Nissan e-POWER X-Trail
Discussion
I'm not sure if this belongs here, but as technically the wheels are only ever powered electrically I thought it did...
Last week I received my Nissan X-Trail e-POWER e-4ORCE Tekna and thought I would just post my initial thoughts in case anyone was interested in potentially getting one.
My BMW I3s sadly wasn't fulfilling it's job requirements so had to go. That started the more focused thought and extensive research of what next. The X-Trail caught my eye, mostly because I was after a hybrid power train and there are loads of options out there, but the e-POWER system is a bit different. After reading about the differences between a series hybrid and parallel hybrid I decided that I liked the idea of a series hybrid drive train.
I test drove both types to satisfy my curiosity the Nissan X-Trail obviously and for the parallel a new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer PHEV which was very similar to the new X1 PHEV (I'd have probably ended up with an X1, preferring the body type). Both good cars, in the end it came down to; I hated the entertainment system in the BMW, I got more for the money in the Nissan and although it wasn't too perceptible I think the BMW was a little confused with it's hybrid setup.
I should explain what my criteria was when I was looking for the replacement:
1) More space, four sensible doors for four adults (large)
2) Reliably available short notice
3) A smart comfy economical cruiser for extended journeys
4) Doesn't make the wife car sick
5) High riding (ageing parents, so easier for them to get in and out of)
6) As close to an electric drivetrain as I could get (I like the quiet, torque and response)
The first three are because of my job and that they give me an allowance with a caveat that it should be suitable for work use (Nationwide travel and put a client or three in it). The I3s operated in a grey area for this as it technically met the brief, but with hindsight I should have known better.
The Nissan it turns out does all of these really well. It might not be the most exciting of drives but it sure does meet all of my criteria. I did look at the Qashqai because it would have been nice to have the built in the UK bit, but in reality 4 six foot individuals don't sit comfortably in it. There are loads of reviews out there and they are all pretty fair (Nobby on Cars and Carwow are the ones I particularly remember). Some annoyingly get some of the facts wrong but all end up at it's a massive step up from the previous generation and whilst the hybrid system isn't as economical as you might expect it all works pretty well. A couple of Australian reviewers put the e-4ORCE system to the test and it turns out to be pretty capable.
I ended up with the e-4ORCE variant because it didn't cost that much more, it gets me a 0-60 time of 7 seconds which seems to be on the better side of average these days and something I feel very comfortable with. e-POWER so the wheels are electrically driven the response and torque of an EV are present and it makes it effortless to drive. I chose Tekna because it has everything on it apart from the bigger wheels, leather seats, a BOSE sound system and tilting mirrors. It has a 360 camera so the mirror thing is redundant, I wanted comfy so I was happy to drop a wheel size plus I preferred the design and the other two I didn't really care about.
Although I need the car for the odd 400 mile journey that I don't want to plan for and role the dice that the charging infrastructure might have an impact on, most of my journeys are local rush hour stop start. For this I am averaging 43-47mpg which I think is pretty good for such a comfy car. OK so it's not PHEV good if I were plugging it in every night... but actually although I like a fully charged car and pre-heat etc it was a bit of a faf to plug in an EV when you had a child etc to get in the house. If it's not plugged in you get dismal efficiency anyway so I'm pretty happy with where I've ended up and actually I don't have to visit the petrol station too often with a 500 mile a tank range.
It's a much bigger car, so it'll take some getting used to, but the family loves it and it has more safety features/tech than you can shake a stick at. It's pretty quiet, nice and comfy/spacious all round a very functional car. My car is champagne silver with the black roof and grey interior, not the usual, but I like a light cabin. In my opinion it looks good, is good value for money and I'm pretty happy with the choice.
This was just intended as some initial thoughts if anyone was interested. I tried EV, loved it but not quite right for me, this so far seems to be a good alternative.
Last week I received my Nissan X-Trail e-POWER e-4ORCE Tekna and thought I would just post my initial thoughts in case anyone was interested in potentially getting one.
My BMW I3s sadly wasn't fulfilling it's job requirements so had to go. That started the more focused thought and extensive research of what next. The X-Trail caught my eye, mostly because I was after a hybrid power train and there are loads of options out there, but the e-POWER system is a bit different. After reading about the differences between a series hybrid and parallel hybrid I decided that I liked the idea of a series hybrid drive train.
