2023 Nissan X-Trail ST-L e-Power new car review

Hybrid powered SUVs are some of the most popular new cars on sale today and now there is a cheaper version from a big name brand.

Has Nissan been copying Toyota’s homework?

Possibly, although it has arrived at a different answer to the question of hybrid power.

Recognising the RAV4 Hybrid is one of Australia’s best-selling cars, Nissan recently wedged its tricky “e-Power” motor into the popular X-Trail.

Initially the tech was only available on the most expensive models in the range, but it’s now available on the cheaper ST-L version, increasing its appeal as a RAV4 rival.

Nissan has launched a cheaper version of its X-Trail hybrid.

At launch, the get-in price for an X-Trail hybrid was $59,000 drive-away (the top-spec model was $62,000 drive-away). For that, buyers were treated to premium gear such as 20-inch alloys, leather seats, wide-screen digital dashboards, head-up displays, wireless smartphone mirroring, three-zone climate control, a powered tailgate and 10-speaker Bose audio.

You won’t find any of that on the ST-L, which is designed to appeal to more frugal folks.

On sale for about $54,000 drive-away, the new machine trades a full-width digital dash for a smaller 7-inch driver display and 8-inch infotainment screen, so the cabin doesn’t feel quite as modern as better-equipped versions.

Nissan has stripped some features out to keep the price down.

But it still has smartphone mirroring (remember to bring a cable) and heated seats (now vinyl), along with the same safety features as premium models.

That means the hybrid Nissan is loaded with lane-keeping assistance, active cruise control and front and rear auto emergency braking, along with a 360-degree parking camera augmented by front and rear parking sensors.

We don’t love the way its safety systems interpret straight highways as cause for alarm – the car will stab the brakes and sound a klaxon if it erroneously interprets minimal steering input as a driver asleep at the wheel. 

And it still costs more than entry-level versions of the Toyota, which start at about $50,000 drive-away in all-wheel-drive trim. 

The e-power hybrid uses a petrol engine as a generator to charge a battery that feeds electric motors.

But it is significantly cheaper than the two-wheel-drive Honda CR-V hybrid, which is only available in one range-topping model for $59,900 drive-away.

Both rivals need less petrol than the Nissan, which claims 6.1L/100km fuel use. The Toyota’s 4.8L/100km economy is the best in this class, while Honda splits the difference with a 5.5L/100km thirst.

Nissan backs the X-Trail with an industry-standard five-year warranty. 

Servicing is relatively expensive at $2113 for five years, about double what Honda and Toyota charge.

The X-Trail’s “e-Power” hybrid system is an interesting one.

It isn’t as fuel efficient as regular hybrid rivals.

Think of it as an electric car that uses battery-fed motors to turn the front and rear wheels with 157kW of combined power.

Rather than plugging it in, you fill a petrol tank with unleaded fuel to supply a three-cylinder engine that serves as a generator for the car’s comparatively tiny 2.1kWh battery.

This means the car has the crisp throttle response and quiet efficiency of an electric car, particularly at low speed. 

The little petrol engine purrs away from time to time to top up the battery. It can be disconcerting at first, as the engine noise can take you by surprise. 

It’s not the sharpest SUV to drive in its class.

Floor the throttle in an overtaking manoeuvre or highway on-ramp and the petrol engine will flare to life, revving hard to crank out 106kW of power and deliver maximum thrust.

It all works reasonably well, returning a much smoother and more satisfying drive than conventionally powered Nissans with rubbery CVT transmissions.

But it is thirstier than rivals and heavier too.

The e-Power treatment adds more than 200 kilos to the less-than-lithe X-Trail, which results in a car that feels less agile than the best in class.

It’s reasonably composed but won’t win much acclaim for driver engagement.

The hybrid treatment also reduces the X-Trail’s ground clearance and deletes its spare tyre, so we wouldn’t recommend it for off-road adventures.

VERDICT 4/5

The most efficient and eager X-Trail just became easier to buy.

NISSAN X-TRAIL ST-L e-Power

PRICE: About $54,000 drive-away

ENGINE: 3-cyl turbo petrol hybrid, 157kW

WARRANTY/SERVICE: 5-yr/u’ltd km, $2113 for five years

SAFETY: Seven airbags, front and rear auto emergency baking, active cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert

THIRST: 6.1L/100km

CARGO: 575 litres

SPARE: Repair kit