[History of car home Cars] Nissan X-TRAIL, with Chinese name Qijun, has developed to the third generation since its birth in 2000. The first and second generation Qijun give people the impression that they are tough and masculine, while the third generation Qijun completely subverts the previous image and becomes fashionable and dynamic. The first generation of Qijun was sold in China by import, and the second generation of Qijun was made in China in 2008. On February 25th, 2014, a new generation of Qijun of Dongfeng Nissan will be released soon. Before that, let’s review the history of Nissan X-TRAIL through this article.

◆ Birth Background and Naming of Nissan X-TRAIL


Before the birth of Nissan X-TRAIL, Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V were competing in the urban SUVs of Japanese automobile brands. Nissan launched X-TRAIL in 2000, not only to improve its own product line, but more importantly, to compete with RAV4 and CR-V for the growing SUV market share. As soon as Nissan X-TRAIL came out, it was a great success in Japan. From 2001 to 2010, Nissan X-TRAIL won the title of Japanese SUV sales champion for 10 consecutive years.Related reading:Historical introduction of Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.

In the car name X-TRAIL, "X" stands for 4×4, and "X-TRAIL" originally means footprint, symbolizing ruts, rugged roads and off-road sections. In the Chinese name "Qi Jun", "Qi" stands for something different from ordinary things, and "Jun" symbolizes a galloping steed.
◆ The first generation of X-TRAIL from 2000 to 2007.

At the Paris Motor Show in September 2000, the Nissan X-TRAIL concept car was released. In October of the same year, the X-TRAIL was released in production. On November 13th, the Nissan X-TRAIL was officially listed in Japan. The code name of Nissan’s first generation X-TRAIL is T30, which comes from Nissan’s MS front-wheel drive platform. Other models on the same platform include the ninth generation Nissan Sunny Sunshine and the first generation Nissan Sylphy Sylphy Sylphy.

The target customers of Nissan X-TRAIL multifunctional four-wheel drive are some young people in the city who like outdoor life. X-TRAIL has a body size of 4445mm×1765mm×1750mm, a wheelbase of 2625mm and a minimum ground clearance of 200 mm.. Due to the harmonious proportion of the car body, the front windshield adopts the forward design, and Nissan X-TRAIL has good aerodynamic performance, and its drag coefficient is 0.37, which is a good result for SUV. X-TRAIL uses high-hardness steel plates in key parts to strengthen the rigidity of the car body, but the weight of the car body has not increased. The weight of the 2.0L two-wheel drive automatic transmission model is only 1340kg, which is mainly due to the all-aluminum engine and the use of plastic bumpers to reduce the weight.

On some models of the first and second generation X-TRAIL, the front end of the original luggage rack is equipped with bright high-position spotlights. Turning on the high-position spotlight in high beam mode can provide excellent lighting effect when driving at night. It is worth noting that high-position spotlights are only suitable for use in off-road pure black environment, because too bright beams will cause great interference to the sight of drivers.

Nissan X-TRAIL was originally equipped with a 2.0L naturally aspirated engine code-named QR20DE, with a maximum power of 150 HP /6000rpm and a peak torque of 200 Nm /4000rpm. The engine was matched with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic gearbox. In February 2001, Nissan released the X-TRAIL GT version, which is equipped with a 2.0L turbocharged engine code-named SR20VET, with a maximum power of 280 HP/6,400 rpm and a peak torque of 309 Nm/3,200 rpm, but this version is only available in Japan. In addition, in overseas markets, a version equipped with QR25DE 2.5L gasoline engine and YD22DDTi 2.2L diesel engine has been introduced.

The timely four-wheel drive system equipped with X-TRAIL is mainly developed for front-wheel drive, and there are three modes: two-wheel drive, automatic and locking. In automatic mode, the system will automatically switch between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive according to the driving environment and road conditions. If driving on the road, the system will choose two-wheel drive to obtain good fuel economy. When driving in complex road conditions, when the system finds that the front and rear wheels are slipping, the power between the front axle and the rear axle will be adjusted to provide sufficient grip. In the locking mode, the torque distribution of the front and rear wheels is 57: 43.

The mid-term modified model of Nissan X-TRAIL was launched in Japan in June 2003. The new model has a newly designed middle net, with wider bumpers at the front and rear, chassis guards under the front, chrome-plated protective bars on both sides of the front, and chrome-plated exhaust pipes at the rear. In the interior, the center console and steering wheel of the new X-TRAIL have been optimized, and the shape is more beautiful.

