Nissan X-Trail: Ambition to compete with Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V

In the crossover segment priced at 1 billion, Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V are the top names. However, the appearance of Nissan X-Trail 2016 will make this segment somewhat bustling.

Just 2 months after its launch, the 2016 X-Trail has become Nissan’s best-selling domestically assembled vehicle. In October, sales of this vehicle reached 310 vehicles, and in November, the figure was 316 vehicles.

Compared to existing competitors on the market such as Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V, X-Trail's current sales cannot be compared, but the first signs of acceptance from the market are quite good.

In terms of growth in the 2 months that X-Trail has been on the market, this model has seen slight growth. Meanwhile, both CX-5 and CR-V have seen sales decrease by 110 and 58 vehicles, respectively. It can be seen that the appearance of X-Trail has more or less affected its competitors' market share.

Nissan X-Trail sales compared to competitors in October and November.

Launched quite a while later than its competitors in the segment, the X-Trail possesses outstanding features. This is also understandable for a later model. In terms of size, the X-Trail has a wheelbase as long as the Mazda CX-5 and significantly longer than the Honda CR-V (130 mm). This is also the only model in the segment with a 5+2 seating design.

The last row of seats is quite narrow, but is also “fireproof” enough in case of needing to carry up to 7 people. This small difference will make users consider when choosing a car.

Meanwhile, in terms of technology and accompanying utilities, the X-Trail also has some advantages over its competitors. In the highest-end version, the X-Trail is equipped with 4 cameras around the body of the car, helping the driver to observe the entire surroundings, convenient for reversing and parking, especially in tight spaces. Although this is not new technology, compared to the CR-V and CX-5, the X-Trail is far superior.

In addition, other equipment such as sunroof and automatic trunk opening and closing increase the value of the car in terms of utility and are also factors to measure when compared to competitors in the same segment.

To compete with rivals, the safety technology and other equipment on the car are at the same level. The safety systems and driver support on the X-Trail 2016 are almost the same on all versions such as active steering control system, active engine braking control system, active cornering control system. The highest version 2.5 SV has 6 airbags, the remaining 2 versions have 4 airbags.

To balance with its competitors, the Nissan X-Trail also has 2 engine options: 2.0L and 2.5L. The 2.5L version has a capacity of 168 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 233 Nm. Both engines of the X-Trail are not as powerful as the Mazda CX-5's engine but are stronger than the Honda CR-V.

The appearance of X-Trail 2016, with some equipment surpassing its competitors, clearly shows Nissan's ambition in the race in the 1 billion crossover segment and initially this car line has also received positive signals.

According to ZING