Nissan X-Trail Review 2026: Prices, specs and verdict

What is the Nissan X-Trail?

The X-Trail is Nissan’s largest SUV for Europe, offering five or seven seats and a step up in space and rugged capability from the hugely popular Nissan Qashqai.

The original X-Trail launched in 2001 as one of the early ‘soft-roaders’ – 4x4s that were designed more for on-road use but kept some off-road ability (thanks to a selectable four-wheel drive system) for occasional mud-plugging.

The second-generation X-Trail (2014-2017) was even more road-biased, with many components shared with the Qashqai and more front-wheel drive options – and that continued into the plusher, more grown-up third generation of 2022.

Nissan is hoping to recover some of the rugged spirit that makes early X-Trails a go-to budget off-roader with this facelifted 2026-on model. There’s an outdoorsy ‘N-Trek’ variant with features such as water-resistant seat trim, while the rest of the range gets technology and styling upgrades inside and out.

Our in-depth review sees if these changes are enough to keep the X-Trail in contention with the ever-popular Skoda Kodiaq.

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Verdict: is the Nissan X-Trail a good car?

The Nissan X-Trail is a decent large SUV offering plenty of space for five, an easy and well-rounded driving experience and a solid, logically laid-out interior. We also highly rate the e-Power hybrid system for its blend of smoothness and fuel economy.

Where the X-Trail is less competitive is in outright practicality, because the boot capacity lags behind key rivals and you can only get seven seats with the all-wheel drive version. That third row of seats is cramped, too – so there are better all-rounders at this price point.

Pricing, specs & rivals

Prices for the updated Nissan X-Trail start at £38,235. That’s a significant premium over the outgoing model because the old entry-level engine was dropped in favour the popular e-Power hybrid.

That starting price is roughly the same as a Skoda Kodiaq and slightly more than a Peugeot 5008, although as both of those are merely mild hybrids at that price the Nissan seems to be good value.

The entry-level trim is Acenta Premium and gets 19in diamond cut alloy wheels, wireless phone charging, all-round parking sensors, a reversing camera and dual-zone climate control.

There’s a tough decision to make as to whether to step up to N-Connecta trim or not. It throws in some useful features such as Google Built-In infotainment, an electric tailgate, a 360-degree camera system, roof rails and Nissan’s Pro Pilot semi-autonomous driving tech. However, it pushes the price to £40,945, which means you’ll be subject to the extra ‘Luxury Car Tax’ addition to VED car tax.

That’s a shame, but the same applies to most rivals. The next step up the X-Trail range is the newly added N-Trek trim. At £43,300. This offers more rugged exterior styling as well as heated front and rear seats, an electric sunroof, three-zone climate control and a free premium paint choice.

Topping the range is Tekna trim at £44,405. It ditches the N-Trek’s styling changes but keeps the other kit upgrades, while also adding 20in alloys, a Bose sound system upgrade, a digital rear-view mirror, a head-up display and sunshades for the rear doors.

The only other option is to upgrade to the ‘e-4ORCE’ hybrid version, which adds all-wheel drive and a more performance. It adds roughly £2,200 extra to the price on every trim level, so no version avoids the Luxury Car Tax.

Bizarrely, the e-4ORCE model is the only version that can be ordered with seven seats – and even then you’ll have to pay extra. It’s strange that Nissan doesn’t offer them on the regular e-Power model, but the brand claims most customers don’t opt for seven seats.

Rivals

The Nissan X-Trail has plenty of tough competition in the large family SUV sector. Chief among that are cars like the Skoda Kodiaq, Volkswagen Tayron and Peugeot 5008. You might also consider the more expensive Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Mazda CX-80.

If you only need seven seats for occasional use (or prefer five seats and a large boot) then check out alternatives such as the Jaecoo 8, Omoda 9, Land Rover Discovery Sport an Mercedes-Benz GLB. Most X-Trails sold will have five seats anyway.

Interior comfort, quality & technology

Changes to the X-Trail’s interior design aren’t immediately obvious, but there are some updated trim options, a new steering-wheel and some technology upgrades (more on those below).

Overall, it’s an interior that will be familiar to owners of the latest Qashqai, but with some slightly more premium materials dotted about to boost the X-Trail’s status as the range-topper. It’s a lot more functional than the highly stylised Peugeot 5008, but beats low-spec Skoda Kodiaqs for a feeling of plushness.

We like that Nissan has kept old-school buttons and dials for the steering wheel, touchscreen shortcuts and climate controls, while all the switchgear feels logically placed, well-damped and built to last. N-Trek and Tekna trims feel the most upmarket.

