nissan-x-trail-e-power-tekna (2024) Review

IT’S cold, very cold and the lifestyle remains crazy.

We love the boy’s school to such an extent that when we move 62 miles away he continues to attend.

That requires mum and dad to take turns commuting 124 miles a day, six days a week (he has Saturday school and fixtures) and to sit around waiting from the bell at 9am to home time at 5pm.

Yes, we are the undesirables that clog up the region’s cafes for hours, piggy-backing the Wi-Fi, eating and drinking too much for the budget and trying to keep occupied and warm.

When guilt gets the better of us we leave the table-for-four to others at which point there is no alternative other than to sit in the car, often for hours on end. If there’s a free spot in the staff car park I can jump on the school’s Wi-Fi and at least work on my laptop, or, when I get fed up, watch re-runs of Star Trek on Netflix.

Keeping warm is the biggest problem, as I can’t afford to pollute the world by leaving the combustion engine running, and I have to make do with my layers – shirt, work suit, down jacket, waterproof – woolly hat in place which is covered by two hoods. The things you do for your kids.

So Nissan’s latest idea of e-Power becomes a God’s send. Park up, leave it ‘on’, and the petrol motor hibernates allowing all the warming ancillaries to remain in place, such as the heater and the heated seats. I’m as toasty as if I was working in an office.

So what is e-Power? Well it’s a hybrid but with a difference. While normal hybrids use a battery, an electric motor and a petrol engine to propel the car, e-Power drives the wheels with electric only. The petrol engine is there as a generator to charge the battery and power the motor.

Who says comprises please no one, not me, that’s for sure. This means you can fuel the car with unleaded in a matter of minutes, gain all the benefits of EV motoring, but have none of the hassle associated with charging – no fighting at the supermarket with chargers that seldom work, no need to charge at all in fact as the petrol engine does that for you.

What you do get is excellent miles per gallon for such a big vehicle. I saw as much as 57mpg on the trip computer, though if you use its considerable performance it will drop into the 30s.

It feels odd at first. It is extremely smooth, quiet and torquey like an EV, then, when the battery needs a top up, the 1.5 litre three cylinder engine comes to life. It is never intrusive, just a quick reminder that the SUV is a hybrid not a full EV. So it is much more conventional and appealing to us conservative British types who don’t like change to happen too quickly.

It is a combination that makes X-Trail a delight to drive. With more than 200PS on tap, performance is truly excellent with rapid acceleration and a very strong mid-range. The chassis set-up is fabulous too with confidence-inspiring grip and handling, sharp steering and powerful brakes. It also boasts e-Pedal which boosts regeneration and allows the driver to use one pedal for acceleration and deceleration, which is great.

Because MPG is better on the slower roads rather than the motorway I take the twisty way home and the X-Trail loves it. Even in icy conditions it impresses. It may only be two wheel drive but you would never know it.

X-Trail has so many ‘intelligent’ safety systems to keep the car going where it should that it’s not far from being self-driving.

Importantly it is my office for the week and it has every comfort imaginable. I can maximise the light into the beautifully appointed interior by drawing back the full length shade on the sunroof. The synthetic leather seats are wonderfully comfortable and, as I mentioned, heated – lovely. The infotainment  centre is clear and easy to use and the sound system is excellent, whether you are listening to the Archers or plumbing into Spotify for your favourite music. It also has seven seats and a large boot so what more could you ask for?

The X-Trail e-Power is not just a stopgap until the market goes full electric because I doubt this world ever will unless they improve battery technology. It’s the perfect answer to reducing pollution and expense without the drawbacks of having to constantly recharge. And because it allows me to keep everything on when parked it certainly warms the cockles of my heart.

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