Nissan is determined to revive its global sales fortunes – streamlining its model line-up while dramatically trimming average development times – and a core part of that focus is the all-new X-Trail, due to arrive in Australia late 2027 with a new-generation e-Power hybrid powertrain and a brand new petrol engine.
Unlike the existing T33 X-Trail, which launched in Australia in mid-2022 – two years after it went on sale in the US – the fifth-generation T34 model will intentionally arrive just six months after it launches in North America (where it is sold as the Rogue).
Pictured: Current-generation 2026 Nissan X-Trail
Nissan unveiled the fifth-generation T34 X-Trail at its Nissan Vision event in Japan, showcasing completely refreshed, much edgier styling, wrapping a similarly sized package to the outgoing T33 model.
Chasing Cars spoke to Nissan’s global corporate executive for family, product and component strategy, Richard Candler, who said that while some aspects of the new-generation X-Trail are similar to the previous model, it is essentially a new car.
“The base architecture has some similarity, for sure [the CMF-CD platform]. But I mean it’s a completely new powertrain, new suspension, new structure. So there’s a very large amount of new in the car,” he said.
While the pre-production version shown in Japan revealed only the exterior design, Candler said one of the highlights of the new X-Trail is its hybrid powertrain.
“It’s a new-generation e-Power,” he said. “The current-generation X-Trail is good with e-Power, but this one is a big step forward.
“The biggest changes are it’s much quieter, much smoother. There’s much more sort of electric driving feel. I mean, you don’t hear the generator [engine] in almost any condition. So it’s really like driving an EV without any of the limitations of charging.
Pictured: Next-generation 2028 Nissan X-Trail
“Fuel economy is a big improvement as well – I think it’s 15 percent on highway fuel economy improvements, so it’s a massive step forward. I think this is another car that could be really good for Australia,” said Candler.
While Nissan is quietly making a song and dance about its new-gen e-Power set-up, what it hasn’t discussed is the new X-Trail’s regular petrol engine option, which almost certainly won’t be the QR25DE 2.5-litre four-cylinder from the existing car, which can carbon-date its family lineage back to 1999.
“There will be combustion [engine options] as well – a regular ICE solution – but we haven’t confirmed at this stage what that powertrain would be. But you know, emissions [regulations] are moving forward quite significantly globally, especially in Australia. So emissions do call for more advanced powertrains,” he said.
As for what is shared between the T34 and T33 X-Trails, we pointed out the near-identical glasshouse (doors and windscreen), plus very similar door apertures and want appeared to be the same wheelbase length.
“The glass certainly has a high level of commonality, but I think the window panes are slightly different. I mean, the car is wider, for example. The body is actually wider versus the current car and suspension track is wider, a few things like that. So, I mean, it is a different car.
“There’s certainly a high level of commonality and similarity in some areas,” said Candler. “But that said, I mean structurally, it’s all completely new.
“Things like NCAP, for example, completely require restructuring of the body. The new X-Trail is significantly stiffer. You’ll find out more as we start to debrief properly on this car … but it feels like a new car. You wouldn’t drive this and say: ‘oh, this is the same as the last one.’ And the interior is a big step-change as well.
“There are many, many elements, though I can’t go into too much detail,” said Candler. “But it’s a completely new car. In terms of the customer sense of this thing, it’s completely new and, like I say, the powertrain especially is just a huge step forward.”
Nissan’s focus in the future is to be much timelier with new-model introductions for vehicles as important as X-Trail, so expect it to go on sale in Australia in late-2027, or perhaps very early ’28.
Pictured: Current-generation 2026 Nissan X-Trail interior
“I think the new X-Trail with e-Power is a good opportunity for Australia and I’d like that car to make sense,” said Candler, referencing its features and powertrains, as well as its timeliness.
“With the family development [strategy – increasing the common toolkit of parts], we anticipate all the markets we need in the early stages and should be able to bring the products to a global stage quicker.
“This is a very, very important aspect, because it harms our competitiveness if we don’t come [to market] quickly with the product,” he said.
“Previously, I was responsible for X-Trail, and in something like Australia, it comes significantly after the first market. We tend to launch in the US first, and it can be years before we launch into Australia.
“This is something I’m trying to stop,” he said.