FamiLY CAR REVIEW: 2023 Nissan X-Trail e-Power Hybrid

How big is the boot of the 2023 Nissan X-Trail E-Power and how does it differ to the petrol models?

The 2023 Nissan X-Trail has a nice big boot and for the e-Power it only differs in size by 10L. This space is lost underneath the boot floor where a battery sticks up into the space in the e-Power hybrid model. Therefore it really doesn't affect your storage space on a practical level.

The second row of seats slides backwards and forwards on a 60:40 split so you can distribute boot space and legroom as you need to, for example if you want to carry flat pack furniture for example in one side of the boot.

The boot floor has two dividers in all variants of the new Nissan X-Trail, so it can be divided up into two sections which we found really helpful for keeping all the kids' things, like balls, helmets, swim bags etc in one place so they didn't roll around the boot. This leaves the front section of the boot clear for picking up the weekly shop. You can also remove the dividers altogether and have a slightly deeper boot.

The boot space is very practical, and holds 13 shopping bags from empty, one more than its competitors the Honda CR-V and the VW Tiguan which both hold twelve. The Mazda CX-5, holds fourteen and the Toyota Rav4, Subaru Forester and Skoda Kodiaq all hold fifteen shopping bags.

For families that need to, a twin side-by-side pram fits comfortably in the boot with three of bags of shopping beside it.

A tandem modular pram fits with six shopping bags around it.

A single pram fits in the boot easily too with five shopping bags around it.

Or if you use a compact stroller ten bags of shopping will fit easily around it in the boot of the 2023 Nissan X-Trail.

A medium or large size dog will fit comfortably in the boot of the new Nissan X-Trail.

The boot floor is flat and carpeted so perfect for an emergency nappy change.

How good is storage inside the 2023 Nissan X-Trail e-Power?

Storage inside the cabin of the Nissan X-Trail is really practical throughout. In the front, there are two cup holders that fit a reusable coffee cup and a disposable coffee cup and in front of them is a wireless phone charging pad and USB and USB-C sockets.

The central console box in the X-Trail is a good size and I like the phone storage slot inside as I found it really handy to pop my phone in when I was nipping out of the car briefly on school and kindy drop-offs.

One of my favourite additions is the central console bridge. This is great storage for your handbag and the perfect size for an iPad. I also found I used this space for my little one's lunch box when on long journeys and could easily pass it backwards and forwards from there.

The glove box holds my wallet and iPad with the manual.

There is a glasses case in the ceiling and there are lit vanity mirrors in both front visors.

The front door bins are big enough to hold a large refillable water bottle and a wallet and the doors have handle wells too, great for kids' little trinkets!

In the back storage is just as practical. The door bins will also hold a large refillable water bottle and have little storage wells in the handles.

There are map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold and conceal an iPad.

There is a fold-down central seat back with two cup holders that will hold reusable and disposable coffee cups and a slot for holding a phone, there are USB and USB-C sockets in the back of the central console box for rear passengers to charge their devices.

How noisy is the 2023 Nissan X-Trail e-power? What is the media system like in the 2023 Nissan X-Trail?

The media system in the new Nissan X-Trail has been updated. The Ti and Ti-L models both have a 12.3-inch media screen which feels large and modern and I found it easy to use and navigate. The lower St and ST-L models have an 8″ touchscreen and are not available as e-Power hybrids.

The media system in the new Nissan X-Trail has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which I've enjoyed with my family and makes it easy to access my phone for music, messages and navigation apps when driving without having to take my phone out of my bag for short trips like school runs etc. It is wireless in the Ti and Ti-L models and wired in the bottom two spec models, the ST and ST-L (these two models are not available as e-Power hybrid.)

All models have digital radio and the top-spec Ti-L models come with a Bose 10 speaker sound system.

Satellite navigation also comes as standard in the Ti and Ti-L models too.

The reversing cameras are nice and clear in the 2023 Nissan X-Trail, giving you two nice big, clear visuals and the bird's eye view is great for parking…

… as is the front wheel view so you can see if you'll scrape the kerb.

Visibility is good in the new Nissan X-Trail, the windows are nice and large and if your rear view is obscured by child seats in the back the digital rear-view smart mirror in the Ti and Ti-L models gives you a camera view out of the back.

There is a great seatbelt removal visual in the driver's display so you know immediately if anyone has taken off their seatbelt. You can clearly see how many kilometres of fuel you have left on the driver display on one side and how much battery you have on the bottom left of the display.

The indicators are quiet in the Nissan X-Trail and didn’t disturb my sleeping kids.

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The doors and windows of the X-Trail can both be locked from the driver's door control panel. Both the doors and windows are quiet and did not disturb my small sleeping passengers when opening and closing them.

The Nissan X-Trail e-Power hybrid has an e-Pedal mode, which is a little blue button in the central console that swaps to driving mainly with just the accelerator rather than using the accelerator and brake pedals. When you lift your foot off the accelerator the brake pedal drops to the same level as if you have braked. It feels like a really natural way to drive and is great for bendy country road driving as well as around town and at slower speeds. Electric and hybrid cars recharge the battery when slowing down and the e-Pedal makes the most of this advantage.

