2017 Nissan X-Trail update – price and features announced

Three years after the X-Trail nameplate shifted from boxy utility to curvy docility, Nissan’s volume-selling medium SUV has come in for a mid-life refresh.

Exterior changes are modest and mostly limited to new wheel designs – 17-inch for ST, TS, ST-L; 19-inch for Ti and TL - bolder bumper plastics, revamped headlamps. Inside the centre console box is mildly revised, there’s a new automatic shifter design with a gaiter for an upmarket appearance, while a flat-bottomed steering wheel with a more conventional button layout is an aesthetically- and ergonomically- pleasing alternative to the outgoing model’s tiller.

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The technology story sees greater changes. All models receive autonomous emergency braking, with Ti and TL grades adding pedestrian detection that can actively stop the car between speeds of 10-60km/h. Forward collision warning is another range-wide addition, while Ti grades enjoy active cruise control and lane keep assist as well.

Rear cross traffic alert is standard in mid-grade ST-L and high-grade Ti and TL models, and flagship Ti and TLs get headlamps that actively steer into corners, along with auto-highbeam.

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Other changes include an eight-speaker Bose premium audio system, motion-activated tailgate, heated steering wheel, and heated outboard rear seats for the X-Trail Ti and X-Trail TL.

Carry-over tech includes a top-down parking camera view, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and potentially life-saving Moving Object Detection tech, which detects motion behind the car when reversing – such as a small child or a pet.

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Mechanically, the petrol models continue with no changes. A 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol with 106kW and 200Nm powers the FWD-only manual-equipped X-Trail STs and TSs, while a 126kW/226Nm 2.5-litre is the mainstay engine for all CVT auto-equipped petrol variants, and available in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

The 2017 X-Trail’s 2.0-litre turbo diesel is new, replacing the outgoing 96kW/3210Nm 1.6-litre diesel with more muscular 130kW and 380Nm outputs. Available solely with AWD and a CVT automatic, the new 2.0-litre diesel consumes 6.0L/100km on the combined cycle.

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The 2.0-litre burns an average of 8.2L/100km, with the 2.5 consuming 7.9L/100km in FWD X-Trail ST form.

As before, only FWD petrol variants are available with a seven-seat configuration.

PRICING

Pricing-wise there are no changes for existing models except for petrol AWD variants, which see price reductions between $900 and $1490.

The re-engined diesel AWD X-Trail TS and X-Trail TL pricing largely reflects the pricing of the 1.6-litre models they replace, but the lower-grade $35,490 TS retails for $190 less than before and the flagship $47,290 TL variant costs $710 more.

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That said, with the added equipment and improved power output that the 2017 diesel X-Trail models enjoy, the value-for-money equation has arguably been pumped up.

Nissan X-Trail ST FWD petrol manual - $27,990
Nissan X-Trail ST FWD petrol auto - $30,490
Nissan X-Trail ST FWD petrol auto 7-seat - $31,990
Nissan X-Trail ST AWD petrol auto - $32,490
Nissan X-Trail ST-L FWD petrol auto - $36,590
Nissan X-Trail ST-L FWD petrol auto 7-seat - $38,090
Nissan X-Trail ST-L AWD petrol auto - $38,590
Nissan X-Trail Ti AWD petrol auto - $44,290
Nissan X-Trail TS AWD diesel auto - $35,490
Nissan X-Trail TL AWD diesel auto - $47,290