Last year, Nissan showcased several cars in India and confirmed the launch of the X-Trail in the Indian market. One year after the announcement, it seems like the brand will finally bring the new SUV to the Indian market. The upcoming X-Trail will take up the space against the Toyota Fortuner and MG Gloster in the Indian market.
In its fourth-generation iteration, the Nissan X-Trail is currently available overseas in both 5-seater and 7-seater versions. However, when it arrives in India, it will be offered exclusively as a petrol-powered seven-seater SUV. The new Nissan X-Trail is based on the Renault-Nissan CMF-C platform, which offers two engine options internationally: a 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine and a hybrid powertrain featuring a 1.5-litre petrol engine. It’s highly likely that the Indian market will receive the 1.5-litre full-hybrid powertrain, equipped with Nissan’s e-Power technology. This technology utilizes the 1.5-litre petrol engine as a generator to charge the batteries and does not directly drive the wheels.
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Globally, the Nissan X-Trail full-hybrid is available with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive systems. The front-wheel drive version generates 204 bhp of power and 330 Nm of torque, while the all-wheel drive option claims 213 bhp of power and 500 Nm of torque. It remains unclear which of these two versions will be introduced in India upon its launch.
Local manufacturing
Nissan is currently evaluating the possibility of local manufacturing for the X-Trail in India, albeit in limited numbers. This strategy could help Nissan offer a competitive price point against its main rivals, such as the Toyota Fortuner and Skoda Kodiaq. However, considering the low-volume segment it is entering, Nissan might also consider the option of importing the X-Trail through the Completely Built Unit (CBU) route. Under current regulations, car manufacturers are permitted to import up to 2,500 units through the CBU route without the need for homologation, making it a more feasible option for introducing the X-Trail to India.
At present, Nissan’s India portfolio consists of only one single model: the Magnite sub-compact SUV. The brand will soon introduce the AMT variant of the Kicks in the Indian market. Nissan discontinued its Datsun brand this year, and the Kicks has seen reduced popularity due to the introduction of newer SUVs from other automakers. With the upcoming X-Trail, Nissan aims to establish a presence in the premium SUV segment, which is currently dominated by the Toyota Fortuner. In addition to the Fortuner, the new X-Trail will compete with the likes of the Skoda Kodiaq, Hyundai Tucson, Citroen C5 Aircross, Jeep Meridian, and Volkswagen Tiguan.
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