2026 Nissan X-Trail ePower review

If you’ve been following the ongoing and increasing electrification of passenger vehicles, you’ll know it’s not quite as cut and dried as how it used to be. Even a decade ago, cars were pretty much limited to conventional hybrids (where a small electric motor and battery provided extra assistance to the engine to reduce fuel consumption), plug-in hybrids (similar in execution to regular hybrids but with more powerful electrical internals offering electric-only range), and fully electric vehicles.

In 2016, Nissan introduced its first in-house developed hybrid system to the world in the form of the Note e-Power, which was quite a change. Instead of relying on the petrol engine for motivation, the e-Power system essentially flipped the whole thing on its head with a shrunken engine exclusively generating power for the electric motors.

Ten years later and we’ve seen Nissan expand its hybrid tech to other members of the family. In this case, it’s the X-Trail that has been given the e-Power treatment, and we’ve driven it in Ti-L form.

How much does the Nissan X-Trail cost? 

While we’re focusing mostly on the second-from-the-top Ti-L e-Power model, you can have the X-Trail in plenty of other guises as well. The party starts at $41,990 with the ST before extending to the full-fat X-Trail N Trek e-Power, which starts at $57,990. In between are the ST-L and Ti-L variants, both of which can be had in petrol-only front-wheel drive, petrol-only all-wheel drive, and e-Power AWD forms. 

Every X-Trail can be had with all-wheel drive. If the model isn’t powered by the e-Power powertrain, it gets Nissan’s ‘Intelligent’ AWD, which works like a conventional all-wheel drive system with a central propeller shaft and mechanical coupling to send power from the engine to the rear wheels when slip is detected. 

Meanwhile, the ST-L, Ti-L and N Trek models can all be specified with the e-Power hybrid system. These are exclusively AWD, and they use the newer ‘e-4orce’ all-wheel drive system. It’s electrically operated, with independent motors on each axle providing near-instantaneous torque distribution. In fact, Nissan says it’s up to 10,000 times faster than its mechanical counterparts.

Competition? The most obvious is the Toyota RAV4, newly crowned New Zealand’s most popular vehicle, with a heavy revamp due to land here this year. You’ve also got the Mitsubishi Outlander, which shares a platform with the X-Trail but little else, and the newly electrified Subaru Forester. Other options include the Honda ZR-V, the Kia Sportage HEV,

What’s the Nissan X-Trail like on the inside?

Nissan has really upped its game for its interiors. The Ti-L gets black quilted leather (or tan, if you’d prefer) on the seats, which are remarkably comfortable. The sweeping dashboard has attractive faux-wood elements and I very much appreciated the slightly more old-school approach to the air-conditioning controls. The two dials for driver/passenger temperature and handful of buttons for other HVAC functions work very well, and there’s no faffing around with any touchscreens. 

I also enjoy Nissan’s current steering wheel. Similar to the HVAC area, there aren’t any haptic or touch-based controls here, with Nissan instead opting for physical buttons to control media and cruise control. Just behind the wheel is a digital screen which is nice and easy to read, but feels slightly dated in its graphics.

There’s a stubby gear selector mounted next to a pair of cupholders, with a drive mode selector just to the south. The materials and quality in the cabin is very impressive, and with the Ti-L model getting extra bits like heated seats front and rear, a heated steering wheel and 10-speaker Bose stereo, it, there is a lot to like here. It’s even knocking on the door of the Mazda CX-5, one of the main benchmarks in cabin quality.

It’s practical, too. The rear doors open up to 85 degrees which makes ingress and egress easy and the rear seats fold in a 40/20/40 manner (the middle seat can fold independently, good for transporting longer objects without sacrificing a full seat). Nissan did have to sacrifice a bit of boot space in the e-Power models, but it’s only ten litres which is pretty negligible overall, considering the capacity remains a sizeable 575L. 

Interested in a seven-seater? The ST-L and Ti-L can be had with more rear seats, but only with the 2.5-litre engine. Seems the added electricals of the e-Power system don’t allow for extra seats.

What’s under the bonnet?

The e-Power system in the X-Trail consists of a three-cylinder 1.5-litre turbocharged engine running as a generator, charging a small 1.8kWh battery which, in turn, feeds two electric motors. Combined power output sits at 157kW and while Nissan doesn’t quote a combined torque figure, the front motor makes 330Nm while the rear produces 195Nm. Everything is fed through a CVT transmission.

This set-up is similar to Honda’s e:HEV system in that the engine doesn’t directly drive the wheels. It’s effectively a fully electric drive, but it doesn’t really feel like that on the move, which we’ll touch more on soon.

