Nissan X-Trail Review & Prices

The Nissan X-Trail is a large five- or seven-seater SUV with a clever hybrid system, a sturdy interior and plenty of space for a growing family. It’s comfortable to drive and has an easy-to-use dashboard and interior, but you can get a lot more for your money elsewhere these days - often from a Chinese manufacturer.

The X-Trail is a tad bit more rugged than most family SUVs, though not quite up to the standards of a Land Rover Discovery Sport - so it’s a bit like your mate who really enjoys camping and hiking, but only when the weather’s good.

As well as the Discovery Sport, the X-Trail goes up against other large SUVs such as the Kia Sorento, Skoda Kodiaq and Peugeot 5008, as well as offerings from newer Chinese brands such as the Chery Tiggo 8 and 9, Jaecoo 8 and MG S9.

The X-Trail had a mild facelift in 2026, introducing a wider grille, boomerang-shaped taillights, fresh alloy wheels and new exterior colours. Even after that, it’s anonymous and smart rather than stylish - though the rugged-looking N-Trek model is a bit more eye-catching with its red accents and triple-slot grille.

It’s a similar story inside - there’s nothing at all to get excited about, but the combination of a sensible-sized infotainment screen, hardwearing materials and plenty of proper physical switchgear is actually quite appealing to anybody who has touchscreen fatigue.

Practicality is reasonable - there’s loads of space in the first two rows, and storage space for all the odds and ends a busy family needs. Opt for the four-wheel drive model and you can spend £1,000 for a third row of seats - but don’t go thinking these are suitable for adults. Treat the X-Trail as a 5+2 with seats six and seven for occasional use only and you’ll be better off.

The boot is disappointingly average, too - it’s 575 litres as a five-seater, or just 485 litres if you opt for the seven-seater. That’s well down on alternatives.

After the 2026 facelift there’s only one engine available in the X-Trail - it’s Nissan’s e-Power hybrid unit, though you can opt for a four-wheel drive version which is increasingly rare in SUVs. It’s smooth, powerful and quiet - but while it’s nice and efficient around town, motorway economy is only around 35mpg. Alternatives will cost much less to run.

Round town, visibility is great and the X-Trail is fantastically easy to drive. It’s just as good on the motorway too, and Nissan’s assisted driving tech works well, but country lanes see a lot of body lean and rather numb steering.

Verdict

The Nissan X-Trail makes quite a left-field family car, but it’s a very sensible choice - the problem is, the alternatives all offer something more. Either a posher badge, a plusher interior, or in the case of the Chinese alternatives a powerful plug-in hybrid engine and way more standard equipment for your money.

You can find hot Nissan X-Trail deals on Carwow, as well as the latest X-Trail leasing offers and a multitude of used X-Trails for sale. There are other used Nissans for sale through our trusted dealer network, and remember, Carwow can help you sell your current car when it’s time to make a change.

Nissan X-Trail: size, practicality and storage

Dimensions (length, width, height): 4,680mm x 1,840mm x 1,725mm
Number of seats: Five or seven
ISOFIX points: Two (outer seats, second row)
Boot space seats up: 575 litres (485 litres, seven-seater)
Boot space seats down: 1,424 litres (1,298 litres, seven-seater)
Towing capacity: 1,800kg

The Nissan X-Trail starts at just under £39,000, which is on a similar level to the Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq - though only the Peugeot comes as a standard seven-seater. If you really need those extra seats, the cheapest X-Trail will set you back just over £42,000 - at which point it’s a much closer comparison with the Kia Sorento or Chery Tiggo 9. Or, the Chery Tiggo 8 and MG S9 PHEV both offer seven seats and PHEV power for much less.

Acenta Premium is the entry-level trim, and comes with a 12.3-inch infotainment display, rear-view camera, 19-inch alloy wheels, wireless smartphone connectivity and a wireless phone charger. Stepping up to N-Connecta for just over £41,500 nets you built-in Google services, which is a really useful upgrade, plus synthetic leather, a 360-degree camera and a powered tailgate.

N-Trek gets an eye-catching visual upgrade, water-resistant upholstery, heated seats front and rear and an opening sunroof, while top-spec Tekna weighs in at just over £45,000 with leather upholstery, a Bose sound system and 20-inch alloys.

