Believe it or not, this is Nissan's fourth generation of the X-Trail... and it’s come a long way since it was launched in 2000. Back then it was part of the early surge of soft roaders, but now you’d be hard pushed to find a manufacturer that doesn’t have one in its line-up. And while I’m pretty sure 99.9 per cent of them will never go off road, the fact they could makes people feel they’re living a charmed, country chic life.
As it happens, this one will definitely never go off road, as we’ve got the 2WD version.
The X-Trail has lost its original boxy look and is now a sleeker, posher, roomier and more technologically advanced car. It also has the option of seven seats (great idea), though we don’t have a seven-seater version - nonetheless we will try and drive one for comparison purposes. Under the bonnet there is a 1.5-litre petrol engine with added ePower.