The big reason behind all of this is fuel economy. Compared to the 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder in the other X-Trail models, the e-Power variants should save about 1.7L/100km. Nissan’s official claim is 6.1L/100km for the Ti-L e-Power.

How does the Nissan X-Trail drive?

It’s smooth. As mentioned, the electric motors do all of the motivation, so pressing the go pedal means you get near-instant response, just like a fully electric car. Especially in flat urban situations, where you don’t often notice the little engine chiming in to rejuice the battery. It does get a bit more pronounced when you ask more from the powertrain, like on hills or joining a motorway, at which point it just sits there, thrumming away generating electricity. It’s a bit of an odd sensation at first, feeling power develop without hearing the engine note change much, but you get used to it.

The fixed spring suspension does very well on Auckland roads, soaking up all but the very worst of the bumps, and Nissan’s efforts in quietening the cabin have worked well, with very little getting through the noise cancellation tech. 

Possibly the most impressive part of the package is the e-4orce all-wheel drive system. It works in the background, shuffling power where it’s needed most to retain grip, resulting in a superbly stable drive in all sorts of conditions. You can fiddle with the five drive modes but leaving the car to sort itself out is what I’d do, it works that well.

But, considering the whole point of e-Power is to reduce fuel consumption, it sips a bit more fuel than I really expected. You’d do well to equal a Toyota RAV4 in low-stress situations, and if you press things on the economy gauge will get further into the red. Realistically, fuel consumption will sit in the mid-sevens. The small battery needs constant topping up, and Nissan’s software is quite cautious here as well, often calling on the engine to generate power when the battery is only half drained. You can force the car into EV mode, in which case it will bring the battery right down, but why not have it do this normally?

Overall, though, it’s a pleasant drive. The e-Power gubbins are enough for a sprightly shot off the line while the steering and chassis is nicely tuned for Kiwi roads.

What do you get?

Nissan has given all X-Trails a good amount of standard kit, with everything coming with automatic headlights, wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto support, automatic emergency braking, blind spot intervention and approach unlock/walk away locking function.

Nissan X-Trail ST equipment highlights:

• 17-inch alloys
• V-motion front grille with silver accent
• Grey lower front and rear lower fascia
• LED headlights/taillights, daytime running lights, turn signals
• 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
• Second row air vents
• Intelligent Key with push button engine start, approach unlock and walkaway lock function
• Automatic headlights
• High Beam Assist
• Power adjustable, power folding, heated external rear vision mirrors
• Capless fuel filler door
• Tilt/telescopic steering wheel adjustment
• 8.0-inch infotainment screen with wired Android Auto/Apple CarPlay
• 6 speaker audio system
• Reverse parking camera
• Rear parking sensors
• Forward collision warning
• Emergency braking with junction assist & pedestrian/cyclist detection
• Rear automatic braking
• Rear cross traffic alert
• Blind spot warning/intervention
• Lane intervention
• Adaptive cruise control
• Traffic sign recognition
• Trailer sway control
• Rear seat alert
• Vehicle security system

Nissan X-Trail ST-L adds:

• 18-inch allow wheels
• ProPilot with lane-keep assist
• 360-degree camera
• 12.3-inch infotainment display with wireless Apple CarPlay (wired Android Auto)
• Leather-accented seats and steering wheel
• Heated front seats
• Privacy glass on second row and rear windows
• Wireless smartphone charger

Nissan X-Trail Ti-L adds:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• 10.8-inch head-up display
• Quilted Nappa leather seat trim
• Bose 10-speaker audio system
• Rear door sunshades
• Remote engine start
• Heated second row of seats
• Heated steering wheel

Nissan X-Trail N-Trek adds:

• N-Trek-specific 18-inch alloy wheels
• N-Trek-specific front and rear bumpers
• N-Trek black treatment to V-Motion girlle, roof rails, door mirrors and door handles
• Water-resistant synthetic leather interior
• Rubberised floor-mats

CarExpert’s take on the Nissan X-Trail

If you’re after a solid mid-range five-seater SUV that’s arguably more interesting than a RAV4 or Kia Sportage with a genuinely premium interior, the X-Trail Ti-L should be on your list.  The e-4orce all-wheel drive system is genuinely brilliant too, especially if you drive on mud or gravel often. 

It’s a comfy ride, with well-sorted suspension and a quiet cabin. All of the ProPilot stuff works well, and the upgraded Bose stereo system is a tasty addition.

The e-Power stuff is good too, smooth running and powerful enough, but it’s not quite as economical as the Toyota RAV4, especially considering Toyota is readying the latest generation for a local launch this year. However, to get to a similar equipment level as the X-Trail Ti-L, be prepared to spend $63,990 for the RAV4 Limited AWD.