You can tell how important is a region for an automaker by the time it takes to bring over a certain model. The Rogue was unveiled in the United States back in June 2020 but it wasn't until July this year when the equivalent X-Trail made its debut at home in Japan. It's now Europe's turn to get the midsize SUV, complete with three-row seating, optional all-wheel drive, and an electrified powertrain with a three-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine.
Looking oh so familiar inside and out, the X-Trail destined for the Old Continent is big enough to host passengers up to 160 centimeters tall on the rearmost seats. As for the second-row bench, it has a 60:40-split configuration and can slide forward to make it easier for people to access the third row. With the seats in place, the cargo capacity stands at 585 liters or 20 liters more than its predecessor.
2023 Nissan X-Trail (Europe)
The combustion engine we mentioned earlier doesn't actually drive the wheels. Instead, the three-pot unit with a 1.5-liter displacement is used to generate the necessary electrical energy for the battery, which is then fed to the electric motor. This method prompts Nissan to say the X-Trail behaves pretty much like an EV, offering its full 330 Newton-meters (243 pound-feet) of torque virtually instantly. That e-motor is good for 201 horsepower, enabling a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in eight seconds.
Nissan will also be selling the X-Trail in Europe with AWD by installing an electric motor on each axle for a combined output of 210 hp. In the all-paw configuration, the SUV will complete the sprint in 7 seconds for the five-seat model and 7.2 seconds with seven seats. Not that many people care about top speed when buying such a vehicle, but the single-motor setup maxes out at 106 mph (170 km/h) whereas the dual-motor configuration enables a maximum velocity of 112 mph (180 km/h).
If that powertrain sounds a bit too complicated, there's also a simpler 1.5-liter gasoline mill with mild-hybrid tech. Equipped with a variable compression ratio, it sends power to the wheels in an old-fashioned way, with 161 hp and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) going exclusively to the front wheels via a CVT since there's no AWD option with this engine.
Elsewhere, it's the same Rogue we're all familiar with, featuring a 12.3-inch driver's display and an infotainment touchscreen of the same size. On the outside, the body is available in 10 colors, along with five two-tone shades. Already available to order in certain Euro markets, the X-Trail kicks off from €38,080 in Italy where it is offered in four trim levels.
