X-Trail will be brought to India as a CBU in limited numbers.
After what has been quite a long period of inactivity at Nissan, the Japanese carmaker is finally gearing up to launch a new product in India. Having first showcased it in October 2022, Nissan has now officially teased the fourth-generation X-Trail SUV ahead of its launch in the coming months. This will only be second model in Nissan’s lineup after solely being survived by the Magnite since the discontinuation of the Kicks in April 2023. The X-Trail will be brought in as a CBU.
- X-Trail will only be offered with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol
- Will rival the likes of the Tucson, Kodiaq, Tiguan
Nissan X-Trail: what to expect?
The X-Trail is not a new nameplate in India – the SUV was on sale here in its first- and second-generation guises, and although the third-gen model was showcased here a few years ago, it was never officially put on sale. The fourth-gen X-Trail, which has been on sale overseas since 2021, has been undergoing testing in India for a while now, and now finally appears ready for launch.
The Nissan X-Trail is a premium executive SUV, available in either 5-seat or 7-seat guises. The latest version is built on Renault-Nissan’s CMF-C platform and while it is offered with a plethora of petrol powertrain options overseas, including a unique 1.5-litre range-extender hybrid, India will only get a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine.
Sources have claimed that based on their research and customer feedback, it is the petrol specification that’s suitable for now, as the current government policy doesn’t really favour hybrids which would have put its prices out of contention. It will anyway be a niche offering as Nissan can import up to 2,500 units without the need for homologation.
The X-Trail will, therefore, be available with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces 204hp and 305Nm. While the availability of a CVT gearbox is confirmed, it isn’t known if it’ll come with 2WD or AWD.
Nissan X-Trail only a stopgap solution
The X-Trail is only a stopgap solution to help maintain consumers’ interest in the brand. Nissan had also showcased the Juke and Qashqai SUVs at the same event in 2022, both of which are still understood to be under evaluation for our market.
These models will help keep conversation around the brand alive while it readies a fresh product onslaught from 2025 onwards that’ll include a new Creta-rivalling 5-seater SUV based on the new-gen Renault Duster, and a 7-seater derivative of that as well; a facelift for the Magnite is also on cards for later this year.
The X-Trail will see competition from the likes of the Jeep Meridian, Hyundai Tucson, Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tigaun in India. Of these, the Kodiaq also comes as CBU import while the Tucson and Tiguan are assembled from CKD kits. Prices can, therefore, be expected to be around Rs 30-35 lakh (ex-showroom).
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