Category: Nissan

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X-TRAIL PUTS EXTRA ‘E’ INTO HYBRID SUV

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Not to make too much of a point about it, but beating of chests by automobile manufacturers about their fight to save the planet appear to be getting louder. Take Nissan, for example, with its new X-Trail petrol / electric hybrid SUV. Badges announcing e-Power and e-4orse, the company’s commitment to electrification, are plastered prominently all-round the vehicle on top of the restrained EV initials (for electric vehicle) found on rego plates of similar cars. Under the skin e-POWER is a 100 per cent electric motor-driven system Nissan claims gives… Read more

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NISSAN X-TRAIL Ti-L AWD

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In the process of researching this story I came across a review by one of my esteemed colleagues. Not once did he mention the fact that Nissan X-Trail and Mitsubishi Outlander are one in the same car, sharing a platform and drivetrains. That makes Outlander, the X-Trail’s most direct competitor, or so I would have thought. Of course, they don’t look the same and there are plenty of other differences, but you wouldn’t buy one without checking out the other first. Then again, the latest X-Trail is probably the pick… Read more

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NISSAN PATHFINDER TI AWD

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Pathfinder has been a cornerstone of the Nissan line-up since 1985, designed as a softer, smaller sibling to the heavy-duty Patrol. Now in its fifth generation it has moved with the times, shedding its humble Navara origins and ladder chassis to become a standalone seven or eight-seat family hauler with “some” off-road ability. At the same time the latest design channels some of the machismo from the Navara PRO-4X Warrior, with a blunter, bolder grille and elaborate front light assembly. Released in November last year, with four grades and front… Read more

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NEW Z OUT ON ITS OWN

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Talking about the new Nissan Z brings to mind the phrase ‘an inconvenient truth’. The sports car’s low stance, two wide doors and swoopy back bring rise to problems of getting in and out, and carting anything in an otherwise expansive boot deeper than a briefcase, or small piece of flat-pack furniture. Convenience takes a back seat, or it would if there was one. The truth of the matter is the strict two-seater (not even a 2+2) doesn’t pretend to be anything more than a high-performance teeth rattler on rutted… Read more

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PATH(OLOGY): HEART AND SOUL OF THE SUV

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How things change. Take the Nissan Pathfinder, for example, that over almost 40 years found its way from being a basic two-door compact wagon, through a big boofy 4×4, to the smart, sophisticated seven (or eight) seater sports utility vehicle of today. Originally designed for the North American market, the initial Pathfinder was the first of the segment to be offered in two-wheel drive guise. The fifth generation has landed Down Under with new-found modern design and a stack of high-tech features and safety systems, albeit on a platform and… Read more

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NISSAN QASHQAI SET TO ‘QASH’ IN ON COMPACT INTEREST

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Nissan is on the money, with the new Qashqai paying off with the title of this country’s Best Small SUV in a renowned Aussie experts’ 2022 car of the year awards. Arriving as part of Nissan’s ‘All-New In 2022’ roll-out of the all-new X-Trail, Pathfinder and Z it gives the Japanese company one of the freshest model line-ups in the country. The judging panel was impressed by the all-new Qashqai, saying it ‘redefines what buyers can expect from a small SUV’. Originally the Dualis here Down Under, the British-built Qashqai… Read more

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EXTRA RANGE, MORE TECH FOR NISSAN’S GREEN LEAF

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Although it’s no longer a major player in the electric vehicle scene, Nissan Leaf holds an important role in automotive history, being the first mass-production vehicle of its type when it was launched worldwide back in 2010. Over the next decade more than 500,000 Leafs were sold, mostly in Europe, making it one of the most popular EVs ever. When it arrived here in 2012 Leaf had the EV market cornered although that steadily changed with vehicles such as the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Tesla Model 3 and BMW i3 joining within… Read more

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LOST AND FOUND: X-TRAIL BACK ON TRACK

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With more than two decades under its belt and nine-year run of the previous model – pandemic and parts paucity to blame here – the X-Trail had been left, well trailing, its rivals in the mid-size sports utility vehicle segment. With the latest model finally making landfall Down Under, the fourth generation takes on the task of making up ground on well-established rivals such as Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX- 5, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson. Weighing in with six petrol-powered variants in front or all-wheel drive – there are two… Read more

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NISSAN Z WITH MANUAL GEARBOX

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Nissan’s much-anticipated new Z sportscar has now arrived in Australia. Note that it’s simply called the Z, thus breaking from the long tradition of previous models, from the 1970 240Z onwards through the 260Z, 300ZX, 350Z to the 370Z which the new Z replaces. The Nissan Z is a two-seat pure-bred sports machine from the Japanese company that’s famed for its high-performance machines. Indeed, it’s well known for building a huge variety of cars, SUVs and other machines and is one of the world’s largest vehicle manufacturers. But back to… Read more

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PATHFINDER NEW, BUT NOT ALL THAT NEW

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Nissan all-new fifth-generation Pathfinder is on the road. Nissan says new Pathfinder marks a return to its rugged roots, but not at the expense of comfort or mod cons. Available with seven or eight seats, it’s not all that new however, sitting on the same platform as the previous model, with a revised VQ-series 3.5-litre petrol V6. No sign or mention of the previous 2.5-litre supercharged hybrid or for that matter the latest e-Power hybrid in other models. New Pathfinder is slightly shorter, 38mm shorter to be exact, with the… Read more