Hot and heavy: New Nissan X-Trail Nismo preparing to take down Skoda Kodiaq vRS
All we know so far is when the car is being unveiled. The only detail we can make out from Nissan's teaser image is that the X-Trail Nismo will feature some vivid red accents. This is a signature element of the brand's souped-up Nismo models, like the Nissan Ariya Nismo, and presumably just one of several styling tweaks.
We expect the large (and of course rather heavy) SUV will receive a similar series of upgrades to its Skoda rival, plus the Nissan Patrol Nismo unveiled recently. That means more powerful brakes, revised suspension, tuned steering and potentially a new exhaust system. Advertisement - Article continues below
If you're interested in a fast family car that isn't an SUV, the Skoda Octavia vRS Estate is available on our Buy A Car service with prices starting from £41,070 for the new model, or there are used examples at dealers across the country.
The regular X-Trial features a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with hybrid assistance, which produces 201bhp at most. That's fine for the weekly shop, and 0-62mph in about seven seconds at a push, but not enough to set hearts racing or trousers ablaze.
If the Nismo model doesn't use a more powerful version of that three-pot engine, we're hoping it inherits the twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 engine from the Patrol Nismo. Partly because it shares elements with the R35-generation Nissan GT-R's motor, which owners could brag about on the school run. Plus it pumps out 495bhp and a whopping 700Nm of torque.
In case you're not familiar with the Nismo performance division, it's been making faster, more focused versions of Nissan's sports cars for nearly 40 years. That includes almost every generation of the legendary Nissan GT-R. However, more recently the team have been turning up the wick on the brand's SUVs too, starting with the Juke Nismo in 2013.
While the souped-up Nissan Juke was sold in the UK, and the Ariya Nismo landed in showrooms earlier this year, there's been no word on whether the X-Trail Nismo could be storming onto our shores in the near future.
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