In September, 2003, Nissan X-TRAIL FCV hydrogen fuel cell vehicle made its debut at Frankfurt Motor Show. In April 2005, this hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle appeared at the booth of Shanghai Auto Show. On July 23rd, 2007, Nissan X-TRAIL FCV hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle set the fastest lap record of its kind at the North Ring Circuit in New Bogeling, Germany in 11 minutes and 58 seconds.
◆ The first generation of X-TRAIL is in China.

Nissan X-TRAIL first appeared in China at the Beijing Auto Show in 2002, and then 2.5L X-TRAIL was sold in China by way of import. In that year, nearly 3,000 vehicles were sold successfully. However, in 2003 and 2004, limited by the national license quota management system for imported cars, only a few of them entered China, and there was a phenomenon that there was no goods in the market. The first generation of Nissan X-TRAIL was produced in Japan, Taiwan Province and Thailand, but it was not introduced into Chinese mainland. As CR-V settled in Dongfeng Honda, its sales increased. In contrast, the sales of X-TRAIL became increasingly bleak, and finally it had to withdraw from the Chinese mainland market.
◆ 2007 -2013 Second Generation X-TRAIL
In March 2007, Nissan released the second generation X-TRAIL code-named T31 at the Geneva Motor Show. The new generation of X-TRAIL comes from Nissan’s front-wheel drive platform-platform C. Other models of platform C include Nissan Qashqai hacker and Renault Megane Megane (second and third generation). In August 2007, the second generation X-TRAIL was released in Japan, and in October of the same year, the new car landed in the European market. However, the second generation X-TRAIL was not introduced into the North American market, and its replacement model was Nissan Rogue (North American version of Nissan Hacker).

In the front part, the headlights and the middle net of the second generation X-TRAIL have been redesigned to make the front face more rigid and powerful. The side of the car body adopts the outline of the traditional off-road SUV. The lower waistline makes the car look more solid, and at the same time, it increases the area of the side window, making the car brighter and the driver’s vision better. There are traces of deliberate lengthening at the rear of the car, which slightly destroys the coordination of the car body proportion, but increases the space of the trunk and improves the practicality.

The body size of the second generation X-TRAIL is slightly larger than that of the previous generation, with the length, width and height of 4590mm×1785mm×1770mm, the wheelbase of 2630mm and the minimum ground clearance of more than 200mm respectively. Compared with Qashqai on the same platform, the wheelbase and minimum ground clearance data of the two platforms are the same, but the X-TRAIL looks bigger and more powerful, and it is more inclined to off-road style.

The interior design of the second generation X-TRAIL is also very similar to that of hackers, but in order to reflect Qijun’s purer off-road style, the details are more tough. For example, the air outlet of the circular air conditioner becomes quadrilateral, and the two sides of the center console panel are equipped with matt metal plaques to make the interior look more sporty. The central instrument of the previous model has been moved to the front of the driver, and the shape of the three-spoke steering wheel is exactly the same as that of the hacker. The matte silver plaque reflects the texture and the multi-function buttons are relatively complete.

The performance of the second-generation X-TRAIL in the driving space is similar to that of the previous generation. The increase in the length of the car is mainly reflected in the backward extension of the trunk by 127mm, and the corresponding loading space has increased by 193L compared with the previous generation, reaching 603L L. The trunk floor also adopts an innovative double-layer design, and the upper and lower drawers can put different types of articles in it, thus improving the practicality.

In terms of power, Nissan provided two gasoline engines and a diesel engine for the second generation X-TRAIL, in which the maximum power of QR25DE 2.5L gasoline engine is 170 HP /6000rpm and the peak torque is 230 Nm/4400 rpm; The maximum power of MR20DE 2.0 liter gasoline engine is 137 HP /5000rpm, and the peak torque is 200 Nm /4400rpm. The six-speed manual gearbox and CVT gearbox are matched with these two engines. Another M9R 2.0-liter diesel engine has a maximum power of 173 HP/3,750 rpm and a peak torque of 360 Nm/2,000 rpm. It is matched with a 6-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed automatic transmission.


The suspension type of the second generation X-TRAIL is the former McPherson independent suspension+stabilizer bar, and the rear multi-link independent suspension+stabilizer bar, and the power assist type is electric power assist. While the handling performance is improved, the driving comfort is also improved. The approach angle of 28 and the departure angle of 23, together with the minimum ground clearance over 200mm, ensure better road trafficability.


