X-Trail SUV will come to India via the CBU route with a petrol engine only and will be sold in limited numbers.
Nissan has been keeping a toe-hold in India with just one model – the Magnite compact SUV – and this situation has been unchanged since April 2023, when the Kicks was discontinued. Soon, however, that’s about to change with the introduction of the new Nissan X-Trail. The SUV was sold here in its first and second-generation body styles, and though it didn’t go on sale, the third-generation model was also showcased in the country some years ago.
The fourth-gen X-Trail, which has been on sale in international markets since 2021, has been spied testing on Indian roads a few times, and the Japanese brand had brought this new-gen model to India in 2022 as well, stating at the time that it will be brought to the country in the near future. Now, we can confirm the X-Trail will arrive by June-July this year, albeit in petrol form only.
- Nissan X-Trail to be sold in India in limited numbers
- 1.5-litre turbo-petrol likely to make 204hp and 305Nm
- Nissan ePower models under evaluation for a launch later
A dealer has confirmed to Autocar India that the X-Trail that’ll arrive at a Nissan showroom near you will be brought in as a CBU and in limited numbers. “It’s a special limited import for true petrol aficionados – especially for Nissan lovers,” said the person. The SUV will be brought in through the government’s policy that allows the import of up to 2,500 models per annum, without the need for homologation.
The seven-seat SUV will be brought in as a petrol-only model, unlike the hybrid version that was showcased in India back in October 2022. For our market, the X-Trail will be powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which, in international markets, produces 204hp and 305Nm of peak torque. While the availability of a CVT gearbox for this SUV is confirmed, whether it’ll come with 2WD or AWD is still unknown; the latter is more likely though.
Considering its size and petrol-only guise, the X-Trail will find a direct rival in the Skoda Kodiaq, which is also a seven-seater that is only available with a 190hp, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, and currently priced at Rs 39.99 lakh, ex-showroom, India.
The dealer has also revealed that the decision to bring the X-Trail in petrol form was made based on Nissan’s research, “hence this for now, and more [models] are being planned [for] later, with different powertrains.”
Although we do not have confirmation on which new models and powertrains will arrive, the X-Trail itself is sold in mild-hybrid form, and with a hybrid powertrain that Nissan calls e-Power. This is essentially range-extender hybrid tech, where an electric motor (or two in the case of AWD versions) drives the wheels while a 1.5-litre petrol engine acts as a generator. Nissan had also showcased the Juke and Qashqai SUVs at the same event in 2022, both of which come with some form of hybridisation, and these may still be under evaluation for a market launch.
While Nissan may not have new many new mass market models on the cards for India – the brand is working on a facelift for the Magnite – CBU models like the X-Trail could help maintain interest in the Japanese brand. Only time will tell.
Also see:
Nissan Magnite sales hit 30,146 units in FY2023-24
Nissan Magnite recalled for front door handle sensor issue