Overview:
Nissan or Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., as it is often referred to, is a Japanese automobile manufacturer, which formerly marketed vehicles under the Datsun brand name until 1983. Now, the company is controlled by the French automaker Renault S.A. and is located in Tokyo. Nissan is Japan's third largest car manufacturer after Toyota and Honda. The pronunciation of the title 'Nissan' is different in different countries. In the U.S., the brand is called ni...san, while in the UK, it is pronounced as "nis-san," and in Japan, it is nisan.
The X-TRAIL is one of Nissan's powerful SUVs. It is powered by a 2.2L turbo-diesel engine. This engine is widely considered to be the world's benchmark V6 engine for its combination of smoothness, reliability and high power output. India has proved itself as a market for new opportunities, and for Nissan too. Nissan spreads its tentacles on the Indian soil with the launch of the X-TRAIL. It is a compact SUV with a proven track record worldwide, thanks to its excellent on-road performance, world class 4x4 capability and plush interiors. It is not far behind in winning attributes that has led to the car being awarded top honours around the world, including 'Best Recreational Vehicle' in the UK , 'Internet Car of the Year' in Japan, 'Best Product for Customers' in Mexico and 'Best Small SUV' in Dubai. With its impressive advanced features, it competes with the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson and Mitsubishi Pajero. X-TRAIL is available in two variants - Comfort and Elegance.
Powertrain and Performance:
The Nissan X-TRAIL's 2.2-litre turbo-fed diesel engine knocks out 136 bhp of power at 4,000 rpm and an impressive 314 Nm of torque at just 2,000 rpm. This light-weight, low-revving engine has light aluminium heads. The rugged all-terrain vehicle has a silky smooth powerplant under its hood. Power is regulated through 6-speed manual transmission to all the wheels. It has overdrive on the 4 th , 5 th and the 6 th gears. Shifting is precise and silky smooth, typically Nissan, rally tested. Powerful and responsive, it sprints to 100 kph in 12.5 seconds.
The electronic 4WD selection switches to 2WD for normal driving, returning the best fuel economy possible. Nissan's 4x4 system sets off the Electronically Controlled Coupling to convey the required torque to the rear wheels when it detects those slippery road conditions. One can expect a stable performance on all kinds of roads like muddy, gravel and on slippery slopes.
Build and Styling:
The X-TRAIL is a combination of utmost comfort and convenience not often seen in compact 4WDs. Plush sedan-sized seats offers sufficient room to spread out and relax those tired legs. The 60/40 split fold rear seats fold completely flat making enough room for cargo. The X-TRAIL's innovative central instrument display provides amazing visibility and creates space for a host of storage options. The X-TRAIL comfortably seats up to 5 adults in its spacious interior with loads of head room and leg room. It is easy to clean the surfaces in the X-TRAIL as it is dirt and water resistant.
The X-TRAIL conveniently has three 12-volt power outlets, one in the driver's box, one combined with the cigarette lighter and one smartly situated in the rear cargo area. Sunroof is available on Elegance models; it features leather seat trim, power driver and passenger front seats and a huge electric tilt slide sunroof. The X-TRAIL's innovative centre mounted meter display provides increased visibility down the bonnet line for better road visibility. The entertainment in the X-TRAIL comes with a high quality four speaker CD player as standard. Ti-models feature a superb six speaker and six stack in-dash CD changer. Driver Specific Air Vent and Cup Holders built into the dash keep them cool or warm thanks to their integrated vents. Rear passengers too get the benefit of cup holders that are located behind the centre storage console.
Safety features include, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), four ventilated disc brakes, CSR halogen headlights and dual Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbags. All X-TRAIL models feature dual SRS front air bags as standard equipment. Front seatbelt pre-tensioner is provided; three-point seatbelts for three seats and front active head restraints are the other features for safety of the driver and the passengers.
