The electrified Nissan X-Trail e-Power has just been added to the Department of Energy’s list of recognized electric vehicles. This signals a prospective Philippine launch in the near future, but that’s something we’ve been expecting for almost two years now.
You see, while Nissan Philippines discontinued the crossover in 2022, it has remained relatively visible in the country. The fourth-generation T33 X-Trail made an appearance at the 2024 Philippine International Motor Show and was then previewed once more at the Nissan Festival earlier this year.
With the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V going all in on electrification, it may be high-time for Nissan to introduce a hybrid compact crossover of its own. According to the department’s database, only the 2WD variant has been recognized; however, the included specification sheet is that of an AWD, or e-4orce, X-Trail.
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Other listed details include a 1.75kWh battery, which will likely be paired with a 1.5-liter gasoline generator to complete the e-Power system. And because this is a 2WD model, we can also expect a single motor setup.
With the Manila International Auto Show and the Philippine International Motor Show lined up for this year, we can likely expect another X-Trail appearance at one of these events. When that time comes, hopefully, Nissan commits to a full-blown launch with variants and options abound.
New Nissan Philippines president Yoshinori Kanazawa will also be in office by then. He succeeds the outgoing Masao Tsutsumi, who, in the past, promised that 10-12 new models would debut in the Philippines over the next few years. Let’s wait and see.
