2019 New Nissan X-Trail – Should you pick more seats or better fuel economy?

(2019 Nissan X-Trail Price and Specs | Gallery)

The Nissan X-Trail has established itself to be a decent option for families that require a 7-seater SUV.

However, with the introduction of the updated X-Trail earlier this year, things have changed a bit, as Nissan Malaysia introduced a new hybrid variant.

The new hybrid variant (RM 159,888) is a RM 6,000 premium over the 2.5L 4WD variant (RM 153,888), but which one should you pick?

7-seater practicality or fuel efficiency?

When it comes to choosing which variant of the X-Trail to buy, ask yourself what is the primary purpose of getting the X-Trail.

If you really need the practicality aspect of the third-row seats, then the regular X-Trail variants are the ones to go for, as the hybrid variant is strictly a 5-seater model.

With that said, the third-row in the X-Trail should be used for really short trips or kids, due to its tight legroom and small seats. 

If you are looking for a 7-seater SUV, we reckon you to skip the X-Trail and try the Mitsubishi Outlander instead, as the Outlander offers better comfort levels than the Nissan. 

Although you still need to crouch your knees in the third row of the Outlander, its seats are decently-sized and offers sufficient legroom, making it a more pleasant place to be in than the X-Trail.

However, if you want a fuel-efficient SUV, then the X-Trail Hybrid should be your go-to. The X-Trail Hybrid returns an impressive 16.1 km/litre (6.2-litre/100 km) under the NEDC R1010 test cycle.

Non-hybrid variants of the X-Trail return between 12.2 km/litre (8.1-litre/100 km) to 13.4 km/litre (7.4-litre/100 km).

Unlike the Nissan Serena’s micro-hybrid system, the X-Trail Hybrid is a full hybrid, meaning that it can be driven away from stationary using the electric motor or petrol engine, or even a combination of both.

The icing on the cake is the fact that Nissan Malaysia specced the X-Trail Hybrid similarly as the range-topping 2.5L, so kit count is generous - it gets Intelligent Forward Collision Warning with Intelligent Forward Emergency Braking, Intelligent Cruise Control, High Beam Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

With all said, we reckon that the X-Trail Hybrid is a better buy than the regular petrol variants as the offers the practicality aspects of owning an SUV without the high fuel consumption penalty.

A win-win situation.