Test drive Nissan X-Trail 2001-2003 SUV

An important guest

One of the few premieres of the recent Moscow car dealership-2001 is the Nissan X-Trail SUV. One might even say, the premiere of European, because last year in Paris the car made his debut in the rank of concept, and in the spring of this year in Geneva - in the form of a pre -production sample. Now we have a conveyor version, at the time of the test is the only one in Russia. Yuri Samoilenko, the head of the Nissan company, helped us to get acquainted with the car ...
 
Presenting the X-Trail concept last year in Paris, Patrick Pelata, Vice President of Nissan Motor Co., said: (previous) SUV Xnerra gained popularity (in the USA) because it was absolutely accurately consistent with the expectations of customers, combining excellent patency And an affordable price. When creating the X-Trail, the same approach was used, but taking into account several other needs of the Japanese and Europeans.
 
Please note: somewhat different needs. Although the company reports that the X -Trail is intended for all continents - this is perhaps the first Nissan SUV, created mainly for the European, not the American market (sales in Japan began in November last year, in Europe - in the current one, and the current one, and When the Americans wait for the car and whether they wait at all - it is unknown). Therefore, it is designed differently than traditional Nissan SUVs.
 
Continuity is preserved only in appearance: there is a certain box in the X-Trail, which he inherited from the patrol models (remember Safari, Mistral, Rasheen, Pathfinder ...) and so obvious in Xnerra. But there is nothing wrong with that; Firstly, the Nissan X-Trail output to the market marks the half-century anniversary of the company's SUVs, and secondly, a slightly rude look highlights this car from a number of more playful competitors.
 
From parquet SUVs, no one expects special feats away from the highway, but they should look convincing. The X-Trail copes with this task, perhaps better than Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV-4-perhaps the Land Rover Freelander can argue with it. By the way, the X-Trail serial model is practically no different from the Parisian concept, which does not happen so often. Unless the roof looks simpler - the concept in its posterior part had a very interesting superstructure. But if you cut the hatch into the roof (by the way, it is almost twice as much as competitors) ...
 
The interior is the exterior. The salon may not be the most elegant, but you can’t refuse to think out in thought and practicality. Leather (option) seats are quite convenient - wide enough, with reasonable lateral support. High landing provides a good overview, the racks do not interfere. The steering column is adjustable, and you can not worry that the steering wheel will block the devices - they are not in front of the driver! The instrument shield is located in the middle of the torpedo - fashionable, but unusual, you have to mow your eyes (the devices, however, are large and deployed to the left - are read perfectly). But in front of the driver appeared a small glove compartment with 12 in a socket, there you can not only store, but also recharge the cell phone.
 
Another unusualness is the lids on the sides of the music, under them small cavities, connected to the heating system of the salon. Each climbs through a standard bank with a drink, which can be heated in winter or cool in the summer ...
 
At the back, everything is almost like everyone else - a triple sofa with a folding (60/40) back with a changing inclination. If you remove the pillows and fold the back, you get a decent luggage compartment with an even floor. Not like everyone else - the ability to change the angle of inclination of the back. Not yet like everyone else - a panel covering the half, made of rubber -like plastic. It is not only easy to wash (remember how much effort it is required in order to vacuum the traditional villous coating), but it is also easily removed. Practical - you can sit somewhere on the shore ...
 
Our Nissan X-Trail was equipped with 2 l with a gasoline engine (140 hp, 192 nm) and a 4-speed automatic box (a 5-speed mechanical mechanical can be installed). The second option is 2.2 l of the Common Rail turbodiesel (114 hp, 270 nm), it is equipped with only 6 -speed mechanics.
 
We do not know how a car with a diesel power unit behaves, but I liked the gasoline. With calm movement around the city of power and torque, there is enough for the eyes, the reaction to the electronic gas pedal is adequate, the engine does not annoy the noise, the work of the box is without comments. We emphasize that with calm movement - the engine did not react to the attempts to go aggressively, not very willingly, in any case, not to its 140 horses. Especially on the bottom. The reason, apparently, is in Japanese European adjustment - not for maximum return, but to economical and environmental friendliness ...
 
Firm -coating behavior is completely passenger. The steering is clear and accurate, with good feedback. For non -interference of the amplifier, you have to pay a slightly heavy steering wheel during parking, but this is much better than an empty steering wheel at high speed.
 
The brakes are excellent. All disk (rare for cars of this class) are equipped with a 4-channel ABS, an electronic force distributor and a subsidizing Brake Assist system. It is also worth noting the stabilization system of course stability (not just ESP, but ESP with a plus), which in interaction with ABS optimally distributes traction and brake efforts through the wheels.
 
Suspension without complaints is moderately tough to ensure good handling and at the same time quite comfortable ...
 
And what about off -road (moderate, of course)? For tests, they found a semblance of a lanes with an abundance of a puddle, since it was not even necessary to go out of the city for this. And here it was time to talk about the X-Trail transmission, which is called All Mode 4x4 ...
 
On the car panel there are 2WD, Auto 4x4 and Lock buttons. When pressing the first torque, it is only fed to the front wheels - this is a regular, most economical mode of movement along a good road (with the corresponding front -wheel drive car).
 
If a laundry appeared under the wheels or the asphalt has become slippery, it is worth clicking the Auto button, while the electronic control coupling is included in the operation. It acts as usual - when slipping the front wheels smoothly connects the rear. But it does this much faster than the competitors similar in terms of purpose - before connecting the rear wheels, the front wheels manage to slip by only a few degrees.
 
Well, if the road has deteriorated completely, you can enable Lock mode. At the same time, the interdosseous coupling is blocked, and the torque is distributed between the front and rear axle strictly in the ratio of 57:43. You can not think about turning off this mode: if the speed exceeds 30 km/h, the transmission itself understands that the car has already got out of the dirt and unlock the coupling ...
 
In practice, everything happened the same as in theory. According to the rather deep puddles with the clay bottom of the X -Trail, even in Auto mode, it went calmly, and after pressing the Lock button - in general, like a dish. Not interesting. Of course, in those places where a reduced series of transmission would be required, it is better not to meddle, however, not too much the road clearance of the car will not allow you to.
 
After overcoming the puddle, a very pleasant was not a trifle: the thresholds remained clean! Thanks to the design of the lower part of the doors and the rubber stripes located there in the coming (and in some places that has already come) slush, the owner of the X-TRIIL will be able to maintain the cleanliness of the trousers ...
 
What is the end? The Nissanists, perhaps, were a little late for the ball of parquet SUVs. But the already assembled should pay attention to the new guest - and dressed properly, and stands out by manners. It seems that at a meeting of real Nissan X-Trail SUVs would look quite appropriate.
 

Text: Mikhail Vasiliev
 
 
 

A source: Motor magazine [No. 11/2001]