RNR Automotive Blog

During the beginning of the 21st century, the SUV rose to prominence in the automotive industry internationally. SUVs used to be big and heavy vehicles and out of reach for most consumers, but many automakers found ways to bring SUVs more affordable while retaining the appeal of an SUV. Nissan’s contender for the midsize market was the X-Trail which debuted in 2001. With the Xterra and Patrol as well as the Pathfinder, Nissan was famed for its lineup featuring off road worthy SUVs, and the X-Trail was no exception. The appeal of the X-Trail was that it did not sacrifice its ruggedness for more car-like characteristics like the Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav4 did. Nissan targeted the X-Trail towards an outdoorsy audience. Based off a platform shared with the Nissan Almera and Primera family sedans, the first generation of the X-Trail achieved success in Japan and Europe due to its combination of reliability and affordability as well as its go-anywhere ability. In just six years, Nissan sold almost a million X-Trails worldwide.  A second generation followed in 2007, and the X-Trail refined its virtues while remaining similar to the first. It was redesigned in 2014, and it follows the trend of carlike SUVs. It is the same as the Rogue we get in the States. Having the opportunity to visit Australia, I had to find out what the X-Trail was all about, and whether we Americans missed out. Continue reading →