Photos by Ulysses Ang

Driving up to Baguio, the City of Pines, was once considered an automotive torture test. It was where new cars are brought up in the hopes of getting back with tales how everything went smoothly or awfully wrong. Although those days are over, Baguio is still a commonly preferred destination to stretch a new car’s legs, and of course, act as a quick getaway. Thus, it wasn’t a big surprise that Baguio was chosen as the destination to shakedown the all-new Nissan X-Trail—the compact crossover that promises to signal the Japanese brand’s return to glory.

Nissan Philippines is aiming to increase excitement in its local line-up as the unified company launches the all-new X-Trail at the Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS). Perhaps the model with the strongest consumer recall locally, the third-generation X-Trail is Nissan’s global compact crossover offering that is slated to be sold in over 190 countries worldwide. The Philippines is one of the first countries in the ASEAN market to receive the X-Trail which is built at Nissan’s Kyushu, Japan plant.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

When it’s said that the compact crossover segment is the most highly contested out there, that’s an understatement. Consider this: it’s the only segment in the Philippine market where every carmaker has a entrant be it utilitarian, upscale, luxurious, or sporty. Everyone from the Japanese (the original purveyors of the compact crossover genre) to the Americans, and even the Europeans are all in the act. Sad to say, when it comes to buying an actual compact crossover, top-of-mind choices often take precedent over what’s actually good or recommendable.

Nissan Philippines has just revealed the first local vehicle to benefit from their strategic Nissan Intelligent Mobility: the refreshed 2018 X-Trail. Available at all Nissan dealers starting this month, the 2018 X-Trail brings with it new technologies that offers a more confident and connected driving experience.

Having seven seats is always a great selling point here in the Philippines. While that option is normally reserved for MPVs and larger SUVs, even smaller ones are starting to get into the fray. One such entrant, fighting in the compact crossover genre is the Nissan X-Trail. Being the second of three crossovers that offer three rows of seats, the X-Trail can’t claim to have that as a unique proposition. What it can claim though is that it underwent a bunch of tweaks that make it a more convincing choice now. The question is: are they enough to help keep the X-Trail on stride in the highly competitive market?

First impressions are pretty good. The 2018 update has certainly made the X-Trail look much sportier compared to when it first launched in 2015. Gone is the generic soap bar-shape and in its place is a more angular, more aggressive looking face. The larger grille, LED headlights, and chiseled bumpers all suit the “active lifestyle” commonly associated with SUVs without going overboard. Towards the back, the changes are far less obvious but the new bumper and boomerang-shaped LED taillights do the job of adding a bit of character. The final modernizing touches are courtesy of the new shark’s fin antenna (replacing the old school pole-type) and two-tone 19-inch alloy wheels (replacing the 17-inch ones).



Sadly, Nissan’s efforts seem to be concentrated on the exterior since they’ve largely forgotten to modernize the interior. Though there are various soft-touch plastics and even leather on the steering wheel, dashboard, and shifter base, there are also some hard, scratchy plastics too. It’s well-hidden thanks to its texturized finish, but poke long enough and it’s noticeable—lower dash, door trims, center console—they all fall victim to this. Plus, the doors close with a tinny twang making it feel far less premium than a fair few of its rivals.

For the driver, the X-Trail remains a safe, solid bet. The seat itself is cushy and combine that with a tilt/telescopic steering wheel and it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position. The gauges are large and easy to understand as are the various buttons and switches. The latter is also crisp-feeling with precise, positive engagement.



Surprisingly, the most disappointing parts of the X-Trail has much to do with the 2018 update. The Around View 360-degree monitor is a great idea, but cramming the display into a low-resolution, 5-inch screen makes it pretty close to useless. The same goes for Moving Object Detection or MOD. Instead of pinpointing exactly where the moving object is, the system simply alerts you in which general area (front, back, left, or right) it’s in. The driver will then have to decipher it and that’s quite difficult with the miniscule screen. There’s an audible warning, but it’s easily drowned out. It’s the same problem with the blind spot warning system which has too small an indicator and too soft a warning chime.

Honestly, the only thing that worked perfectly is the Forward Collision Braking and Forward Collision Warning system. It’s perfectly tuned to local road conditions with no false alarms or unwanted emergency braking.



As a family hauler, the X-Trail is packaged pretty well for its size. The first two rows of seats are pretty solid with ample head and generous leg room. However, the third row of seats is best left for occasional use. Getting in and out is easy thanks to rear doors that open almost 90 degrees and a second row that tilts and slides forward, but it’s definitely a “knees-up” situation at the back. The second row is adjustable allowing for additional legroom, but even then, it doesn’t make it more habitable.

Perhaps the X-Trail’s weakest point is when it comes to driving excitement, or the lack of it. The softly-sprung suspension gives an impression of it being cushy and plush, and it is over smooth pavement. But the moment it goes over anything slightly rough, it will bob and thud its way through. What’s more, sharp-edged bumps will cause the entire car to shake and shudder, and it takes a moment to regain its composure. The light steering is a godsend in traffic jams or parking maneuvers, but it takes a bit more lock to get it into corners. It doesn’t feel particularly pointy when pushed, and even in the rare instances when it’s up for a dance, it tips and leans heavily into corners. NVH isolation is one of the X-Trail’s strong suits, with the thin glass being the only chink in that armor.