All X-Trails have a comfortable, high-mounted driver’s seat with electrically adjustable lumbar support, along with plenty of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel for drivers of different shapes and sizes. Tekna trim adds full electric adjustment with a memory function.

Visibility is generally pretty good, with the high driving position, large windscreen and big side windows giving a decent view out. Thick rear pillars to obstruct the view behind, but a suite of sensors and the rear-view camera aid manoeuvring.

Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity

Every X-Trail now has a pair of 12.3in displays as standard – one is the central touchscreen, the other is a clear and user-friendly digital dial display.

The touchscreen is responsive, can be used on the move without too much faff and has logical menus. But it isn’t as slick to operate as a Skoda Kodiaq’s nor do the graphics look as up to date.

The main reason you’ll want to step up from base trim to N-Connecta is to gain access to Google Built-In tech. This brings integrated Google Maps and Google Assistant voice control – arguably the two best navigation and voice assistant apps on the market. Inputting destinations is far easier than the native system in a 5008, for example.

Of course, there’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring on every X-Trail, while a head-up display is fitted to Tekna trims.

In terms of charging, there are four USB-C ports split evenly along the centre console for front and rear passengers, along with some 12-volt sockets and a wireless phone charging pad on every model.

Most X-Trail variants feature a reasonably punchy six-speaker sound system, although music aficionados would appreciate the clarity of the 10-speaker Bose upgrade on higher trims.

How practical is the Nissan X-Trail?

The Nissan X-Trail’s dimensions of 4,680mm in length, 1,840mm in width (without mirrors) and 1,725mm in height make it one of the smallest seven-seat SUVs on the market.

It’s shorter even than the Mercedes-Benz GLB, let alone the Skoda Kodiaq or Peugeot 5008. That means the X-Trail isn’t top of the class when it comes to practicality.

That certainly isn’t evident up front, where you’ll find plenty of room for very tall or broad drivers to get comfortable.

You also won’t find your biggest passengers complaining about the second row, either. Even those well over six foot have ample headroom, foot space and knee space to get comfortable for long journeys, while there’s just enough cabin width for a third adult to handle an hour or so back there.

Those seats are also set higher than the fronts, with doors that open nearly 90 degrees, making the X-Trail great for passengers with limited mobility. It also makes installing a child seat a piece of cake.

While that’s great, the rearmost seats aren’t as usable as many other seven-seaters. Not only is the gap to get in small even with the seat slid all the way forward, but legroom is extremely tight and headroom is limited even for average-sized adults for a short trip.

Really, these seats are designed for children to use and are about the same size as the seats in the back of a Mercedes-Benz GLB. But a Peugeot 5008 or Hyundai Santa Fe are much more accommodating for adults in the third row.

Storage and boot space

There’s a decent amount of storage in the front of the X-Trail, with big door bins, a fair space under the centre console armrest, two cupholders and a big space under the centre console itself. The glovebox is an okay size, too.

In the rear, rather than a simple armrest flap the entire middle seatback folds to become a chunky armrest with a phone storage tray and a couple of cupholders. The door bins are a good size, too, while there’s deep pockets in the front seatbacks. You’ll even find some cupholders in the boot sides for those in the third row, too.

Unusually, the middle seats only fold in a 60/40 split if you opt for the five-seat versions, while that becomes the more versatile 40/20/40 split on the seven-seat X-Trails – the Peugeot 5008 or Skoda Kodiaq have the latter in all versions.

Outright boot capacity in the X-Trail is disappointing, however. Its 575-litre capacity as a five-seater is vastly lower than the 910-litre boot in a Skoda Kodiaq and the 916-litre boot of a 5008.

It also reduces to just 485 litres in the seven-seat version, which is lower than some versions of the smaller Qashqai. With all seven seats in place that reduces to just 177 litres, although those seats are at least easy to fold.

The capacity figure does understate things a bit, because it’s still enough boot space for a couple of bulky pushchairs, a big load of shopping or four normal-sized suitcases. The opening is a good size, too, and there’s a bit of underfloor storage. But key rivals offer better packaging.  

Performance & drive: What is the Nissan X-Trail like on the road?

The outgoing X-Trail was available with a 163hp mild hybrid petrol engine, but that’s now been dropped. All models now feature one of two e-Power hybrid systems.

Although we’re not big fans of reducing choice for buyers, Nissan’s e-Power system is so capable and efficient that it’s a no brainer – particularly in a large SUV such as this.

With 204hp and a 0-62mph time of eight seconds dead, the base two-wheel drive e-Power hybrid is our pick. It’s exceptionally smooth by full hybrid standards and plenty brisk enough for the average family car driver.

