The Nissan X-Trail is now available with a range of upgrades. The changes include a redesign of the exterior, a higher-quality interior, additional practicality for owners and new technologies to make life on the road safer.

The new Nissan X-Trail will also be available with ProPILOT autonomous drive technology.

Philippe Saillard, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Nissan Europe, commented: “Demand for crossovers is growing all the time, and for the Nissan X-Trail to be the number one for global sales is a huge honour. With these enhancements, the new X-Trail is delivering more of what our customers want. The Nissan X-Trail is the perfect car for family adventures.”

The X-Trail is a five or seven-seat crossover and is the brand’s best-selling vehicle worldwide.

Including the USA, where the car is badged Rogue, more than 3.7 million have been sold since the first Nissan X-Trail was launched in 2000. That includes almost half a million cars in Europe. Approximately 115,000 units have been sold in Europe since the all-new third-generation model was launched in 2014, and demand has grown significantly year on year; sales doubled from 2014 to 2015, and the total rose again by another 40 per cent the following year.

The X-Trail has continued to evolve; in January 2016, Nissan launched the car with a new 2.0-litre 175 bhp diesel engine, broadening the range to meet the needs of consumers who require a higher-output powertrain.

The Nissan X-Trail gets “a distinctive and robust redesign of the front end, adding a new dynamism and more premium styling cues.” At its heart is Nissan’s latest ‘V-motion’ grille, which Nissan says is wider than before for a more impactful appearance on the road and echoed in the design of the bumper beneath.

On either side of the grille are new headlamp clusters, with clearer design differentiation between the halogen units on Visia, Acenta and N-Connecta grades and full LEDs on Tekna. Both feature the latest version of the X-Trail’s ‘boomerang’ Daytime Running Light signature.

For models with full LED lamps, dipped beam now features Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS). This means dynamic cornering lamps operating in conjunction with the vehicle’s speed and steering inputs. Also appearing on the new Qashqai crossover, this is the first use of AFS for Nissan in Europe, and means greater illumination of a corner’s apex for better visibility and road safety. On high beam, the beam pattern is now wider than before, also improving visibility.

The front fog lamps have evolved. Integrated into the new front bumper, they have changed from a round shape to a rectangular one. They are standard from Acenta grade.

Also revised are the front parking sensors. Previously they were integrated into the bumper but did not sit completely flush to the surface. Now they are flush.

At the rear of the new X-Trail, the bumper has been redesigned to give it a more robust look with new chrome detailing. The rear lamp signature has been upgraded to become full LED, while the parking sensors are improved, as at the front of the car.

The biggest change to the profile of the new X-Trail is the addition of a chrome side moulding across the base of the two doors. This is standard on Tekna grade. There’s also a new 18” alloy wheel available on N-Connecta grade.

The upgrades have resulted in a very slight change to the overall length of the car – an increase of 50mm means it’s now 4,690mm from bumper to bumper. There is no change to the new X-Trail’s width (1,830mm), height (1,710mm on Visia and Acenta, 1,740mm on N-Connecta and Tekna) or wheelbase (2,705mm). The exterior changes have not affected the new X-Trail’s aerodynamic performance, with a Cd rating of 0.32.

Six of the eight existing exterior colours have been carried over, with four vibrant new additional shades added – Monarch Orange, Palatial Ruby, Sapphire Blue and Picador Brown.

A new D-shaped steering wheel with a horizontal base means easier entry and exit for the driver, as well as providing a sportier look and feel.

The steering wheel’s compact central hub is smaller than before and the three spokes are slimmer, creating an upper space that’s larger by 17 per cent to improve instrument visibility. The four-way controllers for the combimeter display (left spoke) and cruise control (right spoke) are new, and offer customers more intuitive use and reduced ‘eyes off the road’ time.

The rim’s width has been widened – from 34mm to 37.5mm – to provide a more comfortable and safer grip. A new premium style comes from the satin silver detailing on the central spoke which echoes the shape of the car’s ‘V-motion’ front grille. A new feature is integrated heating, which is standard on Tekna grade.

Heated seats for both front and rear occupants (not third row) are new, and standard on Tekna grade. A new Premium Tan and black two-tone leather interior is available as an optional extra on Tekna.

A new leather knee pad on both sides of the centre console has been added, while the area above the glovebox has been given a more contemporary finish. The air vents now feature a new gloss black surface.

The new X-Trail has a redesigned central armrest storage area and models with the XTronic automatic transmission, the gear selector has been restyled and features a new leather-style gaiter.

The two highest grades of X-Trail have previously come with an electric tailgate as standard. This feature has been enhanced on new X-Trail with the additional of hands-free functionality. Customers with shopping bags or holding young children close by can now kick their foot under the centre of the car’s rear bumper to automatically activate the opening mechanism.

The boot on the new X-Trail is larger than before. Thanks to improved packaging, VDA capacity is up from 550 litres to 565 litres on the five-seat version with all seats in place. Capacity on seven-seat interiors (445 litres) remains unchanged. Total space with all seats folded flat increases to 1,996 litres.

Tekna grade is now fitted with an all-new eight-speaker system as standard. Supplied by BOSE, Nissan’s premium audio partner, it features two 25mm tweeters at the base of the windscreen, a 165mm woofer in each front door and a 130mm mid-range speaker in each rear door. Two 115mm woofers are housed in a 7.7-litre custom-engineered enclosure mounted in the spare wheel well. A BOSE digital amplifier with eight channels of custom equalisation and digital signal processing is mounted under the passenger seat (5 seat versions only).

DAB digital radio is standard for the first time, while the NissanConnect touch-screen satellite navigation unit (standard from N-Connecta,) features a new user interface that’s more app-like in appearance. Where the NissanConnect system is fitted, the new X-Trail now features a ‘shark fin’ roof antenna for improved reception and a more contemporary finish.

Nissan will introduce ProPILOT on the new X-Trail. It’s the first stage on the brand’s journey to autonomous driving, giving drivers more freedom by allowing them to automate the mundane elements of their motoring life.

ProPILOT will control the steering, acceleration and braking in a single lane on highways during heavy traffic congestion and high-speed cruising. It is based on three technologies – Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) and Traffic Jam Pilot (TJP). Intuitive to use, ProPILOT will be activated via a button on the X-Trail’s steering wheel. Information will be displayed in the combimeter between the instrument dials. Further details on ProPILOT will be given nearer to its launch.

New Nissan Intelligent Mobility technologies have been added to the X-Trail. Rear Cross Traffic Alert, to mitigate the risk of low-speed impacts when reversing out of a parking space, is now available for the first time. If the driver attempts to reverse when an approaching vehicle is detected, the system gives visual and audible warnings.

Intelligent Emergency Braking has been on the X-Trail since 2014, but has now been upgraded with Pedestrian Recognition. This innovative technology helps to minimise collisions with pedestrians using a combination of forward-facing radar and camera.

New to the X-Trail is a technology called Stand Still Assist (SSA), which supplements Hill Start Assist (HSA) on cars with a manual transmission. SSA holds the car in a stationary position for up to three minutes, after which time the parking brake is automatically activated. SSA works on inclines, declines and on the flat, allowing the driver to take their foot off the brake. This improves safety, boosts driver confidence and reduces fatigue. A green light on the instrument cluster indicates when it’s activated.

The X-Trail continues to be offered with numerous other safety technologies including Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Driver Alertness, Intelligent Park Assist, Intelligent Around View Monitor and Lane Departure Warning.

The existing engine range continues unchanged.