What's the news?

Nissan's new X-Trail is a sharp-looking machine and the company has announced prices and specs for the UK market, ahead of its appearance in showrooms in July. There will be four trims - from Visia through Acenta and n-tec to top-line Tekna - and the entry point is a two-wheel drive five-seat Visia model at £22,995, which is £2,600 less than the old car. The likely top-selling Acenta five-seat model will cost £800 less than its preceding equivalent at £24,795. The top variant is the Tekna seven-seat all-wheel drive X-Trail, at £31,695.

Exterior

The X-Trail is a handsome creation, much less square than its predecessor and with sweeping lines. And unlike the Juke, it certainly doesn't have a challenging front end. Instead, it has the same new family face that has been seen on the second-generation Qashqai.

Interior

Every variant of the X-Trail can be specified as either a five- or seven-seater, with the latter a £700 option. Nissan says the interior has a raked theatre seating layout to ensure all passengers have a nice view and plenty of legroom. The third row seats can be folded completely flat and there are sliding and reclining functions to adapt the interior to cater for a mix of people and cargo accordingly.

Nissan also claims the X-Trail has 'one of the most advanced meter displays yet seen', a five-inch TFT colour screen incorporating 12 graphic displays accessible on rotation. These offer advice and warnings, such as torque distribution in all-wheel drive mode, navigation instructions, eco-driving tips, traffic sign recognition, audio data and more.

Mechanicals

One engine announced so far, the 1.6 dCi diesel with 131hp and 320Nm, with front-wheel or all-wheel drive available (apart from Visias, which are all two-wheel drive) and Nissan's Xtronic CVT gearbox. In front-wheel drive guise, Nissan quotes 57.6mpg and CO₂ of 129g/km.

Anything else?

So, those specs in slightly more detail. Visia models come with 17-inch alloys, LED daytime running lights, Bluetooth with MP3 compatibility, air conditioning, heated door mirrors, follow-me-home lighting and an electric parking brake, among other items. Acenta is a £1,800 step up and gives full climate control, privacy glass, folding mirrors, electric sunroof, auto lights and wipers and parking sensors all round.

There's also a Smart Vision Pack (SVP), adding in high beam assist, lane departure warning, emergency braking and traffic sign recognition on the Acenta, plus auto lights and the parking sensors too on the Visia - which is £495 for the Visia and £450 for the Acenta.

For the n-tec's £27,995 starting point you essentially get an Acenta with SVP, as well as 19-inch alloys, i-Key locking with a push button start, DAB radio, roof rails, a powered tailgate, 360-degree view monitor and the NissanConnect system for smartphone integration and built-in apps. Tekna starts from £29,295 and is practically fully-loaded, with heated leather seats, bi-LED headlamps, blind spot warning, driver attention alert and Nissan's Park Assist feature.