The brand-new timely four-wheel drive system still has three modes: two-drive, automatic and locking. When the locking mode is selected, the front and rear wheels will distribute power at a ratio of 50:50, and then the wheels will be locked with the braking of the dynamic stability system to help the vehicle get out of trouble. This four-wheel drive system is further equipped with an uphill start assist system and a steep slope descent control system. After choosing a steep slope descent, the X-TRAIL will slowly descend the steep slope at a speed of 7 km/h.. These devices have greatly improved the active safety performance of the X-TRAIL and made its off-road capability more prominent.
◆ The second generation X-TRAIL is in China.

In recent years, SUV has been the growth champion of China passenger car market, and it is a market segment that any automobile manufacturer can’t ignore, and the second generation X-TRAIL is an important product for Dongfeng Nissan to enter this market. On November 3, 2008, Dongfeng Nissan Qijun was officially listed, and the price of five models was 207,800-258,800 yuan.

Generally speaking, the design of domestic Qijun is basically the same as that of overseas versions, but the configuration has been reduced. For example, the GPS navigation system on foreign models has been reduced on domestic Qijun. Qijun provided two displacement gasoline engines for consumers to choose from, of which the 2.0L engine was made in China, while the 2.5L engine was imported at the beginning, and the timely four-wheel drive system was standard for all models.

On December 10th, 2008, the Polar Investigation Office of the State Oceanic Administration and Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Car Company jointly announced that Dongfeng Nissan Qijun would be used as the "exclusive passenger car for China’s Antarctic expedition" and the logistics support vehicle for the 25th Antarctic expedition, which means that Qijun became the first mass-produced passenger car to land in the Antarctic in human history. As the only professional automobile media that Dongfeng Nissan Qijun challenged the trip to the South Pole, Meng Qingjia, editor of car home, went to the South Pole together with Dongfeng Nissan Qijun. Click on the "Antarctic Travel Notes" link to read relevant reports.

Due to the problems of steering gear, Dongfeng Nissan recalled some Qijun cars produced from March 31, 2008 to August 26, 2009, with the number of 14,168 cars in accordance with the requirements of the Management Regulations on Defective Automobile Product Recall. Vehicles within the scope of this recall have abnormal sound or poor operation during steering due to loose steering nut, which may lead to uncontrollable vehicle direction and affect driving safety in extreme cases. Dongfeng Nissan overhauled the vehicles within the recalled scope free of charge, and installed an adjusting nut stop device to eliminate potential safety hazards.

In October, 2009, Dongfeng Nissan added the Qijun model and optimized the details, and launched the 2010 Qijun model. The price range of six models was 207,800-269,800 yuan. In 2010, Qijun’s audio system was upgraded to 6-disc CD, and a Qijun Extreme Edition was added. On the basis of silver and black, the body color was also added with agate red car color.

In July 2010, the second-generation overseas X-TRAIL underwent a mid-term change, with the main changes focused on the appearance and interior details. The second-generation X-TRAIL, which was redesigned in the mid-term, was listed as the 2012 Qijun in China in November 2011, and the price range of seven models was 207,800-269,800 yuan. In 2012, Qijun adopted an "X"-shaped front face, the headlight group was changed to a "tearful eye" design, the front bumper, fog lamp group and lower air intake were also adjusted, and the taillights were added with LED light source. In terms of configuration, the 2012 Qijun has also been upgraded, adding a driving computer display screen and a panoramic image system.
| Sales statistics of Dongfeng Nissan Qijun from November 2008 to January 2014 |
| Year (year) |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
| Sales volume (vehicle) |
4166 |
24058 |
32011 |
28264 |
22869 |
15327 |
829 |
In terms of sales volume, as of January 2014, Dongfeng Nissan Qijun sold a total of 127,524 vehicles, which has always been a tepid level in the joint venture brand compact SUV market. Qijun’s poor sales have a lot to do with its shape design. The hot-selling Tiguan, CR-V, RAV4 and other models all have dynamic and fashionable appearances, while Qijun is just a little sunny. Nissan has long been aware of this, so it has designed a more aesthetic appearance for the third generation of Qijun.
◆ From 2013 to present, the third generation X-TRAIL

From the design of Hi-Cross concept car, it can be seen that the shape of the third generation Qijun has changed obviously compared with the previous generation. Nissan officially released the third generation of Qijun (T32) at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, 2013. The design elements of the Hi-Cross concept car were heavily integrated into the new car, and the shape was no longer angular and tough, and the body lines became beautiful and smooth, just like a fashionable and dynamic urban SUV.

