Bruce Fraser

Bruce Fraser

For the past few months, the new Nissan X-Trail has been available only in petrol engines.

Diesel lovers will be pleased to learn that the Japanese manufacturer has added the diesel to the X-Trail line-up.

Nissan has been involved in what it has called individual launches in the past few weeks to introduce the X-Trail DCI.

We picked up our launch or test car from the Nissan SA folks.

If I was driving the previous generation X-Trail I would be feeling cheated . because the new model is just so darn good! The diesel is a bonus.

Interior space is greatly improved with the boot now a whopping 603litres.

When it comes to power, the Nissan went back to the drawing board and have come up with an impressive 2 litre turbo-diesel engine that produces 110kW and 320Nm. Acceleration is swift and has a claimed top speed of 182km.

The five-speed automatic gearbox is smooth and gear changes handled with ease.

The X-Trail offers drivers three different modes of driving - all at the twist of a dial.

First you have 2WD which is used for everyday commuting and offers best fuel economy; then there is lock mode which is designed for serious off-road driving; and finally auto, suitable for both on and off-road.

The cabin is extremely roomy and there is a nice laid-back feeling to driving the vehicle when in automatic mode.

Comfort features were plentiful: front and rear cup holders, CD player, tinted rear windows, power steering, electric windows and air-conditioning.