Nissan has brought three of its popular international SUV models to India, with the new X-Trail due for launch soon. The latest versions of the Juke and Qashqai have also been shown in New Delhi, with the latter being tested on Indian roads.
While the Japanese brand has said it is showing all three, the X-Trail will be launched in India first. The SUV was sold here in its first and second-generation guises, and though it never went on sale, the third-generation model was showcased in the Indian market a few years ago.
The Nissan X-Trail is a premium executive SUV, available in either 5-seat or 7-seat guises, rivalling the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq. The latest version is built on Renault-Nissan’s CMF-C platform and while it is offered overseas with a 2.5-litre petrol engine or a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol mild-hybrid powertrain, it has got a unique ace up its sleeve in the form of the 1.5 e-Power option.
e-Power is Nissan parlance for a range-extender hybrid, which will be a unique and interesting option in India where EVs are taking off and strong hybrids are coming into the spotlight. Essentially an EV, it has a 1.5-litre petrol engine that only exists as a generator, to charge the batteries. The engine never drives the wheels and, as a result, is used sparingly, leading to potentially superb fuel economy, without range anxiety or the need to charge the vehicle with a plug.
The Nissan X-Trail e-Power is available in 2WD and AWD versions, the former producing 204hp and 330Nm, the latter with 213hp and 500Nm, although which of these versions Nissan is considering remains to be seen.
Nissan has specifically referenced the mild-hybrid and e-Power variants in its showcase, and the latter could give the X-Trail a unique leg up on its rivals. Also, being a premium executive SUV, the price premium will be easier to digest and less aggressive than in the more competitive segments of smaller SUVs.
The Qashqai and Juke are also hugely popular in international markets. The 5-seat Qashqai is a bit smaller than the X-Trail and globally rivals the likes of the Jeep Compass or Hyundai Tucson. Using the same basic underpinnings as the X-Trail, the third-generation Qashqai also gets the options of turbo-petrol mild-hybrid and e-Power variants. The former uses the 156hp, 1.3-litre engine from the Nissan Kicks, aided by an electric motor and paired with a CVT or a 6-speed manual. The latter is a less powerful version of the fuel-saving range-extender tech than offered in the X-Trail, producing 190hp and 330Nm.
The second-generation Nissan Juke is the least likely to be launched in India, and Nissan says it is only showing it to gauge interest. Its funky, curvaceous design can be polarising, but it is definitely head turning, and that is something that could work in its favour. It is powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol strong hybrid system, which means it brings the promise of incredibly high fuel economy.
The Juke’s 4.2-metre length might technically make it fall into the hugely popular midsize SUV segment in India, but it is nowhere near as spacious as the likes of the Nissan Kicks, and in international markets, the positioning is very different.
With no new mass-market models coming in the short term, then, this move to bring in CBU imported global models is a good one. It shows the brand’s commitment to India, and that it’s not afraid to dig into its vast and strong portfolio of international models.
It is exciting to see a company show three brand-new international models with at least the intention of an Indian market evaluation, and it will be interesting to see how competitively Nissan can price the X-Trail once it is launched.
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