I test drove both types to satisfy my curiosity the Nissan X-Trail obviously and for the parallel a new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer PHEV which was very similar to the new X1 PHEV (I'd have probably ended up with an X1, preferring the body type). Both good cars, in the end it came down to; I hated the entertainment system in the BMW, I got more for the money in the Nissan and although it wasn't too perceptible I think the BMW was a little confused with it's hybrid setup.
I should explain what my criteria was when I was looking for the replacement:
1) More space, four sensible doors for four adults (large)
2) Reliably available short notice
3) A smart comfy economical cruiser for extended journeys
4) Doesn't make the wife car sick
5) High riding (ageing parents, so easier for them to get in and out of)
6) As close to an electric drivetrain as I could get (I like the quiet, torque and response)
The first three are because of my job and that they give me an allowance with a caveat that it should be suitable for work use (Nationwide travel and put a client or three in it). The I3s operated in a grey area for this as it technically met the brief, but with hindsight I should have known better.
The Nissan it turns out does all of these really well. It might not be the most exciting of drives but it sure does meet all of my criteria. I did look at the Qashqai because it would have been nice to have the built in the UK bit, but in reality 4 six foot individuals don't sit comfortably in it. There are loads of reviews out there and they are all pretty fair (Nobby on Cars and Carwow are the ones I particularly remember). Some annoyingly get some of the facts wrong but all end up at it's a massive step up from the previous generation and whilst the hybrid system isn't as economical as you might expect it all works pretty well. A couple of Australian reviewers put the e-4ORCE system to the test and it turns out to be pretty capable.
I ended up with the e-4ORCE variant because it didn't cost that much more, it gets me a 0-60 time of 7 seconds which seems to be on the better side of average these days and something I feel very comfortable with. e-POWER so the wheels are electrically driven the response and torque of an EV are present and it makes it effortless to drive. I chose Tekna because it has everything on it apart from the bigger wheels, leather seats, a BOSE sound system and tilting mirrors. It has a 360 camera so the mirror thing is redundant, I wanted comfy so I was happy to drop a wheel size plus I preferred the design and the other two I didn't really care about.
Although I need the car for the odd 400 mile journey that I don't want to plan for and role the dice that the charging infrastructure might have an impact on, most of my journeys are local rush hour stop start. For this I am averaging 43-47mpg which I think is pretty good for such a comfy car. OK so it's not PHEV good if I were plugging it in every night... but actually although I like a fully charged car and pre-heat etc it was a bit of a faf to plug in an EV when you had a child etc to get in the house. If it's not plugged in you get dismal efficiency anyway so I'm pretty happy with where I've ended up and actually I don't have to visit the petrol station too often with a 500 mile a tank range.
It's a much bigger car, so it'll take some getting used to, but the family loves it and it has more safety features/tech than you can shake a stick at. It's pretty quiet, nice and comfy/spacious all round a very functional car. My car is champagne silver with the black roof and grey interior, not the usual, but I like a light cabin. In my opinion it looks good, is good value for money and I'm pretty happy with the choice.
This was just intended as some initial thoughts if anyone was interested. I tried EV, loved it but not quite right for me, this so far seems to be a good alternative.
Edited by Moonpie21 on Monday 25th September 15:54
Interesting. I must admit I don't get the e-Power system, it seems to exist to give someone the drivability of an electric car, but without any of the emissions free running even a PHEV or 'normal' parallel hybrid (e.g. Prius) gives you, because the battery is so small. Having said that, 43-47mpg is pretty good, so maybe there is some merit to it. My preference would be a PHEV, say a Kia Sportage, so our standard weekday short journeys (school run etc) can be done on electric, and then longer weekend trips or whatever are mostly done on the ICE engine.
Is yours a 7 seater, what are the rear seats like?
Is yours a 7 seater, what are the rear seats like?
varsas said:
Interesting. I must admit I don't get the e-Power system, it seems to exist to give someone the drivability of an electric car, but without any of the emissions free running even a PHEV or 'normal' parallel hybrid (e.g. Prius) gives you, because the battery is so small. Having said that, 43-47mpg is pretty good, so maybe there is some merit to it. My preference would be a PHEV, say a Kia Sportage, so our standard weekday short journeys (school run etc) can be done on electric, and then longer weekend trips or whatever are mostly done on the ICE engine.
Is yours a 7 seater, what are the rear seats like?
