Details firm for new Nissan X-Trail

THE new Nissan X-Trail was revealed in April at the company’s global headquarters in Yokohama, but the Japanese brand told the world very little about it…

But after sitting down with Richard Candler, Nissan corporate executive for family, product and component strategy, GoAuto can reveal a little more about the new-generation X-Trail SUV.

“I’d like the car to make sense,” he said, and due to emissions compliance under NVES – it may only be offered only in e-Power hybrid trim, as is the case now with the smaller Qashqai.

“(In the new X-Trail it’s) a new generation e-Power (system). The current generation X-Trail is good with e-Power, but this one is a big step forward.

“The biggest changes are it’s much quieter, much smoother. There’s much more electric driving feel.

“You don’t hear the generator … I’ve never heard it in any condition. It’s really like driving an EV, but without any of the limitations of charging.

“And fuel economy is a big improvement as well.”

The exact specifications of the new Nissan X-Trail are yet to be confirmed, but Mr Candler said it will offer close to a 15 per cent improvement in highway driving efficiency – equating to an open-road use figure of 5.1 litres per 100km, based on the current numbers.

“It’s a massive step forward,” he stated.

“I think this is another car that could be really good for Australia.”

Mr Candler said that e-Power won’t be the only choice in the X-Trail on a global scale, though he couldn’t state if the new model in Australia will go with the brand’s proprietary hybrid system alone.

“There will be regular (internal combustion engine petrol) solutions as well,” he said, though wouldn’t be drawn to comment on whether it will be the same 2.5-litre petrol engine that has been part of the range since its local debut a quarter of a century ago.

“We haven’t confirmed at this stage what that powertrain would be,” he added, but intimated that the current engine might not be up to standard for NVES regulations.

“Emissions are moving forward quite significantly, globally, and especially in Australia,” he continued.

“Emissions (regulations) call for more advanced powertrains typically to meet the requirement.”

As for just how ‘new’ the new X-Trail is, GoAuto was told by 

A Nissan staff member told GoAuto the new X-Trail is indeed a new-generation model with a new body structure that is reinvented from the ground up.

Mr Candler seconded the comment, saying that while the model might look like its predecessor in some respects, it is, structurally, completely new.

“There is certainly a high level of commonality and similarity in some areas,” he said.

“But structurally, it is completely new. Things like (Euro) NCAP, for example, completely require restructuring of the body.

“The car is significantly stiffer. You will find out more as we start to debrief properly on this car.”

On the road, Mr Candler said the forthcoming X-Trail feels completely different, with a new interior adding to a more modern feel.

“It feels like a new car (to drive). You wouldn’t drive it and say, this is the same as the last one,” he emphasised.

“The car is wider, for example. The body is actually wider than the current car. The suspension track is wider and a few things like that. It is a different car.

“The interior is (also a big step change as well. There are many, many elements, (but) I can’t go into too much detail.”

While he emphasised the newness of the incoming model, he did suggest there may be some commonality when it comes to the layout and feel of the cabin.

“Sometimes less is more,” he noted.

“The interior will be really interesting. It is a completely new car in terms of the customer sense of this thing,” he said, indicating there might be a dramatic shift to different screen technology not to mention storage and design treatment.

“It is completely new. Like I say, the powertrain especially is just a huge step forward.”

The existing Nissan X-Trail – which has been refreshed in recent months – is offered with both a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with front- or all-wheel drive, as well as the e-Power petrol-electric hybrid system with all-wheel drive.

It also comes with the choice of five- or seven seats, depending on the variant selected.

It is not yet clear if the all-new Nissan X-Trail will still offer the same seating configurations as before, as there may be other new vehicles coming to fill the gap (Ed: left by the now discontinued Pathfinder) between X-Trail and Patrol a little more convincingly.

In March 2026, the Nissan X-Trail was the highest-selling passenger vehicle in Australia, sitting in third spot behind the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux with a monthly tally of 2438 units, an increase of 25 per cent on last March.