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Road Test

Nissan X-Trail 2.0 dCi

Test date 12 September 2007  Price as tested £29,106

Although the X-Trail was launched in 2001, Nissan’s off-road history does of course go back far further. Famed for its rugged series of large off-roaders, such as the Patrol, the firm conceived the X-Trail as a machine for snowboarders. Nissan expected to sell only small numbers of the original X-Trail, but ended up shifting a total of 800,000 over the following six years.

The compact SUV market has been busy over the last year, with established rivals such as the Land Rover Freelander, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 all being renewed, and new arrivals such as the Citroën C-Crosser joining the battle. In the face of this onslaught, Nissan has decided on a conservative approach to holding its ground.

The company freely admits to a “styling evolution as demanded by the customer” and talks openly about recognising the key qualities of its predecessor. Building on the X-Trails strengths has been the watchword, and with this many talented rivals, it needs to.

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