Mines not the 7 seater, I had a look in the showroom and I don't think it works as one (even for occasional use for kids). I'd look at other cars if I even remotely needed 7 seats, I don't think they are worth it as a nice to have, I'd rather have the extra boot space.Is yours a 7 seater, what are the rear seats like?
The Sportage and Sorento were on the list. The Sportage felt quite a bit smaller and wasn't really any better value when you got to roughly the same levels of kit and the Sorento once you got what you wanted was quite a bit more, but if I needed 7 seats the Sorento or the Santa Fe would be where I'd look (Dacia Jogger would be there too).
You are right the battery is tiny but the software manages it really well and seems to prioritise slower driving and it's amazing how little you use the engine if at all on a local run. The battery seems to charge very quickly from the engine especially with the e-pedal engaged for maximum regen. You hit the nail on the head though the real reason for it is it genuinely drives almost like an electric car (for me much better than a parallel hybrid with the interface complications). Dead quiet when just on battery and regen instant torque one pedal driving. The engine has two "modes" (it has variable compression to meet battery demand), the standard one you can only hear or feel if you listen out for it with everything off. The under load one is audible, not loud and a bit of a confusing drone on occasion a little unpleasant (a lot of the reviewers compare it to a CVT drone, I'll take their word for it).
I'm about to buy a Nissan X Trail Tekna. I have been impressed with the car having come from twenty years of LR Discos. It is effortless to drive around town and on my short test drive through Epsom, it averaged 37mpg so it's encouraging to hear you've gotten into the low 40's. The dealer was also very keen to do a deal. Just a shame that the warranty is only 3yrs vs the competition although I think the battery has an 8yr warranty. Fit and finish are outstanding and I'm choosing this over a Toyota Highlander hybrid which is just too big for me and a lot more expensive.
Nissan got a wrap on the knuckles from the Advertising Standards Agency recently for their ad for the Nissan Qashqai e-power. The ASA found that consumers were likely to be misled into believing that the car was a better choice for the environment than traditionally fuelled vehicles. Basically the ad didn't make sufficiently clear the nature of the vehicle’s power source, which is petrol.
https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/nissan-motor--gb--l...
https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/nissan-motor--gb--l...
Lil_Red_GTV said:
Nissan got a wrap on the knuckles from the Advertising Standards Agency recently for their ad for the Nissan Qashqai e-power. The ASA found that consumers were likely to be misled into believing that the car was a better choice for the environment than traditionally fuelled vehicles. Basically the ad didn't make sufficiently clear the nature of the vehicle’s power source, which is petrol.
https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/nissan-motor--gb--l...
Even though they made no enviromental claims in the advert. It seems, then, that there is an understanding that people see 'electric' and assume a vehicle is green which isn't Nissan's fault and also isn't strictly true, obviously any car produces polution, it#'s just how much/where. I'd almost say it's a bit like diesel, people have been told bits of the story, and now believe that any hybrid or electric vehicle produces no pollution. Nissan have been told off because of that assumption.https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/nissan-motor--gb--l...
Edited by varsas on Thursday 7th December 12:49
Dynion Araf Uchaf said:
big previous gen Xtrail fan here.
I've been hankering after a new Xtrail for a while, but just can't afford the monthlies.
How much were your deals, either per month, or indeed, how much discount did you get off the car?
I used Drive the Deal and ended up with about £6k off the list price. I always check DtD and Carwow and seem to get better deals than any of my rather poor attempts at negotiating directly with a dealer. I wont give up trying and DtD/CW only provide marginally less of an "experience" (some might view it as preferable).I've been hankering after a new Xtrail for a while, but just can't afford the monthlies.
How much were your deals, either per month, or indeed, how much discount did you get off the car?
I understand the advertising thing, but I think that should only apply to people who don't test drive/speak to a dealer as it's pretty obvious... I'm not sure I know anyone who has purchased a car from the advert alone.
Dynion Araf Uchaf said:
big previous gen Xtrail fan here.
I've been hankering after a new Xtrail for a while, but just can't afford the monthlies.
How much were your deals, either per month, or indeed, how much discount did you get off the car?
12k deposit, £287pm x36, £25k balloon for 8k miles from Wilsons in Epsom.I've been hankering after a new Xtrail for a while, but just can't afford the monthlies.
How much were your deals, either per month, or indeed, how much discount did you get off the car?
Ended up buying a Subaru Forester instead. They have a white/black roof and blue/black roof in stock.
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