It took a while, but Nissan seems to have finally realized that its family SUV, the X-Trail, was in need of a real refresh.
A Refresh That Really Buoys the Nissan X-Trail
Yes, a “real” one, because the X-Trail of the fourth generation has just received a light refresh in Europe, fairly minor to say the least. But in the United States, the Japanese automaker has unveiled the “fifth generation” of its Rogue cousin. We put the term in quotation marks because it’s more of a facelift than a true new model. And it’s from this model that the European X-Trail will come in a few more months now. On paper, the silhouette evolves little, but the face, it has little in common with the current one. Nissan drops its two-tier front lighting setup in favor of arrow-shaped headlamps that point toward the top corners of the bumper. Their daytime lighting signature extends into the hexagonal grille mesh, now shorter in height. This approach, by the way, echoes what Hyundai’s Tucson has just done by changing generations, as if the two automakers crossed paths in a hallway. The hood, with more discreet ridges, looks more horizontal, while the sides gain a more pronounced beltline and a redesigned rear quarter window that flows into the roof. At the rear, everything becomes more angular: smaller lights, but still over the fenders, linked by a dotted light strip, and a sharper-edged roof spoiler.
Still Offered with the e-Power Hybrid
In terms of dimensions, it’s more of a continuity. At about 4.65 meters long, the Rogue is roughly 4 centimeters shorter than the current X-Trail; its wheelbase remains at 2.71 meters, its height at 1.72 meters, and only its width gains a centimeter to reach 1.85 meters. That translates to roughly 183 inches long, a 106.7-inch wheelbase, 67.7 inches tall, and 72.8 inches wide. The interior, however, sees fresh packaging. Gone is the screen separated from the instrument cluster tucked under a dash cap: instead there is a dual-display setup mounted on the dashboard, which unites the driver’s instrument cluster and the touchscreen. Depending on trim, it measures 2 x 12.3 inches or 2 x 14.3 inches. Good news for those who dislike full touch controls: many physical buttons and toggle switches remain on the center console and on the steering wheel. Under the hood, the choice is quickly made since only the e-Power hybrid powertrain is offered. Its principle is distinctive: a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine producing 150 hp acts as a generator to feed a small 1.67 kWh lithium-ion battery. This battery powers two electric motors, one per axle, which together develop 228 hp and provide all-wheel drive. It’s the same architecture as the current X-Trail e-Power, offered in 4×2 with 204 hp or in 4×4 with 213 hp, but here it is more powerful. Because only the electric motors drive the wheels, Nissan can even offer an e-pedal mode, quite rare on a hybrid, that lets you drive with almost only the accelerator. The European rollout of this new Rogue is not expected until the end of 2027.
