The all new Nissan X-Trail derived from the floorpan of the larger Qashqai goes on sale 1 September.

It will have a starting price of £18,795 for the entry level 2.0-litre petrol Trek rising to £26,720 for the more luxurious upgraded Aventura 150PS 2.0dCi automatic.

In some cases the increase in price over the outgoing model is as low as £100 representing excellent value considering the vehicle is larger, better equipped and with more modern and refined engines.

There are three grades and four engine variations to choose from with three of the power units being new to X-trail. To simplify the Nissan 4x4 range structure the grade names of Trek, Sport and Aventura for X-TRAIL have been taken from the Pathfinder.

Although X-trail has been completely restyled, customer research clearly showed that the robust, strong shape was popular and well appreciated. It was clear that the “X-traiLness” had to be retained, which is why there is a clear family resemblance between the original and the new version.

New from the ground up, the latest X-trail shares the same platform as the recently launched Qashqai. The platform features strut-type suspension at the front with a multi-link system at the rear, both ends being mounted on separate rubber insulated sub-frames providing enhanced refinement and isolation from vibrations which in turn gives a superior ride both on and off-road.

As a result, new X-trail is slightly larger than before: its wheelbase has increased by 5mm to 2630mm, while overall length has risen by 175mm to 4630mm. Much of this extra length can be found in the luggage area, which has increased dramatically in size.

With the rear seat in place, the original vehicle had a luggage area VDA measurement of 410 litres up to the lower edge of the rear window: in the new X-TRAIL the equivalent figure is 603 litres, an increase of 193 litres, including double deck trunk capacity. Fold the rear seats forward and this increases to 1773 litres.