A new X-Trail is doing the rounds at motor shows and will be on sale before the year is out, but the current car still has a lot to offer.
The 2.2-litre diesel combines with well chosen gear ratios to deliver good performance, pulling strongly in second gear from low speeds. The X-Trail is equally happy once at the legal limit, fronting a stable outfit at 60mph, but it was not quite so comfortable through our lane-change test: there was a lot of body roll and the back end of the car was pushed out of line by the caravan.
With the rear seats in place, the X-Trail couldn’t manage our full load of bags and caravanning equipment, but it was pleasing to see a 12V socket in the boot.