Nissan X-Trail gets new 177PS 2.0 litre diesel engine – costs from £29,095

The Nissan X-Trail SUV gets a new 2.0 litre diesel engine with 177 PS as an option for 2017, joining the existing 1.6 litre diesel and petrol engine options.

It’s more than two years since the current Nissan X-Trail went on sale in the UK after Nissan gave it a bit of a Qashqai makeover and made it rather more appealing.

Trouble was, Nissan decided that all the new X-Trail really needed was a rather underpowered 1.6 litre diesel engine with just 129bhp, a lump less powerful than the previous model’s 2.0 litre, 171bhp diesel, but a lot more economical.

But this summer, Nissan decided the X-Trail really could do with another engine option and fitted the 163PS 1.6 litre DIG-T from the Qashqai, offering a  livelier – if less economical – option to the diesel.

But now Nissan has seen the light and given the X-Trail what it always had before it got its Qashqai makeover, and that’s a diesel engine with a decent amount of power and torque.

So the new 2.0 litre diesel option for the X-Trail comes with 177PS (175bhp) and 280lb/ft of torque, an engine you can have across the X-Trail’s trim range and with 2WD or 4WD, as well as now either a six-speed manual or CVT auto gearbox. Official economy ranges from 47.1 to 50.5mpg depending on model.

Guillaume Cartier, Nissan’s Sales chap, said:

The new flagship Nissan X-Trail is a crossover that’s focused on delivering what consumers need. Offering 4WD linked to an automatic transmission for the first time, it’s a significant enhancement to the already strong X-Trail range.

It’s also a compelling upgrade to our already successful 1.6-litre diesel model.

X-Trail sales were up by 50% across Europe last month, and the new 2.0 litre diesel engine option will make the X-Trail far more appealing to many, and boost sales further.

Prices start at £29,095 for the 2.0 litre dCi Acenta with 2WD, rising to £35,325 for the 4WD Tekna.