Revised Nissan X-Trail arrives in October

Nissan is revising its popular X-Trail from October with a range of improvements including better interior quality and functionality plus styling and engine changes. Already one of the most capable 4x4s around, these revisions promise to make it even better.

The most obvious changes are at the front, with a redesigned grille, headlights and bumper, giving it a more aggressive stance wider stance while at the back, the distinctive vertical lights now incorporate LEDs for both the running and brake lights.

There are also larger wheels, with a ten-spoke 18-inch alloy wheel design, which is also wider. The small increase in tyre width has led to a slight widening of the wheelarch, which makes the X-Trail appear wider too. There is also a new double five-spoke design of the 17-inch wheel on the Acenta model. The X-Trail's dimensions have slightly changed as a result of the exterior redesign with the overall length increased by 10mm, while the height and width also increase by 10mm due to the increase in tyre width.

The interior design has been revamped with improved materials and better colour coordination, in particular, the area around the base of the windscreen pillar. The materials used for the switch surrounds on the steering wheel, on the gear lever and on the door-mounted armrest have all been improved, plus thicker, soft-touch materials have been chosen for the cloth seats.

The instrument dials are now easier to read and in between the dials is a new drive computer with a white-on-black display for maximum clarity. The computer gives useful information for the driver, including fuel economy, outside temperature (including ice warning function), cruising range, average speed and a reminder to take a break. The drive computer screen can also display additional information such as warnings for low fuel and parking brake as well as vital maintenance information, such as tyre maintenance, low oil and a service reminder.

Rear occupants aren't left out either thanks to redesigned front seats, creating an additional 10mm of knee-room, without compromising on comfort for the front seat occupants. And to better survive daily wear and tear, the rear tonneau cover material has been upgraded. The heating system has been upgraded for quicker warm-up, as well as more efficient cooling in hot weather.

Under the bonnet, significant updates to the diesel version have resulted in Euro 5 compliance while the manual gearbox has revised ratios for a better compromise between acceleration, fuel economy and emissions. The automatic gearbox has been modified for reduced friction and an additional feature is the gearchange indicator function in the drive computer screen, showing drivers when to change gear for optimised economy.

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