Nissan’s all-new 2021 X-Trail just got the results of its latest crash tests, and the scores are troubling.
As a refresher, Nissan went out of their way to completely re-design their compact SUV, so you would think they would have incorporated better crash safety performance, right? Well, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
In its crash safety test with the U.S.-based National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Rogue (basically, the X-Trail for the U.S. market) may have still managed an overall four-star rating, but looking through the individual crash test scores are worrisome. For example, while the front driver gets a 4-Star rating, the front passenger only earns a 2-Star rating. The overall front rating is only 3-Star too. In comparison, the Honda CR-V scored a 4-Star front passenger rating, while the RAV4 got a perfect 5-Star rating.
It’s a shame because X-Trail manages to get the highest possible scores in side-impact testing, and a 4-Star rating in rollover testing—closer to, or on-par with its competition.
The X-Trail tested by the NHTSA are built at Nissan’s Kyushu Plant in Japan (coincidentally, the source of Philippine market X-Trails). That being said, Nissan is aware of the X-Trail’s poor front passenger rating and says they have already released an update to the front passenger restraint system beginning this year.
Here’s hoping that the eventual X-Trail model that lands on Philippine shores is this “upgraded” version rather than the poorly performing one.
So.. with the statement from Nissan, does that mean the issue of the lower rating during the front crash test were to do with their seatbelts and/or pretensioners?
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