How many child seats fit in the New 2023 Nissan X-Trail e-Power?

During my testing, three Infasecure child seats fit in the 2023 Nissan X-Trail e-Power. Whether you are looking at the hybrid or the petrol X-Trail the interior dimensions are the same for all the models. The rear seats are nice and spacious and there are ISOFix in the two outer seats, they are not within plastic guides but they are nice and easy to connect to.

There are top tether anchorages in the back of the two outer rear seats in the Nissan X-Trail, they are not within plastic guides but are clearly labelled and easily accessible through the boot.

The central seat top tether anchorage is in the ceiling above the boot, this is in a plastic guide and clearly labelled.

When it comes to installing child seats in the back of the new Nissan X-Trail three Infasecure child seats fit really nicely. You will need to test your child set combination if you do need to fit three across. I installed the Infasecure Adapt more and Achieve More rear-facing in the two outer seats and I put the Infasecure versatile folding booster seat in the central seat.

I also tried swapping the two forward-facing seats so the Infasecure Adapt More was in the central seat and the Versatile Folding Booster was in the outer seat which also worked well.

With a rear-facing Infasecure Attain More child seat behind the driver, we found lots of legroom and a 182cm driver could fit in the front. The rear seats slide on a 60:40 split so you can distribute the legroom as you need to.

See the video below for more child seat combinations:

The doors of the new Nissan X-Trail open to 85 degrees, giving really wide access. This makes installing child seats nice and easy and also gives rear passengers easy access in and out of the car.

Also when posting Bub into her child seat from outside the car there is plenty of space for leaning in to do up their harness. Once inside the ceiling is nice and high and the cabin is spacious so posting Bub into their seat once inside the X-Trail is easy.

Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

There is plenty of room to feed Bub in the back if you only have one child seat installed.

How comfortable is the 2023 Nissan X-Trail? And how good is the 2023 Nissan X-Trail e-Power to drive?

In the front of the Nissan X-Trail, the seats are very comfortable and have electronic adjustment in the Ti-L model I tested as well as two-position memories for both front seats which is great for my household the parents are one tall and one short! The front seat headrests are not adjustable, forward and backward, and I found I could wear a ponytail while driving.

I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!

The seats are upholstered with perforated leather with diamond shape quilting which for the heated seat function.

The rear seats are also heated with a button located on the back of the central console box. These can be easily reached by rear passengers fiddling fingers and wandering toes!!

For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the seats are very comfortable and I didn't get that cramped cabin feeling. In the central seat, there is a small hump in the central floor on which I could comfortably rest my feet.

For the first year of my Bub’s life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Bub so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!

The steering wheel is fully adjustable in the Nissan X-Trail e-Power, it will go up and down and in and out. The cruise controls are on the right-hand side of the steering wheel and are easy to use and I found the Nissan X-Trail sticks well to the set speed.

There are four air-conditioning vents across the front dashboard; two small central ones below the media screen and one larger one at either end.

There are rear air vents in the back of the central console box which is fantastic for rear passengers to be kept comfortable while driving along. The controls for the air-conditioning are situated below the vents in the back…

…there are also controls on the front dash so parents can control it while driving.

The rear interior lights are located above the rear doors in the ceiling, and cannot be reached from the driver's seat while driving.

I have found my daughters do not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.

Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a five-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!

It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.

There are handles above the rear doors which are great to hang a child's toy on.

Rear passengers are also kept comfortable in the Ti-L model with built-in rear sun shades which are fantastic for keeping little passengers in the back shaded from the sun while driving.

The Nissan X-Trail has a tight turning circle which makes it easy to manoeuvre around town and park in small supermarket and school car parks. Visibility is good out of the windows as they are nice and large. With three child seats in the back visibility out of the back is compromised and so the digital rearview camera is very helpful for this.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, the Nissan X-Trail is nice and easy to park.

How safe is the 2023 Nissan X-Trail?

The new 2023 Nissan X-Trail gained a five-star ANCAP Safety Rating scoring a very high 90% for child occupancy and 91% for adult occupancy, putting it amongst the highest-scoring vehicles on our safest family car list.

Of the child occupancy testing ANCAP said:

Seven airbags come as standard; there are dual frontal airbags and side chest-protecting for the front passengers and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags are standard for the front and rear side passengers. A seventh airbag has been added between the front passengers' heads to prevent them from hitting together in the event of an accident.

All models include rear camera and rear parking sensors, predictive forward collision warning, intelligent cruise control with traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning and prevention (LDW), rear-cross traffic alert (RCTA), rear auto emergency braking (with pedestrian and cyclist calibration), junction assist and driver attention alert. Adaptive cruise control, anti-lock braking system (ABS), autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – Car-to-Car, VRU, backover, junction Assist, blind spot monitor (BSM), child presence alert, electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), event data recorder (EDR), electronic stability control (ESC), emergency brake assist (EBA), emergency stop signal (ESS), fatigue reminder, fatigue monitor / detection, forward collision warning (FCW), lane keep assist (LKA), reversing collision avoidance (camera), speed assistance and smart key come as standard on all variants.

Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bubi’s asleep!