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Nissan X-Trail: Hidden Paths
NISSAN X-TRAIL
HIDDEN PATHS
Words: Richi Mackie
Photography: S. Lomax
To be in tune with Mother Nature is something wonderful, you can’t really realize that until you get lost. And just when you are in a remote place, a situation that for once you have not planned, you realize what is really able to make you feel at peace with yourself. The silence of a pristine forest, the chirping of birds and the wheels covered in mud, the same wheels that allowed you to get where many others could not. And with the same ease I am perfectly able to bring myself back, in the everyday world, facing the city stress, the traffic lights, the frantic search for a parking space, and keep intact that desire to be satisfied again sometimes soon, coming back to be in complete intimacy with the hidden paths of our consciousness.
The new Nissan X-Trail does not made me mad, but opened in me a window that for too long I kept locked in favor of a desire for speed, reducing me almost to not fully appreciate the luck of doing this wonderful job every day. The X-Trail has definitely shrugged off that long gone off-road image entering from head to toe in the SUV category and has done it with a total makeover that enhances its size compared to its younger sister Qashqai, a true urban fighter. There are more centimeters, 469 in length and almost one meter and 80 in width and height, but what makes this all-rounder terrific is the complete cohabitation of two purposes so apparently distant from each other. The interior is spacious, just as the exterior dimensions suggest, there is plenty of space for five occupants and all the necessary luggage for your ideal holiday, not to mention that thanks to the engine fitted in the tested model, a turbo diesel 2-liter with 177-hp, you can load tons of things, without affecting a renewed handling or fuel consumption. The X-Trail is an indomitable warrior, ready to hurl itself on some muddy trail and a few minutes later, juggle the rush hour chaos, thanks to an exceptional visibility on all sides, even at the rear, thanks to the maneuvering cameras and parking sensors.
But rather than being bottled in the midst of hundreds angry drivers screaming and shouting, I leave the city and choose to activate traction on both axles through the knob at the base of the gearbox, a precise 6-speed automatic. There are no paddles behind the wheel this time – as it happens for some of its competitors – but I do not miss ‘em and if I prefer to upshift and downshift in first person, I just move the gear lever towards me and act directly on it. The road becomes impervious and the ground clearance plays in my favor, the overhangs are all in all reduced and the wheelbase, albeit long, does not hinder or slow down the pace. The tarmac stops and under the 225 tires fitted with 19-inch alloy wheels, the typical noise of a dirt road is a preamble to my arrival at a large wooden bridge. A few meters from the river bed, I cross the threshold and continue going into the most pristine nature, no sign of other vehicles, no artificial noise except the engine of my Nissan. I feel at peace with myself, I’m rediscovering something that too often we take for granted, making use of the precious help of an impeccable car that can be used for long motorway journeys, as for my expedition looking for some hidden path. It knows no obstacles and seems to arrive in the heart of this forest without the slightest hesitation, marveling at the great traction and comfort offered by the black leather seats. Also thanks to the Tekna specifications, the richest one on the list, this X-Trail will not be the one that upsets the SUV genre, but is undoubtedly one of the best deputy in this category, showing how a small engine like this 2,000cc, is equally able to guarantee a good sprint, strong of its 380Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm and at the same time allow you to travel without wasting fuel (mixed consumption of 5.6l/100km).
It is at home, here, in the middle of nature, showing off its metallic orange paint and that muscular front-end, which incorporates the new design of the headlights and the chrome profile that frames the grille and the house logo. The new X-Trail is not just a big car, but a great car that represents the answer to the many demands of the modern motorist, offering us the possibility of upsetting our routine even better, maybe coming back home from work. Without planning it, without having to look at the satnav, and choosing a different route from the one expected, or even discovering by chance that road that will make you feel more at peace with the world.
NISSAN X-TRAIL 2.0 dci 4WD
Layout – front-engined, all-wheel-drive
Engine – 4 cylinder 1.995cc – turbo diesel
Transmission – 6-speed automatic gearbox
Power – 177 hp @ 3.750 rpm
380 Nm @ 2.000 rpm
Weight – 1.795 kg
Acceleration – 9,1 sec.
Top Speed – 204 kph
Price – from € 33.600
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