Most of the time the e-Power feels like an electric car because the petrol engine acts as a generator for the car’s on-board battery. That in turn powers electric motors which drive the wheels.

The result is that the engine is either switched off or barely above idle, even under acceleration, with no gearchanges impeding progress. Only when you demand full power for sustained periods do engine revs begin to soar – but it’s quieter than hybrid systems from Toyota or Renault, for example.

The X-Trail e-4ORCE felt almost identical on our test route near Barcelona. The faster quoted 0-62mph time is mainly because it gets off the line quicker with four-wheel drive grip, as once up to speed there isn’t that much difference in real-world performance. Both front and four-wheel drive models have the same 1800kg towing capacity, too.

Throttle response in both is well-judged, as is the X-Trail’s brake pedal. Regenerative braking isn’t adjusted by steering wheel paddles (which we prefer) though, with either full coasting, a ‘B’ mode on the drive selector for mild regen effect, or the stronger ‘e-Pedal’ mode activated with a button. None of these modes offer full one-pedal driving.

Power, 0-62mph times

• Nissan X-Trail e-Power: 204hp/ 8.0 seconds
• Nissan X-Trail e-4ORCE: 213hp/ 7.0 seconds

Ride and handling

There have been no changes to the suspension of the updated 2026 X-Trail, but the outgoing model still offered a decent overall driving experience.

The X-Trail is lighter than cars such as the Hyundai Santa Fe, and it feels a bit nimbler on the road. That’s all relative, though, because there’s still plenty of body lean, while the steering is a touch too light and slow to respond to give you much confidence on a twisty road.

That’s not what these cars are about. Ride comfort is king in a family bus such as this, and the X-Trail puts in a decent showing. It irons out most of the worst potholes and doesn’t feel too floaty at higher speeds, although models with 20in alloy wheels do tend to crash and thump a bit more than a Peugeot 5008.

Noise and refinement

The X-Trail is a mostly refined car for long motorway journeys. Wind and road noise aren’t quite as well insulated as a VW Tayron, but they’re far from intrusive. Meanwhile, the e-Power hybrid is among the best systems of its type in terms of refinement: the engine is barely noticeable at a cruise or under normal acceleration, only becoming audible when the revs soar under sustained full throttle.

Euro NCAP: is the Nissan X-Trail a safe car?

The latest Nissan X-Trail hasn’t changed enough over the outgoing model to warrant new crash testing by safety body Euro NCAP. That achieved the maximum five-star rating when tested in 2021.

The X-Trail mixes it among the better options in its class in terms of category scores, with a 91% rating for adult occupant protection and 90% for child occupant protection. Its safety assist score of 95% is very strong, too, although some alternatives better protect vulnerable road users.

Every X-Trail comes with the usual automatic emergency braking, lane keeping aids and traffic sign recognition. Also standard is blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

Models with Nissan’s Pro-Pilot semi-autonomous driving system also get upgraded software for 2026, aimed at giving smoother adaptive cruise control reactions, along with more stable lane keeping and undertaking prevention.

Running costs and fuel economy

All X-Trails bar the entry-level, 2WD Acenta Premium are now liable for ‘Luxury Car Tax’ (officially known as the Expensive Car Supplement). At the time of writing this adds over £400 a year to the car’s annual VED tax cost from the second to the sixth year of the car’s registration.

While that’s a shame, most rivals are similarly afflicted. And the X-Trail helps make up for it with strong fuel economy from its e-Power hybrid system.

Interestingly, both the front-wheel drive and e-4ORCE models have the same quoted WLTP combined fuel economy figure of 49.6mpg. That’s a strong figure that beats the mild-hybrid Skoda Kodiaq 1.5 TSI. Although it’s a little behind the (admittedly much slower) Peugeot 5008 Hybrid.

In terms of warranty, the X-Trail gets three-years or 60,000-miles of standard manufacturer cover. That’s merely average by today’s standards, with several rival brands offering more cover. Still. The e-Power hybrid system and battery are covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.

How much does the Nissan X-Trail cost to insure?

We haven’t seen UK insurance group data for the new 2026 X-Trail yet, but we’re expecting insurance costs to mirror the outgoing car given its minor changes.

With the entry-level mild-hybrid petrol engine now gone, that means the range is likely to kick off from group 29 for the e-Power hybrid in Acenta Premium trim. That rises to group 34 for the E-4orce, and 35 for higher trims.

A Peugeot 5008 or Skoda Kodiaq may be cheaper to insure if those old groups are anything to go by, but we’ll await the latest UK figures.