current model, and this has been achieved through some weight savings in the building of the Xtrail, coupled to some engineering innovations. The new Xtrail uses the same MR20DE 2.0 litre engine that powers the very fuel-frugal Nissan Sylphy, with some additional fine tuning that has improved fuel consumption even more, and given it a marginal increase in horsepower and torque.
Also new is a CVT with a manual 6-speed option; CVT’s are known to reduce fuel consumption based simply on the fact that there is considerably less ‘transmission slip’, and allows the tuners to optimize the engine speed for best efficiency; what happens is that when you ‘floor’ the throttle, the engine revs up to its optimum rpm, and speed builds up through the CVT.
The new Xtrail, code-named the T31, will be sold side by side with the current Xtrail until further notice. Unlike the current model which is local assembled, the new Xtrail is a CBU unit from Indonesia.
What is missed in the new Xtrail is the Nissan AWD system found on the old Xtrail. The new one comes only with front wheel drive – there is a AWD version, but it is not coming in, at least for the moment. The good thing about FWD though, is that fuel economy will improve. From the looks of things, it appears that ETCM is targeting the Xtrail at more urban usage than off-road usage, although it would be quite all right for it to wander off the beaten track, on account of its tough body and high ground clearance.
The front suspension is a MacPherson strut arrangement, while the rear is a completely new multi-link design built on a sub-frame attached to the underbody to isolate road noise from the cabin. The rear shocks have been moved from the turret type to a slanted type to save space for the interior rear part of the vehicle.
Car users here in Malaysia can also rejoice in the fact that there is now a rear air-conditioner vent that helps to cool the rear cabin. A short test indicates the vehicle is now potentially more economical as the CVT helps to optimize torque delivery to the wheels. It really depends on how you drive – a heavy foot that keeps the accelerator firmly glued to the floorboards will not help fuel consumption much, whereas a light foot can do wonders. For the record, under the 10/15 test standard, the Xtrail returns a 14 killometre per litre fuel consumption. It would be reasonable to expect something between 10 to 12 litres per 100 kilometres if one drives normally.
On the road, the Nissan Xtrail is well behaved – straight line stability is good, thanks to an increased caster angle at the front suspension, and a re-designed rear multi-link arrangement. Newly introduced 16-inch alloys with matching tyres give it more grip, and going through long and fast sweepers is not a problem. Going through some of the trunk roads and B-roads from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka and then on to Port Dickson, the Xtrail was fun to drive all the way.
The all-NEW XTRAIL retails at RM149,500.00. If you would like to have one, do it quickly as the monthly targeted sales is only fifty.
