Nissan X-Trail e-POWER e-4ORCE: Why it's their most ridiculous hybrid ever

Nissan Australia has pulled the covers off its new but poorly-named hybrid SUV. New X-Trail will come as a hybrid, courtesy of a tiny battery. Let's talk about what it's going to offer and see if you should even bother...

Download the PODCAST for this report

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Nissan has revealed the pricing and light details for its most pointless, ridiculous hybrid yet.

This thing is called the Nissan X-Trail e-Power e-4ORCE, as in, they want you to say “four-ce”, but that’s not what the name tells you to say. Not only does it not roll off the tongue, it’s a quick lesson in semiotics - the study of symbols and signs and their interpretation.

In fact, I'd suggest the name is a crime against the English language. (Even Subaru got rid of ‘Levorg’ and brought back the WRX Sportwagon >>)

Anyway, you can download the official X-Trail e-Power e-4ORCE press release here >> to follow along.

More importantly however, the underlying engineering architecture is what we need to focus on, because it’s a crime against physics and a frontal assault on thermodynamic efficiency.

So aside from being too complex, too expensive, too heavy and insufficiently fuel-efficient - and a Nissan - it sounds like a perfectly serviceable idea. (That’s sarcasm.)

If you want to know more about the Nissan X-Trail e-POWER: How this petrol-powered EV's claims don't add up>> click here. It was the same with the Qashqai e-Power hybrid >>

Here’s an example of the absurd proposition Nissan Australia makes to you about the e-Power e-4ORCE X-Trail:

…unlike conventional hybrid systems, e-Power delivers an EV like drive experience all of the time without needing to plug in

So plugging in is bad, is it?

I'd suggest that the cost of all of this phenomenal complexity is you get this situation: internal combustion touting itself as ‘electric’. It's bullshitting its way to electric green virtue. And you still get to pay the road user tax in Victoria, as I understand it.

Here’s the fact: Plugging-in is an advantage - it really is - because the electrons are cheaper than the liquid fuel, typically. Especially if you've got rooftop solar and you're at home during the day and you plug in during the day. But even if you don't, they're still cheaper (the electrons).

So, is it worth buying a PHEV? Short answer here >>

If you're unfamiliar with the concept of the e-Power’s hybrid setup, it works like this.

You've got an internal combustion engine running all the time, whenever the wheels are turning, the engine is more-or-less burning, because it drives a generator. Just like the one you take camping, only somewhat more sophisticated.

The generator charges up a tiny little battery - in this case 1.8 kilowatt hours, which is utterly anorexic in the context of EVs - and even in the context of plug-in hybrids, it's anorexic.

Then you've got the battery driving an inverter that produces alternating current (AC) to drive the traction motors; there's one on the front axle and one on the rear axle.

So this is a very complex system with a lot of philosophically ‘moving’ parts and there are definite second law of thermodynamics disadvantages to doing it that way. We get to that in the full report above.

There's a real headline though which is that the 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine has variable compression ratio.

As I understand it, it's the first production example of a properly variable compression ratio engine, which is really brilliant - it just is. So, small round of applause goes to Nissan engineers for getting that across the line and working, owing to the technical complexity of achieving that.

But to save you the rather technical nature of this engine, I think if they had just come out and celebrated their new engine, I'd be in agreement because that is impressive. Getting VCR into production is very difficult.

Not sure I'd want to be a lab rat for the first couple of years worth of in-service testing, effectively, by owning the vehicle however. Because who knows what can go wrong with something this complex? Until there are millions upon millions of in-service real-world kilometres under the belt, it's going to be interesting to see. I've got a great deal of respect for that engine, and I'm not being the slightest bit tongue-in-cheek about that.

Watch the full report for greater detail about why the e-4ORCE leaves a lot to be desired on the engineering front.

If however, you want to shop for a proper mid-size hybrid SUV, you’ll want to look at the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV >> or the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV >>.

Other options are the 2023 Kia Niro Hybrid (Full EV Pricing, Details and Analysis) >> or you might want to try your luck with the next allotment of Hyundai Ioniq 5s coming off the ship very soon…

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