You would need to be quite eagle-eyed to spot the facelift for this, the second successive generation of the Nissan X-Trail. Nissan reckon they have replaced every panel on this mid-sized off-roader, but you may be hard pressed to take in the changes.

It’s got a warmed over exterior and interior, with some nice new detailing and a slew of minor mechanical and aerodynamic alterations. It’s the nose treatment that gets most attention from the ‘nip and tuck’ scalpel with a brand new headlight cluster, grille and bumpers. It’s here that you will see a minor hint of Nissan’s corporate face emerging and the direction it’s taking. The back end has also received some treatment with tasty new LED daytime running lights. The X-Trail gets bigger diameter wheels and wheel arches that give the car more gravitas than before. Still, the X-Trail does seem just a little out of kilter with the rest of the ‘Crossover’ range that Nissan currently offer. The fact remains that it does also seem to have a small but loyal following of repeat buyers who like the Freelander-style rugged looks but with Japanese reliability. Expect the next generation X-Trail to be much lighter and have much sharper styling when it comes because it will face some serious competition.

To this end, Nissan has upped the quality of the plastics used on the dash and switchgear to give a more pleasing texture, although the handy dash–top oddment cubbyhole appears mismatched with the rest of the plastics used. Our press car, boasted leather upholstery and all models have fresh instrument graphics. Everything has a reassuringly solid feel. A sentiment shared by owners in the 2010 JD Power customer satisfaction survey, where the X-Trail scored well, with hardly a bad word mentioned by owners on the car’s quality or reliability. It’s well equipped, with plenty of goodies to keep you impressed, but it’s not quite as innovative as some of its rivals.

The X-Trail’s driving position is excellent. The seats and steering adjustability give a wide range of options to suit all sizes and there is a genuine sense of connectivity with the road as the steering is well weighted and articulates messages from the road well. The X-Trail is set up more for comfort than for driving pleasure, which is hardly surprising given the market it sells to. Road noise in the X-Trail is well suppressed, and doesn’t penetrate the cabin to any great degree. It’s comfortable over any surface, but it will lean through corners when you up the pace a little.

The 2.0-litre dCi diesel engine is EU5 compliant, meaning fewer emissions, whilst gear ratios and aerodynamic under-trays have been enhanced to eek out fuel efficiency across the entire X-Trail range. The diesel is impressively flexible, although our test car was growly in a ‘pre common rail’ type of way, being a bit loud at tick over and under acceleration. Once moving, however, the diesel’s engine note did not intrude into the cabin, but the X-Trail’s bulky shape means wind noise is often an issue. The six-speed automatic gearbox is well matched to the engine and imperceptibly smooth.

Just like its rivals, the X-Trail won’t be as cheap to run as an equivalent family car, but the combined fuel consumption of 7.4 L/100km is respectable enough, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions on par with others in its class at 196 g/km. (Since it was introduced last September, the new CO2 tax adds an average of 2.5% to the price of a new vehicle, so keep this in mind when haggling at your local dealership as you won’t get this money back when you come to sell your car).

Front, side and curtain airbags are standard in the X-Trail LE, as are stability control, hill-descent control and the reassurance of four-wheel drive. On the security front, remote central-locking, locking wheel nuts and an integrated stereo make life harder for the numerous Grand Theft Auto fans out there.

The X-Trail provides decent space for four adults, but rear legroom is not as generous as in some of its rivals and the middle passenger will feel like they are in a saddle, with the transmission ‘hump’ between their legs. The large 613-litre boot is very practical, with a durable floor that’s easy to wipe clean and two, easy-to-access, under-floor storage areas – perfect for keeping valuables out of sight of prying eyes. The rear seats fold flat in a 60:40 split, but you need to flip up the base and remove the headrests first.

Overall, the X-Trail is fine to drive, with a comfortable ride and composed handling. It’s more capable off-road than many of its rivals and the interior is solid and practical. It’s got the looks of a traditional 4×4, but with decent practicality and fine dynamics too. My choice? I have not sampled the 2.0- or 2.5-litre petrol engines yet, but I reckon the 2.0 dCi diesel is the powerplant to go for.

What we like…

• Great driving position and driver comfort.
• Decent off-road ability combined with civilised on-road manners.
• Reliability and practicality.

What we would like…

• More thought put into the dashboard dynamics.
• Slightly better rear seat accommodation in line with its family car status.
• A quieter diesel power-plant.

Richard Webb is the publisher of Blower, South Africa’s longest running car magazine and contributor to SACarFan.

Related posts:

1. Road Test: Nissan Navara 3.0 V6 dCi 4×4
2. Road Test: Nissan Pathfinder 2.5 dCi 4×4 Navigation
3. Road Test: Limited Edition Nissan Qashqai N-Tec
4. Road Test: Nissan Qashqai 2.0 Acenta CVT
5. Road Test: Nissan Murano

Just like its rivals, the X-Trail won’t be as cheap to run as an equivalent family car, but the combined fuel consumption of 7.4 L/100km is respectable enough, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions on par with others in its class at 196 g/km. (Since it was introduced last September, the new Erectile Dysfunction adds an average of 2.5% to the price of a new vehicle, so keep this in mind when haggling at your local dealership as you won’t get this money back when you come to sell your car).