Nissan doubles X-Trail E-Power line-up with 2WD

NISSAN has doubled its X-Trail E-Power series hybrid line-up from three grades to six with front-wheel-drive versions of the ST-L, Ti, and Ti-L, cutting the entry price of the medium SUV’s hybrid range by $3090 to $45,990 plus on-road costs while adding an adventure-styled Rock Creek petrol grade priced at $48,315 + ORC.

Their arrival coincides with the X-Trail nameplate’s 25th year in Australia, by the end of which Nissan Oceania managing director Steve Milette told GoAuto he expects hybrid variants to draw level with petrol in the sales mix on the way to overtaking petrol “over the next few quarters”.

Until the arrival of more affordable front-drive E-Power variants, petrol power accounted for about two-thirds of X-Trail sales, according to Mr Milette, partly influenced by fleet demand.

Nissan Oceania X-Trail senior product marketing manager Aleks Pecanac said half of all hybrid buyers in the crowded medium SUV segment choose two-wheel drive variants and that hybrids now accounted for 51 per cent of all medium SUV sales in Australia.

VFACTS new-vehicle delivery data supplemented by Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) sales figures for Tesla and Polestar show up to 40 brands playing in the medium SUV segment, helping rank it as Australia’s fastest-growing category during the 12 months to August 31 as sales soared 24.9 per cent to 370,870 units.

Chinese brands accounted for 32.1 per cent of medium SUV sales in the first seven months of 2026, peaking at 37.6 per cent in June.

Aiming squarely at Toyota’s all-hybrid RAV4, Nissan has priced its new entry-level X-Trail E-Power identically to a RAV4 GX 2WD and although the Ti is $1925 pricier than its RAV4 GXL 2WD rival, the Ti-L is priced $2275 below a RAV4 Cruiser 2WD.

Hyundai’s front-drive Tucson hybrid undercuts both, opening from $42,850 + ORC, while the petrol-electric Kia Sportage S FWD is $44,450 + ORC and Honda’s least-expensive front-drive CR-V e:HEV X is priced at $49,900 driveaway.

Like all-wheel-drive E-Power E4orce variants, the front-drive versions use a 1.5-litre petrol engine solely as a generator and the front wheels are driven exclusively by a 150kW electric motor (7kW down on AWD variants but with no published torque figure).

Combined-cycle fuel consumption is rated at 5.4L/100km, which Nissan said was about 11.5 per cent more efficient than an AWD E-Power, while CO2 emissions are 123g/km.

Mr Pecanac said front-drive E-Power variants would take “between 7.5 to 8.0 seconds” to sprint from 0-100km/h, compared with seven seconds for the AWD equivalent.

Braked towing capacity falls by a 1000kg to 650kg, which Mr Pecanac said was in line with some two-wheel drive rivals, while the front-drive Ti-L E-Power rides on 19-inch alloy wheels rather than the 20-inch items fitted to its AWD equivalent.

All front-drive E-Power variants are five-seaters and undercut their AWD equivalents by $3090 (ST-L) and $3665 (Ti and Ti-L).

Mr Pecanac said the primary target buyer was families with one- or two children balancing school drop-offs with weekend sport and activities, as well as empty nesters, among whom the X-Trail is already popular.

At $45,880 + ORC the Rock Creek brings the number of X-Trail variants to 13 and carries a $2435 premium over the seven-seat 2.5L petrol ST-L AWD on which it is based.

In addition to a number of unique styling features inside and out, the Rock Creek inherits a 10.8-inch head-up display and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster from the up-spec Ti grade.

Unlike New Zealand, there is no E-Power version of the Rock Creek for Australia, but Mr Pecanac said Nissan expected petrol to account for the bulk of New Zealand Rock Creek sales, citing its greater ground clearance and spare wheel.

Hybrid packaging also eliminates the seven-seat interior layout.

Exterior changes include a black grille with ‘three-slot’ horizontal treatment inspired by the early D21 and current D27 Navara utes, black roof rails, gloss-black door mirrors, a unique front lower bumper and 18-inch alloy wheels that feature orange accents to match the front and rear badging.

Inside, ballistic nylon-trimmed seats carry embroidered Rock Creek badging, with orange contrast stitching across the seats and dashboard trim and an orange accent on the steering wheel’s Nissan badge.

A new $1495 Baja Storm paint finish paired with a black roof is exclusive to the Rock Creek, with Ceramic Grey carrying the same premium and Everest White at $500.

Mr Pecanac said the Rock Creek was not intended as a dedicated off-roader.

“It’s more of a lifestyle vehicle that’s ready for weekend activities, including whether it’s mountain biking or hiking or something similar,” he said.

Australia’s first X-Trail arrived in October 2001, and Nissan went on to sell 338,508 across four generations to the end of July according to VFACTS figures supplied by Nissan.

It is the brand’s best-selling nameplate in Australia, with the long-lived third-generation T32 accounting for 145,405 of those sales between 2014 and 2022, although the current T33 generation has so far achieved similar sales pace with 54,252 delivered Down Under since its 2023 arrival.

The current generation runs its course in summer 2027-28.

All MY26 X-Trail variants are covered by a 10-year/300,000km service-activated warranty and up to 10 years of roadside assistance when serviced within the Nissan dealer network, with servicing capped at $399 per visit for the first five years.

During the first seven months of this year, the Nissan X-Trail ranked 10th in the medium SUV segment with 8189 sales, down 15.1 per cent year on year, while the RAV4 was second with 21,115 (down 25.8 per cent) behind the Tesla Model Y that was up 105.8 per cent to 22,611 units (or 25,040 units and 127.9 per cent when including the three-row Model Y L).

2026 Nissan X-Trail pricing*:

*Pricing excludes on-road costs.