On all models, upgrading to 4WD costs just over £2,200, and adding the third row of seats costs a further £1,000.

There's a decent amount of space and touch points higher up feel of a good quality. But it's not as spacious in some places as you would like

Despite being based on the same mechanical bits as the Qashqai, the X-Trail feels significantly bigger inside and easier to live with. You can easily find a comfortable driving position, with lots of adjustment on offer, while the full length sunroof on higher spec versions helps the cabin feel bright and open. 

There’s a decent amount of storage up front as well, with the centre console having a ‘floating’ look to it. The upper section has the rather large cupholders, drive mode selector, gear selector and parking brake, with the wireless charge pad fitted on more expensive models at the base of the dashboard. Underneath is an open, additional space that means you can place less essential items there. 

The door bins are also fairly substantial, fitting larger water bottles and other things. They aren’t lined on even top-spec cars though, so things can rattle around.

In the back seats

Despite being based on the same mechanical bits as the Qashqai, the X-Trail feels significantly bigger inside and easier to live with. You can find a comfortable driving position with lots of adjustment on offer, while the full length sunroof on higher spec versions helps the cabin feel bright and open.

ISOFIX points

It’s a shame that the X-Trail only comes with two ISOFIX points - in the outer seats on the second row - considering it can be had as a seven-seater. This is the same as the Peugeot 5008, but the Hyundai Santa Fe offers three across the middle-row seats.

Boot space

In five-seat mode, the X-Trail has a 585-litre boot and it comes with a flat floor. This is a usefully large space, but it's considerably less than the 720 litres you get in the five-seat Skoda Kodiaq. In seven-seat versions, fold the rearmost seats down and you have 485 litres on hand, which is less than the Kodiaq's 630 litres, but the Peugeot 5008 is top of the pops here, with a massive 952 litres.

The gap widens if you fold the middle and third rows down. The X-Trail has 1,298 litres (1,424 litres in the five-seat model), compared to just over 2,000 litres for both the Peugeot and the Skoda.

Regardless, the X-Trail's boot shape is good, and with additional pockets at the side, you’ve got a decent amount of space to use. Folding down the three seats does also provide a flat floor, but there isn’t a cover for the folding mechanism, so that means there’s a channel that things could get trapped in or lost down. You can slide larger items forward fairly easily though.

With the help of a 60/40 split, you can fold down either one, two or three seats. The central backrest collapses so you get through loading, revealing the rear cupholders in the process.

Interior storage and accessories

There’s a decent amount of storage up front, with the centre console having a ‘floating’ look to it. The upper section has the rather large cupholders, drive mode selector, gear selector and parking brake, with the wireless charge pad fitted on more expensive models at the base of the dashboard.

Underneath is an open, additional space that means you can place less essential items there. The door bins are also fairly substantial, fitting larger water bottles. They aren’t felt-lined on even top-spec cars though, so things can rattle around.

Rear door bins are big, which is useful if you have a large water bottle for longer trips. And if you don't have a person sitting in the middle you can fold the central hatch cover down to reveal a slot for a phone and two cup holders.

There are loads of additional accessories you can choose for your X-Trail, including a range of tow hitches and electric connectors, roof bars, hard cases and even a fabric rooftop storage box.

Lighter optional trims help make the X-Trail feel more spacious, but there's a fair amount of scratchy plastics throughout the cabin

While Nissan may not be the last word in style, it’s done a pretty good job with the X-Trail. There are simple lines, with chrome effect detailing around to highlight the shapes, while there’s also a bit of piano black plastic - though this can get smudged and covered in fingerprints pretty quickly.

The infotainment system is also pretty solid. It may not be the most premium-looking design, but it’s smooth and simple to navigate. Alongside the large configurable driver’s screen, and head-up display on top-end models, you have all the information you’ll need at your disposal.

Base models get the older infotainment system, but step up to N-Connecta and you get built-in Google services - Maps, the Google Assistant, and downloadable apps. The implementation isn't quite as neat as it is in a Renault or a Volvo, but it's infinitely better than the native system.

All models get simple-to-use, physical climate controls which are a breeze compared to the touchscreen-only fare in some alternatives.

