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Nissan X-trail: Test Drive (continued)
Date: 22 May 2007 | Author: John Mahoney
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On the road the X-trail is still capable, hovering near the top of the class for handling. Only the Land Rover Freelander and BMW X3 feel more agile and grippier around the front end through hard cornering. But where the Freelander and X3 will struggle is to match the incredible ride the X-trail offers - on broken asphalt, gravel and rutted mud tracks it coped admirably well.
Four engines will be available come launch: 141PS 2.0-litre and 169PS 2.5-litre petrols, and two 2.0-litre diesels with 150 and 173PS outputs.
We tried the latter 173PS version, a Renault developed lump blessed with a punchy but smooth and refined delivery, and well up to the task of shifting what has become quite a hefty car.
There's just one problem - the looks mentioned at the beginning of this review. You see, despite looking like the old X-trail, the designers have ruined the proportions. In the flesh the new car looks like a slab-sided narrower elongated version of the original with an unsightly rear bulge that doesn't even conceal an occasional pair of rear seats. But despite that, it's a vastly improved car overall and fit to take the fight to Land Rover.
