The X-Trail name used to stand for a rugged compact crossover/SUV by Nissan that you could use both off-road and in the city. It had a (pleasantly squared off) utilitarian look to it and a highly functional interior that preserved the same simple theme as the exterior.

Now, with the all-new model, Nissan has decided to ditch all of that and place the X-Trail nameplate on the tailgate of a completely different model that's also sold in North America as the new Rogue.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it’s been praised for having all the usual qualities and traits needed for a family crossover, yet those who appreciated what the old one stood for will not be pleased by this direction change.

AutoExpress confirms the positive impression the Rogue/X-Trail left with American auto journalists (they tested it first), and its test of the European version marks it out as being practical, better built and more stylish than before and considerably modern.

Nissan will recall its 2014 Rogue compact crossover because the steering assembly may loosen.

The campaign affects 1,644 vehicles and is expected to begin by the end of June. Nissan has issued a stop sale order to its dealers until the issue is a addressed.

Vehicles affected by the flaw may have been assembled with the wrong bolt connecting the intermediate shaft to the upper steering assembly according to NHTSA documents. The bolts could fall out, leaving the driver unable to control the vehicle.

Nissan says it discovered the flaw during an internal audit and is directing its dealers to inspect the steering column assembly in the vehicles affected by the recall to determine if the incorrect bolt was used. Owners with affected Rogues receive notification asking them to bring their vehicle to a dealer service center for repairs.

Meets Euro 6 emissions regulations

Nissan has introduced a more powerful turbocharged gasoline engine in the second-gen Qashqai.
When Nissan launched the all-new Q
ashqai they said it will eventually receive a four-cylinder DIG-T 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with 150 HP (110 kW) but it turns out the engine has been further tweaked to develop 163 HP (120 kW) at 5,600 rpm.

It generates a maximum torque of 240 Nm (177 lb-ft) available between 2,000 rpm and 4,000 rpm and allows the crossover to return 48.7 mpg UK (40.5 mpg US or 5.8 liters / 100 km) in the combined cycle with corresponding CO2 emissions of 134 g/km.

Nissan will be offering the DIG-T 163 engine exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox channeling the power to the front wheels. The Qashqai equipped with this motor will do the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 9.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 124 mph (200 km/h).

Already available on order, the Nissan Qashqai DIG-T 163 will go on sale starting January next year. In related news, the lesser 1.2 DIG-T engine producing 115 HP (85 kW) can now be configured to work with a newly developed Xtronic transmission.