Nissan X-Trail ST-L REVIEW | Cheap and Cheerful Seats for the Whole Family
Few medium SUVs offer seatbelts for seven, but the 2017 Nissan X-Trail ST-L does and they certainly are cheap seats.
Within a broad and popular X-Trail lineup that contains petrol and diesel engines, manual and automatic transmissions, and choice of front- or all-wheel drive, the entry ST and middle-tier ST-L (as tested here) are the only duo with seven-seat capability.
A 2.5-litre petrol, automatic continuously-variable transmission (CVT) and front-drive are also the only options if hauling more than five bodies is required.
Both model grades are inexpensive, however. Taking each X-Trail from five to seven pews asks a $1500 premium – resulting in $31,990 and $38,090 (plus on-road costs) for the ST and ST-L respectively.
Vehicle Style: Medium SUV
Price: $38,090 (plus on-road costs)
Engine/trans: 126kW/226Nm 2.5 4cyl petrol | automatic CVT
Fuel Economy Claimed: 8.1 l/100km | Tested: 10.6 l/100km
OVERVIEW
The only other medium SUV to offer seven-seat capability is the Mitsubishi Outlander. It undercuts the Nissan with a $30,500 (plus orc) starting price, but it only gets a weedy 2.0-litre engine. Choosing a 2.4-litre petrol necessitates taking all-wheel drive for $33,500 (plus orc).
For equipment more reflective of this ST-L, however, the next step up is the Outlander Exceed from a hefty $44,000 (plus orc). Where it gets the X-Trail is with diesel engine availability from $39,500 (plus orc) – but with base level equipment.