Nissan X-Trail UK buyers are about to get a great 2-for-1 deal with the arrival of the new DIG-T 163 PS petrol power unit.

What this means is that you don’t just get a very fuel-efficient engine, but you also get a more affordable entry-level price for the X-Trail.

At £21,995, the X-Trail DIG-T 163 2WD VISIA costs £1,460 less than the current dCi 130 entry grade model. Naturally, you don’t get any of the diesel’s torque or fuel efficiency, though you still get an impressive 45.6 mpg (6.2 l/100km) for Visia & Acenta models and 44.1 mpg (6.4 l/100 km) for n-tec & Tekna models.

As for the CO2 emissions, they sit at 145g/km (149g/km for n-tec & Tekna), while the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time is a somewhat respectable 9.7 seconds. Top speed is 124 mph (200 km/h).

The DIG-T 163 engine is now the most powerful in the X-Trail range, as it clearly performs better than the dCi 130 unit – which can only help the compact SUV reach 100 km/h in 10.5 seconds and max out at 188 km/h (116 mph).

The new engine is offered in 2WD form only, while a 6 speed manual transmission is fitted as standard. Customers will also get a Start/Stop ignition system as standard.

The only downside, as far as we can tell, is the 80 Nm (60 lb-ft) extra torque you get from the diesel unit. In terms of average fuel consumption, one could justify going for the petrol unit since, at least on paper, it looks pretty economical.

But those interested in a little bit more pulling power (Caravan owners for example), might need to stay away from the DIG-T’s lowly 240 Nm (177 lb-ft) of peak torque.

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