What is it?
Nissan’s X-Trail has long been a success story is SUV land and there are lots of them running around all over the country.
But if you want one that’s somewhat different from the rest, you need to get in fast to secure an X-Trail N-Trek.
It’s a limited edition of only 500 units, based on the mid-spec ST-L grade.
What’s it cost?
You can get one in either two- or four-wheel drive, priced from $38,700.
It’s only a grand more than the standard ST-L and for the extra you get a fair amount of goods, such as larger 19-inch alloy wheels, a Bose 8-speaker audio system as well as an entire family of the brand’s genuine accessories.
There’s a dark bonnet protector, slim line weathershields front and rear, front and rear kick plates and floor mats.
I wasn’t crazy about the weathershield thingos.
They look fine and they serve a good purpose. in that you can leave the windows open to a small degree to let hot air escape on a sunny day — but they tend to distort vision to a small degree.
Mechanically there’s no difference.
Under the bonnet is a 126kW/226Nm 2.5-litre petrol four-pot engine and the vehicle comes with Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility pack.
You get a 360-degree view from above, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning, plus a good reversing camera.
There are also prominent N-Trek badges just to let owners of ordinary X-Trails know what they’re missing.
For dashboard fiddlers, there’s a 7.0-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth audio streaming and hands-free phone system, digital radio and — if it’s a cold day — well, you can get some comfort from the heated front seats.
Other items that appeal to most include leather-like seat trim, satellite navigation with traffic monitoring, cruise control and dual-zone climate control.
What’s it go like?
One negative, especially to advanced drivers who use left foot braking, is the location of what used to be the handbrake.
In Nissan-speak it’s a parking brake, and since a lot of Nissans are sold in the US — that’t what you get.
They’re called Rogues over there and those guys, Democrats and Republicans alike, buy about half a million of them every year.
And they’re fond of the foot-operated parking brake.
So that’s why we also get the crazy system, apparently designed by a committee made up of tri-footed people.
Anyway, it’s not the end of the world, and most owners get used to it.
For the rest, it remains a practical and spacious medium-sized SUV vehicle with lots of room for passengers and cargo.
It looks good, drives pretty well, has a tight turning circle, uses an average 8.4L/100km and comes with a 5-year warranty.
What we like?
- Appearance
- Cameras, safety features
- Economy
- Smooth CVT
- Long warranty
What we don’t like?
- Parking brake
- Front weathershields
The bottom line?
A popular, proven SUV with more pizzazz.
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Nissan X-Trail N-Trek, priced from $38,700
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Looks - 7.5/10
7.5/10
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Performance - 7.5/10
7.5/10
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Safety - 8/10
8/10
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THirst - 8/10
8/10
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Practicality - 8/10
8/10
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Comfort - 8/10
8/10
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Tech - 8/10
8/10
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Value - 8/10
8/10