Japanese publication Creative Trend reports a mid-life update to the X-Trail is imminent, and a new flagship will come in the form of an SUV with Nismo upgrades.
Long known for its high-performance Skylines, GT-Rs and Z cars, the in-house Nismo brand has branched out in recent years, and even has its own version of the Nissan Patrol with more power and tougher on-road looks.
Nissan already offers a cooler looking version of the X-Trail to Japanese buyers in Autech form while Nismo cosmetic upgrades are also available, however the latest report claims the SUV will benefit from true performance enhancements.
These include Nismo’s own chassis and suspension tuning changes, which will help the X-Trail to handle better in corners, though engine tweaks are unlikely.
On top of this, there’s expected to be a version of the X-Trail Nismo available with sports seats from Recaro, an upgrade Nissan currently offers on the smaller Note Aura.
The Nissan X-Trail Nismo will reportedly only be offered with the brand’s e-Power hybrid system, which unlike most hybrid systems - like that found in the Toyota RAV4 - doesn’t see the petrol engine drive the wheels with electric assistance.
Instead, the petrol engine acts as a generator to the small onboard battery, which supplies power to its single electric motor at the front axle. There is no physical connection between the petrol engine and wheels.
In the X-Trail e-Power, a turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine (developing 105kW and 250Nm) charges a high-voltage battery which feeds two electric motors, one on the front axle (150kW/330Nm) and one on the rear (100kW/195Nm).
According to the outlet, the X-Trail Nismo will retail for more than 5.4 million Yen (A$56,400) in Japan, placing it dangerously close to the price of the Nissan Z which starts from about 5.5 million Yen (A$57,440).
The X-Trail Nismo is expected to be revealed next week, and be released to the Japanese market in mid-September.