Under the hood, the X-Trail remains mechanically unchanged. It still runs on a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder motor making 171 horsepower and 233 Nm of torque. It feels sluggish off the line but picks up the pace as it gains momentum. Driven sensibly, it’s smooth but fuel economy could be better (5.40 km/L at 11 km/h, 9.35 km/L at 27 km/h). Start prodding the accelerator though and it’ll always feel like it’s a half step behind. Because of the CVT’s need to adjust its ratios, the coarseness of the engine is made obvious.

In value for money terms, the 2018 update does give the X-Trail much more equipment this time. Now, they’ve thrown everything from powered front seats to a panoramic sunroof to a hands-free powered tailgate to all sorts of driver assistive technology under the Nissan Intelligent Mobility umbrella: Blindspot Warning System with Cross Traffic Alert, Forward Collision Braking, Forward Collision Warning, and of course, the Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection. Honestly, the packaging would have been perfect if not for the lack of a more modern infotainment system with a bigger screen (no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay here) and more standard airbags (it only has, shockingly, two).



With the revised exterior styling, better standard equipment, and slew of Nissan Intelligent Mobility features, the 2018 Nissan X-Trail has become an okay choice in the crowded compact crossover segment. If it were the only one with standard seating for seven, then that would have made it a clear winner. Sadly, there are far more okay choices out there. As it stands, Nissan may have moved the X-Trail onto the right track, it’s just that its competitors have moved on even further.

After being shown to the North American market as the Rogue last year, Nissan has finally pulled the covers off its global market sibling—the all-new 2022 Nissan X-Trail. In doing so, they are confirming one big thing: turbocharged power.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Back in 2000, the Nissan X-Trail was launched with an upright, boxy body that looked rather sedate. What it lacked in style though it made up for it with interesting stuff like a washable cargo hold, water repellant seats, and commendable off-road abilities (although comparing its AWD system with the Skyline GT-R’s leaves a bad taste). Still, next to fashion comedy, Zoolander, it looked like the X-Trail withstood the effects of time better than the film’s zebra-print pants, faux fur, and over-the-top hair. Now, here’s the 2015 model.

For the longest time, Nissan didn’t know how to properly position the X-Trail. From trying to be all for the “active and tough” with the angular first- and second-generation models with the plastic front fenders and roof-mounted lights respectively, the current third-generation X-Trail turns a full 180 and goes all curvy and family friendly. And while they’ve stumbled out of the gate initially, especially when it comes to equipment level, they seemed to have rectified that with the 2018 refresh.

The first key part of Nissan’s turnaround plan has just been unveiled. The 2021 X-Trail (aka Rogue in the U.S.) makes its global debut with a stronger, more SUV-honed body, more upscale interior, and improved powertrain.

It’s been almost a year since the all-new Nissan X-Trail debuted for the North American market as the Rogue. Now, global markets will finally see how Nissan’s compact SUV shapes up with a worldwide debut set for the Auto Shanghai in April.

Proof once again of the versatility of its e-Power system, Nissan has launched the all-new X-Trail in Japan propelled exclusively by this unique powertrain.

Nissan is giving its X-Trail e-Power a regional debut at the Singapore Motor Show 2023 as part of its commitment to provide the widest array of electrified products in the region.

As some areas of the country transition back into modified enhanced community quarantine, Nissan in the Philippines presents a unique ‘stay at home challenge’ as Filipinos stay home to stay safe. In collaboration with singer-songwriters Barbie Almalbis and Zsaris, Nissan in the Philippines entertained Filipinos by recreating a hit song using a Nissan X-Trail.

How many times do we wish we could be more—more confident, more exciting, more daring? How many times do we wish we could zoom away to who-knows-where? Or just go off-roading on a whim? Or even have the courage to take the tiniest parking spot left?

Crossovers and dogs often go together so it comes as a surprise that Nissan took some time to develop a dog-friendly version of its X-Trail. Currently a concept, the X-Trail 4Dogs Concept is filled with everything a dog and a doting fur-parent would want. Features include a two-way dog cam, water shower, dryer, and access ramp.

Nissan’s all-new 2021 X-Trail just got the results of its latest crash tests, and the scores are troubling.

Dream Nissan vehicles are now within reach with more savings and discounts on select vehicles from the Nissan “Safer Drives and Deals Promo,” extended until December 31, 2020, available in all authorized Nissan dealerships nationwide. 

The wait for the all-new Nissan X-Trail will have to be longer as the Japanese carmaker just released a refreshed version of the current version for its home market of Japan. Though the changes are purely aesthetic, they do a lot to modernize the look and feel of Nissan’s compact SUV.

Update: Nissan has officially unveiled the 2021 X-Trail (aka Rogue). Details here. (6/15).

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Nissan’s still adamant to push through with several new production introductions this year, including the all-new X-Trail.

Nissan’s rise in the Philippine market isn’t done yet. After strengthening its hold in the industry as the third best-selling automotive brand, Nissan says 2022 will even be a bigger year.