On the top-spec Tekna+ model, you can get a really nice tan leather to brighten up the interior, while the top two specifications get the full-length sunroof to make it feel even more open. The rest of the trim options are grey or black, which are less likely to show up grime but don’t look as fancy.

Although there are scratchy plastics to be found, especially lower down the cabin, the overall quality is pretty good and it all feels solid. The doorbins aren’t felt-lined, so smaller things may rattle around inside, but the cabin will withstand the trials of everyday life and the wipe-down seat upholstery should take the sting out of juice, mud and ice-cream mishaps.

There are two USB ports to connect your phone to the infotainment, and you get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The petrol engine can be very loud and grating under hard acceleration, but around town and when cruising, it's quiet and performs well

The X-Trail comes with just one engine - it’s Nissan’s clever e-Power hybrid. In this type of hybrid, the petrol engine acts solely as a generator and never drives the wheels. That means that it drives just like an electric car, with a smooth, instantaneous response.

It’s therefore brilliant in town, and it also soaks up bumps and potholes really effectively. Visibility is great too and it’s surprisingly easy to park for such a big car, with all models getting a reversing camera as standard.

When you get onto a faster road and put your foot down a bit, the petrol engine does make itself known, revving quite high in order to keep enough power flowing into the battery. Apart from the engine noise, it’s quite hushed, and remains comfortable.

The X-Trail’s adaptive cruise control is fitted as standard, and posher Tekna models get ProPilot assist which also keeps you in lane and can drive semi-autonomously in traffic. It’s one of the smoother systems about, and makes long journeys relaxing.

Its light steering is direct enough on a country lane but doesn’t inspire the most confidence at higher speeds. Sport mode does sharpen the throttle response and adds extra weight to the steering, but it’s not necessary nor that focused. Off the beaten track and on looser surfaces, the X-Trail isn’t going to blow you away, but it does cope well, and the e-4orce four-wheel drive system is pretty good for a family SUV.

Nissan came 14th in the 2025 Driver Power survey for owner satisfaction, placing it just above the half-way point in terms of results. Not shocking, but not the most confidence inspiring result, either.

A 2026 recall was announced for X-Trails fitted with the 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine. This was to do with potential engine failure, requiring a software update to fix the issue.

In terms of warranty, Nissan is again pretty average, offering three years or 60,000 miles. That mileage limit isn’t great, and three years is a basic amount of time, falling behind Hyundai’s five-year warranty and Kia’s seven-year promise, or Toyota’s stellar 10-year warranty with regular dealer services.

Nissan X-Trail Euro NCAP score: 5/5 (2021)

Adult occupant: 91%
Child occupant: 90%
Vulnerable road users: 70%
Safety assist: 95%

The Nissan X-Trail scored five stars when tested by Euro NCAP in 2021, but stricter rules came in force in 2022 - so there’s no guarantee that the big Nissan would maintain its score if it were tested now.

Nonetheless, it’s no surprise to learn it’s not lacking in assistance kit. All models get adaptive cruise control, front emergency braking, blind spot warning, driver alertness, lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition.

If you want the full ProPilot system, which can take over the accelerating, braking and steering on motorways, you will need to go for the Tekna trim or above. On top of this, e-Power models also have ProPilot Park, which can detect parking spaces and park the car automatically.

All versions of the X-Trail now come with the e-Power hybrid engine, though you can opt for an extra electric motor to make it an e-4orce four-wheel drive variant.

Official fuel consumption is up to 47.1mpg for the two-wheel drive, up to 43.5mpg for the four-wheel drive model and 42.8mpg for the heavier seven-seater.

In the real world, we barely saw 35mpg from the seven-seat model, with consumption on a fast motorway run sometimes sitting around 32mpg. That’s pretty poor for a hybrid SUV, and reflects that the e-Power system is at its best in town where the engine doesn’t have to work so hard. At lower speeds, over 40mpg is easily achievable, but then it is in a Chery Tiggo 9 or Peugeot 5008 as well.

The Nissan Qashqai has a newer and much more efficient version of the hybrid system and it’s a shame this hasn’t made it to the X-Trail yet.

The upper-trim and hybrid models are subject to the luxury road tax supplement in years two-to-six, while company car drivers are better off looking at a plug-in hybrid or electric alternative for a low Benefit-in Kind rate. The Kia Sorento and Peugeot E-5008 are such examples.