New Delhi: In a show of commitment to the Indian market, Nissan has axed three of its most popular international SUV models, with the new X-Trail set to be launched a little later. The latest versions of the Juke and Qashqai were also shown in New Delhi, with the latter being tested on Indian roads.
The Nissan X-Trail will be launched after testing is complete
While the Japanese brand said it is showing all three and testing two of these SUVs, the X-Trail will be launched in India first.
The SUV was sold here in its first and second generations, and although it never went on sale, a few years ago a third generation model was introduced here, much like this latest fourth generation model is today. Clearly, this was always on the cards.
The Nissan X-Trail is a premium executive SUV available in 5- or 7-seat trim that competes with the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq. The latest version is built on the Renault-Nissan CMF-C platform and although offered overseas with either a 2.5-litre petrol engine or a 1.5-litre turbo petrol mild-hybrid powertrain, it has a unique ace up its sleeve in the form of a 1.5 e-Power option .
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e-Power is Nissan’s parlance for a range-extender hybrid, which will be a unique and interesting option in India, where electric cars are taking off and powerful hybrids are now taking center stage.
Basically, it is an electric car powered only by an electric motor and has a 1.5 liter petrol engine that exists only as a generator to charge the batteries. The engine never drives the wheels and as a result is used sparingly, leading to potentially great fuel economy, without worrying about range or needing to charge the vehicle with a plug.
The Nissan X-Trail e-Power is even available in 2WD and AWD versions, the former producing 204bhp and 330Nm, the latter 213bhp and 500Nm, although it remains to be seen which version Nissan is considering.
In its showcase, Nissan specifically referenced mild-hybrid and e-Power variants that could give the X-Trail a unique boost compared to its rivals. Being a premium executive SUV, the premium price will be more digestible and less aggressive than in smaller SUV segments. The Kodiaq is also a CBU import after all.
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Nissan Qashqai
The other two Nissan SUVs on display were the Qashqai and Juke, also very popular in international markets. The 5-seater Qashqai is slightly smaller than the X-Trail and competes globally with the Jeep Compass or Hyundai Tucson. Using the same basic underpinnings as the X-Trail, the third-generation Qashqai also gets turbo petrol mild-hybrid and e-Power variants.
The Nissan Qashqai Engine
The former uses the 156bhp 1.3-litre engine from the Nissan Kicks, assisted by an electric motor and paired to a CVT or 6-speed manual gearbox. The latter is a less powerful version of the fuel-saving range-extending technology than that offered in the X-Trail, with 190bhp and 330Nm.
The second-generation Nissan Juke is the least likely to be launched here, and Nissan says it’s only showing it to gauge interest. Its funky, graceful design may be polarizing, but it definitely turns heads, and that’s something that could work in its favor.
It’s powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol powerful hybrid system, which means it delivers on the promise of incredibly high fuel economy, similar to what we’ve seen in the Toyota Hyryder and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara.
At 4.2 meters long, the Juke could technically fall into the very popular mid-size SUV segment in India, but it’s nowhere near as roomy as the Nissan Kicks, and the positioning is very different in international markets.
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What is the plan for Nissan India?
Nissan currently sells the Magnite compact SUV and the Kicks mid-size SUV in India, the latter of which is unlikely to be around much longer due to its aging platform, which would require a serious upgrade to meet future safety norms.
Additionally, its platform siblings, the Terrano, Duster, Captur and Lodgy, are also no longer available, making the effort even more costly for Nissan. And with the discontinuation of Datsun, Nissan is becoming a one model brand and that would definitely not be viable.