The third generation X-TRAIL is the first model from Nissan CMF(Common Module Family) platform, and Nissan and Renault plan to launch 14 models using this platform. By improving the commonality of parts among different models, the cost of parts of the third generation X-TRAIL can be reduced by about 20%. Nissan’s third-generation X-TRAIL was launched in Japan in December 2013, while Dongfeng Nissan’s new generation Qijun will be released in China on February 25th, 2014 and officially launched on March 26th. In July 2014, it landed in the European market. In addition, Nissan Rogue (North American version of hacker) models for the North American market will also adopt the new X-TRAIL design.

The design of the new X-TRAIL’s slender and fierce headlights is very energetic, and the front bumper has become simpler, weakening the original elements that reflect the off-road style. The smooth lines with a sense of design on the side of the car body replaced the original straight waistline, the LED turn signal was integrated in the exterior rearview mirror, and the luggage rack was not as thick as the old one. A small spoiler was added to the rear of the car, and the taillights were changed from vertical strips to horizontal designs.

The interior design of the new generation X-TRAIL has a stronger overall feeling. The two sides of the three-spoke steering wheel are decorated with large chrome plating, and a wealth of multi-function control buttons are integrated on it. The double circular instrument panel has a stronger stereoscopic effect, and the driving computer is upgraded to a color screen. The central control panel adopts a 7-inch touch screen, and the arrangement of function buttons on both sides is more reasonable, and the liquid crystal display function is also added in the air conditioning control area.

Nissan’s new generation X-TRAIL has a body size of 4640mm×1820mm×1715mm and a wheelbase of 2705mm. It is reported that the body size of the domestic new Qijun will be slightly different from the Japanese version that has been listed. The length, width and height of the new generation of domestic Qijun are 4643mm×1820mm×1722mm and the wheelbase is 2706mm respectively. Highlights of the new X-TRAIL include: front collision warning+lane departure warning system, active driving control and active engine braking system, and automatic parking system that can support side parking and parking. The configuration of the new Qijun made in China has not been announced, but car home has made a real shot of the new Qijun. From the real shot, we can see the advanced configurations such as tire pressure monitoring, inductive electric trunk, CARWINGS human-computer interaction system for engine start and stop, etc.

In terms of power, the new generation X-TRAIL sold in Japan in advance is equipped with a 2.0L naturally aspirated direct injection engine of model MR20DD, with a maximum power of 147 HP /6000rpm and a peak torque of 207 Nm /4400rpm. It is reported that Dongfeng Nissan’s new generation Qijun will be equipped with a 2.5L naturally aspirated engine with a maximum power of 186 HP. Matching the engine is a CVT gearbox provided by Jatco, the model is CVT8. Compared with the previous generation Qijun gearbox, the new gearbox has a larger gear ratio coverage, higher overall transmission efficiency and faster response to commands.

The front suspension of Nissan’s new generation X-TRAIL continues the McPherson structure of the previous generation, and the rear suspension is consistent with the multi-link structure of the previous generation. The timely four-wheel drive system of the new X-TRAIL is the same as the previous generation, with three modes: two-wheel drive, automatic and locking, and equipped with steep slope descent function. There is no official news about whether the domestic new Qijun is equipped with a timely four-wheel drive system as standard as the previous generation.
Summary:Nissan X-TRAIL was born in 2000, when Toyota RAV4 had been on the market for 6 years and Honda CR-V had been on the market for 5 years. As a latecomer, Nissan X-TRAIL appeared as a maverick tough masculine image, which made people shine. In 2002, X-TRAIL came to China as an imported car and made a good start. However, the good times did not last long. As CR-V was made in China and sold widely, X-TRAIL was gradually marginalized. In order to enhance competitiveness, the second generation X-TRAIL was settled in Dongfeng Nissan, and Qijun, a domestic company, was officially listed in 2008. Domestic Qijun, who insists on tough and masculine modeling, still fails to win the hearts of domestic consumers, and sales have not improved. At the end of 2013, the third generation of X-TRAIL came out with a brand-new image of fashion and dynamic. It remains to be seen whether the upcoming domestic new Qijun can be recognized by consumers. (Text/car home Li Yiwen)
