New Nissan X-Trail facelift 2026 review: subtle changes don’t make an impact

Verdict

The changes for the new Nissan X-Trail are so subtle that you’d be forgiven for not believing the large family SUV had been updated, and unsurprisingly they haven't affected where we rank it amongst the competition. It’s still a decent, well priced contender in the class thanks to a functional and fairly spacious cabin, and its smooth e-Power hybrid system; we also like the dessert conqueror-type vibe of the more rugged N-Trek version. However, it’s still not as efficient as Nissan claims and many rivals are better to drive, feature better tech and more premium interiors, and offer more space. 

The all-new fifth-generation Nissan X-Trail was unveiled just a few months ago featuring bold looks influenced by the outrageous electric Juke, the next evolution of the brand’s autonomous driving technology, and hybrid power at its heart. It’s looking to make an even bigger impact on the US market, where the seven-seat family SUV is known as the Rogue, and retain the title of the brand’s best-selling model globally. However, there’s just one tiny problem – this isn’t that car.

While that all-new model will be launching on the other side of the pond later this year, we’re not expecting it to arrive here until 2028. To tide us over until then, the outgoing Mk4 that was introduced back in 2022 has received a very subtle mid-life refresh.   

Used - available now

2024 Nissan

X-Trail

42,024 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £18,795

View X-Trail

2024 Nissan

X-Trail

30,673 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £20,995

View X-Trail

2024 Nissan

X-Trail

2,000 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £33,400

View X-Trail

2024 Nissan

X-Trail

15,922 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £23,999

View X-Trail

What exactly has changed on this X-Trail, then? For starters, Nissan’s trademark V-Motion grille is noticeably wider than before, the front bumper now features larger air inlets on either side and, at the back, there’s a new set of boomerang LED tail-lights – another of the brand’s signature styling elements

The rear bumper has been given a light retouch as well to incorporate more body-colour finish, plus there are some fresh alloy wheel designs and two new paint colours on offer: Sukomo Blue and Coastal Dune. 

If we’re being honest, most people probably wouldn’t be able to tell that the X-Trail had been updated. However, as part of this facelift, Nissan has brought back the more rugged-looking N-Trek version – the one we tested – and made sure it had a much more distinctive, outdoorsy aesthetic this time around. 

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Among the styling enhancements are a unique grille design with three additional air inlets on the nose, extra glossy black trim in the front bumper plus red tow hook-style accents. The same eye-catching colour can be found on the 19-inch alloy wheels, and the Nissan badging at both ends. The SUV also gets black roof rails and a slightly different rear bumper. 

Inside, the N-Trek comes with water-resistant seat upholstery that Nissan calls ‘CellCloth’, as well as rubber floor mats in the boot and footwells – perfect for family camping trips and weekend hikes. If your family aren’t fans of the outdoors, the X-Trail is also now available with chestnut brown quilted leather upholstery or a synthetic leather, plus brown wood-effect trim, to boost the feeling of quality without compromising durability. 

Meanwhile, every X-Trail now comes with dual 12.3-inch displays as standard, and all but the base model have Google Maps, Google Assistance and other services built-in, with more apps available through Google’s Play Store. All are welcome additions and, overall, Nissan’s simple infotainment system is generally OK, but still not the slickest or the best in its class. 

There’s a new steering wheel design too, which isn’t just lifted from the Qashqai like the last one. The 360-degree camera has been upgraded too, with new angles like one to help peek around T-junctions, and Nissan’s ‘ProPilot Assist’ suite of driver-assistance tech has been refined to be more capable and intuitive. Words we like to hear.

However, we’d barely begun our test drive before the speed-limit warning and driver-attention monitoring were bonging furiously and almost relentlessly at us. You have to scroll through menu after menu on the driver’s display to turn off each one, but luckily owners can create a personalised profile for the ADAS systems that’s activated by two quick button presses on the steering wheel. If you’re buying an X-Trail, you’ll want to learn how to set that up as soon as possible. Trust us!

We appreciate that Nissan has resisted any temptation to remove the physical knobs and buttons during the X-Trail’s update, which is something a few brands have done recently. So there are still chunky buttons on the steering wheel, and big dials for the climate control on the dashboard. Overall, the interior feels solid and functional, if not the most plush or sophisticated – especially compared with rivals such as the Skoda Kodiaq and Peugeot 5008. 

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The final change to the X-Trail for 2026 is that its entry-level mild-hybrid petrol engine has been dropped, so every X-Trail now features Nissan’s unique and innovative e-Power hybrid system. 

What makes it different is it’s designed to deliver as close to an EV-like driving experience as possible – without the driver having to worry about range or charging – by only using electric motors to drive the front wheels. 

The small petrol engine under the bonnet is there solely to generate energy for the car’s 1.73kWh lithium-ion battery, which in turn powers one e-motor in the 201bhp front-wheel-drive set-up – or two of them if you spring for ‘e-4ORCE’ all-wheel-drive version with 210bhp.

The result is smooth power delivery and acceleration from the e-motors, and while 200-ish horsepower might not sound like a lot in a hefty seven-seat SUV, the X-Trail doesn’t struggle to get up to motorway speed. It’s also easy to drive and quiet around town, as you’d expect an electric car to be, especially if you activate the ‘e-Pedal Step’ mode for one-pedal driving. 

Nissan claims this set-up should be able to return nearly 50mpg in the X-Trail, however we averaged less than 35mpg. We were disappointed by this but not surprised, because we didn’t find the e-Power system to be as efficient as claimed when we tested this car before. 

When the battery starts to run low on juice, the 1.5-litre petrol engine sounds strained while it works hard to top it up, emitting a droning noise. There was a noticeable amount of wind noise coming into the cabin at higher speeds too. 

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But the bigger issue is the firm ride that caused the X-Trail to fidget on even the smooth, at times almost flawless tarmac we drove on in southern Spain. It rode the few bumps we did come across fine and the big Nissan doesn’t lean too much through the corners, but it still feels like it’s loping down the road with the slow steering devoid of any feedback. 

Space is, naturally, the same as before. There’s plenty of room for six-feet-tall adults in the second row, even if they do feel like they’re much higher up than those in the front, a bit like stadium seating. 

The X-Trail comes as standard with just five seats, and while it’s available as a seven-seater in any trim level, you have to upgrade to the range-topping, all-wheel-drive powertrain to unlock this option. Even then, adding that extra row costs £1,000, and the third row is really only suitable for occasional use by small children due to a limited amount of legroom. 

Five-seat models have a 575-litre boot, which is a long way off the equivalent Skoda Kodiaq’s 910 litres, while seven-seaters offer 485 litres when that third row is folded down, compared to 845 litres in its Czech rival. With all but the front seats in place, the X-Trail offers up to 1,396 litres to play with, depending on which configuration you opted for, which the Kodiaq trumps again with its up to 2,105 litres of load-lugging ability. The Peugeot 5008 is even more practical though, capable of hauling up to 2,232 litres worth of stuff. 

The new and (slightly) improved Nissan X-Trail is on sale now, with prices starting from £38,235, putting it slap bang in between the Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq. There are four trim levels – Acenta Premium, N-Connecta, N-Trek and Tekna – with standard kit across the range including those big displays, wireless Apple CarPlay, a wireless charging pad for smartphones, a reversing camera, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control and a lengthy list of other driver-assistance functions. Higher-spec models add Google tech, a head-up display and heated seats. 

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