In from right field

NISSAN BRINGS A NOVEL APPROACH TO THE HYBRID TECH POWERING ITS NEW X-TRAIL, BUT IS IT SUPERIOR TO THE TRIED, TESTED AND TRUSTED TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID?

- DYLAN CAMPBELL

TOYOTA PRACTICALLY invented the compact crossover when it launched the RAV4 in Japan in 1993, while in the year 2000, Nissan unleashed X-Trail as a snowboard-lugging, mountain-bike-chasing small SUV rival.

More than 20 years later, however, the RAV4 is the tearaway sales champion. And for the last few years, hybridisation has had a lot to do with RAV4's success. But now, there's a new generation X-Trail offering a petrol/electric powertrain. And a more clever one, argues Nissan.

While the RAV4 Hybrid's petrol engine still powers the wheels, Nissan has opted to power the X-Trail exclusively by electric motors. It's just that, instead of a large battery you plug in to recharge, it has fitted a small battery needing to be almost constantly recharged by an internal combustion engine.

The dual electric motors - one front, one rear - give the X-Trail e-Power all-wheel-drive and a combined power output of 157kW. Under the bonnet, a 1.5-litre inline-3 petrol engine switches on and off purely as a generator for the tiny battery, which in turn powers the electric motors. As the battery is so small - just 2.1kWh - the petrol engine is kicking in and out constantly to keep it topped up.

Much of the X-Trail e-Power's general concept has been inspired by the world of electric cars and indeed, Nissan's marketing team has sprinkled some electric vehicle fairy dust on its new hybrid SUV. But don't be misled, it's still 'just' a hybrid powered by hydrocarbons. Better, to be sure, than a purely internal combustion powered car, but it's not even a plug-in hybrid like its closely related (and pricier) Mitsubishi Outlander cousin.