Nissan X-Trail e-Power | Test Drive

Words Marco Mancino / Photos Gian Romero

In a moment crowded with innovative cars, smart technology, artificial intelligence and cutting-edge solutions, we finally welcome the smartest electric car of them all. Thanks Nissan for presenting it, declining the e-Power engine as the only alternative for the fourth generation X-Trail SUV. A little electric, a little hybrid you might almost say, but what really matters in the end is not being afraid of running out of batteries and maybe being greener than your neighbor. Of course, the e-Power is not easy to explain in a few words when leaving the garage and it will happen that your friends have more confused ideas than before, but who cares: you have the best electric car in the game. The new X-Trail does not need to be recharged, at least not from a charging station. In fact, it even has a petrol tank and therefore a real internal combustion engine, a 1.5cc 3-cylinder turbo with variable compression ratio. But you should know that this engine is not mechanically connected to the drive axle, which in the case of my test model is only the front one. It is actually a real generator that exists to serve the electric engine also positioned in front and that despite a very small battery pack – just 1.73 kWh – provides the energy needed to move 4.68 meters and 1,778 kg of car. Let’s recap briefly: there are two engines, of which only one gives traction, the electric one. The petrol pot turns on and provides the energy needed to keep the batteries always charged, at least when the movement itself does not recharge them, for example when going downhill or braking, a situation accentuated by the possibility of driving in E-Pedal mode. This allows for a greater regenerative intensity and driving perfectly analogous to that of a random electric car.

Of course, considering the X-Trail purely electric would not be correct, also because you still put petrol in to be able to exploit the thermal which in turn recharges the electric, but this is the real strong point of an incredibly innovative solution that reshuffles the cards in the entire automotive panorama. Call it the electric car that does not need to be recharged, the one that cannot leave you stranded and that will not make you waste precious time in long recharges at the socket. In short, it is the ingenious idea that Nissan proposes to a public that does not want to do algebra before leaving home in the morning, in the meantime a fossil fuel dispenser can always be found everywhere. The car takes care of the rest. This is the most significant innovation, which can then be implemented by a second electric motor that will also provide traction to the rear axle, for the top of the range 213 horsepower, a difference not too evident compared to our 204 hp. Power that is then immediately distributed in a linear curve that brings into play 330 Nm of torque and acceleration management entrusted to an automatic transmission that actually does not exist, given that we have a direct drive with a single ratio. Yes, just like every electric cars that we have learned to know well. In short, this means that you can travel about 16 km with just one liter of petrol, but in an urban context or making the most of battery regeneration, the overall range can increase considerably, reaching values that are science fiction for any ICE car, let alone for the electrified competition.

The new X-Trail has also been updated on a stylistically point of view, with thinner lines and a look that effectively places it in the SUV segment, rather than in the medium-sized crossover as it is actually classified. Available with five or seven seats, there is a large cargo area with a double bottom, 40:20:40 split rear seats and a large panoramic roof overhead to make the passenger compartment very bright and welcoming, especially if chosen with light leather like ours. The 12.3” touch display is precise and well integrated into a dashboard that fortunately does not give up some physical buttons, see for example those of the climate. On the central tunnel, in addition to the induction charging plate for your smartphone, we have spacious storage compartments, the transmission lever and a small selector for the 3 available driving modes, in addition of course to the button useful to activate the E-Pedal, which once used will be a constant choice for all journeys, except motorway ones.

The X-Trail is precise and moves with agility. The 204 horsepower allow you to weave through traffic and overtake without obviously expecting a performance boost that would undermine the real meaning of this car. The space for the rear occupants is enormous and the surfaces are all well finished, demonstrating how Nissan continues to raise the quality bar of its products. At this point it is legitimate to ask why no one else has thought of it before. Ladies and gentlemen, we are faced with the most intelligent car of the lot: a hybrid that drives like an electric, but without the anxiety of recharging. All with a price that for the entry level Visia starts at just €39,000. Let’s ask ourselves if perhaps this could not only be the alternative to traditional Full and Mild Hybrids, but the alternative to 100% of the electric mobility. Explain this to your neighbor too.