New Nissan will challenge Freelander

28 December 2001: Nissan in Ireland is soon to have a ‘soft-roader’ aimed directly the leader in the niche, the Freelander.

The X-Trail comes to Ireland in February, probably with a choice of 2-litre petrol or 2.2-litre turbodiesel.

Stylewise, the overall look is tidy rather than aggressive, and the X-Trail is clearly aimed at the suburban owner who likes to take part in outdoor leisure at weekends, but wants something car-like for the rest of the week.

The interior features a low-scuttle dashboard and the instruments cluster in the centre of the dash.

The 4WD, which doesn’t sport a low ratios box, is selectable electronically at any speed, while the normal mode is front-drive. Nissan say a 0-60mph of just over 11 seconds is possible in the petrol version.

No prices or spec sheets are yet available for the Irish product.