BUYER demand for fresh product is reflected in higher sales of recently refreshed SUV models, most notably in the new Mazda CX-5 that now holds a 17.4 per cent share of the mid-size SUV segment.

Now it is Nissan’s turn. The X-Trail has been honed, realigned and re-equipped for 2017 with hopes that it will rise up the sales ladder from its current fourth standing.

It arrives in its third-generation mid-life makeover guise with a new diesel engine, seven-seat option, boosted safety equipment and price cuts of up to $1490. No carry-over variant has increased in price which is indicative of the competitiveness of the segment.

Nissan Australia noted that 95 per cent of diesel SUVs were specified with all-wheel drive and automatic transmissions. The new diesel X-Trail now sports a 2.0-litre engine and automatic transmission, up from the previous 1.6-litre unit and manual gearbox.

Now, the diesel is only available as a 4WD and with an automatic and with five seats.

Historically, Nissan has had poor diesel sales in its X-Trail because the mix wasn’t right.

Nissan Australia SUV manager, Ben Warren, told GoAutoNews Premium that he is hoping for a 15 per cent slice of the mid-size SUV segment, up from the current 11.7 per cent.

He said that the reasons were the new styling of the SUV, the diesel-automatic variant, and the expanded safety inventory.

“The volume seller will be the ST-L automatic,” Mr Warren said of the mid-level petrol version.

The ST-L automatic is priced from $36,990 before on-roads as a front-wheel drive. The 4WD version has received a $900 price drop to $38,590.

Better value for money is seen with the $1490 price reduction for the ST 4WD petrol automatic.

Nissan will offer a seven-seat option but only on the front-wheel drive ST and ST-L with the petrol engine and automatic transmission

Prices start at $31,990.

Buyers increasingly looking at safety equipment will turn to the X-Trail for its standard autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – Nissan calls it Intelligent Emergency Braking – that detects a forward object and automatically stops the vehicle at speeds between 5km/h and 110km/h. It has particular advantages in slow-moving traffic situations and can reduce insurance premiums.

---

---

The Mazda CX-5 also has this as standard on all models while Toyota’s RAV4 has it as an option on the lower-spec versions.

Buyers who want more safety can step up to the mid-range ST-L for additional gear including blind-spot warning, moving object detection (a visual and audio warning of approaching animals, humans and vehicles), and rear cross-traffic alert that warns of objects approaching from the sides.

Go to the flagship Ti or equivalent diesel, the TL, and it adds AEB with pedestrian detection, lane departure prevention and adaptive cruise control.

Also standard on all models is six airbags, 17-inch alloy wheels and a slide, split and folding rear seat. The seven-seat misses out on a luggage divide system.

Mr Warren said Nissan now has five SUVs for the Australian market, dividing them as:

Juke – the “me” car that suits singles

Qashqai – the “we” car that is an urban SUV for young families

X-Trail – the “us” car for Qashqai owners who have moved up with a larger family and want a “Swiss Army knife” vehicle that can do everything

Pathfinder – the “them” car for big families and a busy life, and

Patrol – the “that” car that can tow that, carry that, conquer that, and so on.

Nissan launched its first X-Trail in Australia in 2001 and has since sold more than 200,000 examples. It started when there were only two rivals – the Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4 – and now there are 21 models in the sub-$60,000 segment and an additional 11 in the burgeoning $60,000-plus prestige sector.

In year-to-date figures, the X-Trail is the fourth-highest seller with 1123 units sold to the end of April, down 3.5 per cent in a segment that is up 12.1 per cent.

X-Trail has a segment market share of 11.7 per cent compared with Mazda CX-5 at 17.4 per cent (sales up 3.9 per cent); Toyota RAV-4 at 15.9 per cent (sales up 7.2 per cent); and Hyundai Tucson which has a market share of 14.1 per cent and has seen a sales rise this year compared with last year of 7.3 per cent.

But Mazda has recently had a model upgrade to its SUV which has improved sales, while the X-Trail – which went on sale this week – is yet to see any effect of its new model.

That will be further exacerbated by launch dates. Though the X-Trail is officially now on sale, only some variants are available. The diesel won’t be in showrooms until June and the flagship Ti gets here in September, delayed because of production timing at the Japanese factory, said Mr Warren.

Though sales are lower than the X-Trail, buyers have shown interest in the Mitsubishi Outlander with a 43.3 per cent sales rise this year compared with the same time in 2016, and Kia Sportage has a 32.2 per cent sales rise in the same period.

By Neil Dowling