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Nissan Launches X-Trail Hybrid SUV Made in Thailand
Nissan Motor Co. has begun delivering a locally produced hybrid version of its X-Trail SUV in Thailand.
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Nissan Motor Co. has begun delivering a locally produced hybrid version of its X-Trail SUV in Thailand. It’s the first time the company has assembled the variant outside Japan.
The hybrid powertrain uses a 2.0-liter gasoline engine and electric motor to make a combined 179 hp. Nissan says the system is 20% more fuel efficient than the vehicle’s standard 2.5-liter, 171-hp gasoline engine. The SUV can reach a top speed of 120 kph (75 mph) in all-electric mode.
Nissan aims for annual sales in 2016 of about 5,000 of the compact hybrids. The front-drive model starts at 1.25 million baht ($35,000), and the all-wheel-drive version begins at 1.40 million ($39,000) baht. That compares with 1.56 million baht ($44,000) for the conventional 2.5-liter powertrain.
The company predicts the hybrid option will power 60% of the X-Trails it sells next year. It says Thailand also will become the supply base for the model to other markets in southeast Asia.
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