During our testing, we also found that the driving position in the X-Trail isn’t quite as commanding as the Kia Sorento’s. The C-pillars are relatively thick, and the rear side windows are small, so visibility is a little compromised, and you’ll be utilising the standard reversing camera to compensate for this.
We found that the smartphone charging shelf is big enough for even the largest of smartphones. The glovebox isn’t particularly roomy, but the door bins are a decent size. The latter isn’t carpeted like it is in a Skoda Kodiaq or Volkswagen Tayron to stop items from rattling around while you’re driving, though.
Rear passengers benefit from lots of legroom and headroom. We also like how the centre seat in the X-Trail’s middle bench folds down entirely to provide a huge armrest for rear passengers.
If you decide to order your X-Trail with seven seats, only shorter people will feel comfortable in the back row.
The first issue is that while the rear doors open nice and wide (almost to 90 degrees, which is useful when fitting a bulky child seat), the middle-row seats don’t move very far out of the way, so you need to wriggle through a small gap to access the third row. That third row is a little too small for adults due to limited knee and headroom, plus the seats are quite firm. They’re fine for occasional use on short trips, but the X-Trail isn’t a full-time seven-seater like the more spacious Kia Sorento, which comes standard with seven seats.
Boot space
The X-Trail’s boot isn’t the largest in its class. In the mild-hybrid model, you get 585 litres of luggage space (with rear seats in an upright position), which is 81 litres more than you’ll find in the Nissan Qashqai. The e-Power versions offer 575 litres of cargo space, while a seven-seat model reduces this to 485 litres overall. Folding the rear seats unlocks a more spacious load area of up to 1,396 litres, depending on whether you opt for the five- or seven-seat X-Trail.
Towing
If you’re prioritising towing ability, then you’ll want to avoid the front-wheel drive 201bhp e-Power version because it only has a 670kg maximum braked trailer weight. The 210bhp e-4ORCE in five-seat guise manages a much more useful 1,800kg, but if you opt for a seven-seater variant, this drops to 1,650kg.
Family car buyers will be reassured by the X-Trail’s five-star NCAP rating, and an extensive list of standard safety kit
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If you’re a buyer looking for a safe family car, then the Nissan X-Trail is worth considering. Industry safety body, Euro NCAP, awarded the large SUV its full five-star rating, with excellent scores of 91 per cent for adult occupants and 90 per cent for child passenger protection. The X-Trail’s high level of standard safety equipment was also recognised with a 95 per cent rating.
