Review: Nissan T30.I X-Trail (2001-03)

Overview

Released in October 2001, the Nissan T30 Series I (T30.I) X-Trail was a five-seat, all-wheel drive SUV. Manufactured in Japan, the X-Trail was powered by 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that were mated eo either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions. The X-Trail range initially consisted of ST and Ti variants, though the range was expanded in 2002 with Luxury editions of the Ti variant and, in August 2003, with a limited run ST-R variant.

QR25DE engine

The T30 X-Trail was powered by Nissan’s 2.5-litre QR25DE four-cylinder petrol engine which had an aluminium block and cylinder head, double overhead camshafts, steel timing chain, counter-rotating balance shafts, an aluminium intake manifold, four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing and a compression ratio of 9.9:1.

Dimensions and suspension

The T30 X-Trail was 4510 mm long, 1765 mm wide, 1675 mm tall (1750 mm for the ST-R and Ti) and had a 2625 mm long wheelbase. Furthermore, the X-Trail had MacPherson strut front suspension with coil springs and an anti-roll bar; the rear suspension consisted of parallel-link struts, coil springs and an anti-roll bar. Both the front and rear suspension subframes had soft mounts to isolate noise without adversely affecting handling control.

Nissan T30.I X-Trail specifications
Variant	Years	Engine	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
ST	2001-03	2.5-litre petrol I4 (QR25DE)	4sp auto, 5sp man.	132 kW at 6000 rpm	245 Nm at 4000 rpm
ST-R	2003
Ti	2001-03

AWD system

The X-Trail was fitted Nissan’s ‘All Mode 4×4’ system which utilised an electronically-controlled coupling. The system had three driving modes that could be engaged via a dashboard button:

2WD: front-wheel drive only;
AWD: primarily front-wheel drive but torque could be re-directed to the rear axle via an electronically controlled coupling if the front wheels lost traction); and,
Lock: constant four-wheel drive with a 57:43 front:rear distribution for speeds of up to 30 km/h.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the T30 X-Trail included dual front airbags, ABS, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

Brakes

The T30 X-Trail had 280 mm by 28 mm vented front brake discs and 292 mm by 16 mm vented rear discs.

Euro NCAP and ANCAP crash testing

In Euro NCAP crash testing , a 2002 X-Trail with a 2.0-litre petrol engine – and equipped with dual front airbags and front side airbags with thorax and head protection, the latter not available in Australia – received a four star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 26.1; this score, however, included two points for seatbelt reminders which were not fitted in Australia. In the frontal impact, protection from serious leg injury was poor for the driver.

Given the absence of front side airbags for Australian vehicles, ANCAP conducted a side impact test in which the X-Trail scored maximum points. Combined with the Euro NCAP offset test results, this led to an Australian-specific four star adult occupant protection rating for the X-Trail with a score of 25.1.

Features: X-Trail ST, ST-R and Ti

Standard features for the entry-level X-Trail ST included a 15-inch steel wheels with 215/70 R15 tyres, a four speaker sound system with CD player, air conditioning, remote central locking, power mirrors and windows, a tilt adjustable steering wheel, roof rails and an immobiliser.

The Trail ST-R was further equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels with 215/65 R16 tyres, front fog lights, combination blue/black ‘dimpled’ seat trim and a rear spoiler.

Beyond this, the Trail Ti added a six speaker sound system with six-stack CD player, climate control air conditioning, cruise control and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, gearshift and hand brake. The Ti Luxury edition was distinguished by its leather seats and power sunroof.

Review: Nissan T30.II X-Trail (2003-07)