Shelly McLaggen (Power 106) enjoying the X-TRAIL. Available at Fidelity Motors for $3.7 million.
Mario James, Gleaner Writer
THIS JOB isn't all sweat blood and tears. Sometimes, we actually get to have fun! And with new cars to boot. We were actually fêted two weeks ago by Nissan dealer, Fidelity Motors in a media-only test, ride and drive (and sleep in a luscious five-star hotel!) event in St Ann. Yeah! The media crew included Power 106's Auto World's host, Shelly 'Ham it up' McLaggen and Starlet fanatic Rory 'Hardcoreep' Daley from the Herald. What a mix!
The toys to be played with were the New Navara and the opulent X-TRAIL, and we got to thrash them on a variety of conditions, from billboard smooth highways to trails around the Litchfield mines in St Ann.
We wanted to start out on time, but you know that woman notion about being fashionably late? One hour passed after the proposed post time before Shelly arrived at the Pegasus' parking lot entrance. She took the Navara, while Automotives took the X-TRAIL. We snapped two photos and off we went into the wild, blue wonder! Our intrepid journalist from the Herald was conveniently missing from our little soirée.
First rest stop
We were told that the first rest stop was Juicy Beef in Bog Walk, and that this was not a convoy. We were just to get there by 9:30 a.m. (we started out at the ungodly hour of nine o'clock). Oh, and we were chaperoned. Fidelity would never allow us to hurt ourselves in their spanking new vehicles. So David Crawford, Nissan marketing honcho, and Joe Elliot, Fidelity service manager babysat the iron while we drove.
But this wasn't a convoy, right? So why was Navara Shelly sticking to my bumper like white on rice? We soon reached the toll road. She in a diesel. I have 2.5 litre of Nissan gas motor under the bonnet. Just wait.
X-TRAIL thoroughbred
We get on the toll road on ramp and I sink the pedal. The X-TRAIL responds like the thoroughbred it is, and weave through morning toll traffic like how pretty women avoid Oliver 'Babyface' Samuels (just joking, Mr Samuels!) But the interior is nice though. Transient manoeuvres, such as passing, really show how balanced the chassis is. There was little body roll, and the motor was in its element at highway speeds. Passing (exposure in the right lane) only takes two-three seconds; and then with a flick of the wrists it's back to the safe side. And the interior is so quiet, with the windows up one can hear the proverbial pin drop. The sound system won't set your world on fire, but it is an easy listen.
No vehicle change
We do the Juicy Beef stop. I am on a diet, so I get to watch people wolf down all three patties one time and all I get is orange juice. After the chow down, I thought we were going to do a vehicle change, and I would get to play with the Navara and its humongous torque curve on the slopes of Mt Rosser. But Miss Diva fell in love with the big truck and held on with all her might, using her perfectly manicured fingers and toes and womanly wiles. The Fidelity boys could not resist such an onslaught, so guess what? Me an' the X-TRAIL through Faith's Pen and Fern Gully. Still not a bad proposition.
All-Wheel Drive
We got to play boy racer with our white two tonne, 2.5-litre tip-tronic yuppie mobile over some seriously spectacular scenery. Chop, chop! Again, the morning traffic allowed me to stretch the distance between the diva and myself. The esses of Walkerswood showed just how 'mannersable' this car is on open road.
The car has an under steering attitude, but put it in All-Wheel Drive mode, and it becomes very neutral. The feel remains front-wheel drive, but 30 to 40 per cent of the torque is sent to the back wheels, which tightens up its tendency to push in the corners. It handles well, and is very forgiving at the limit of adhesion, as more than one hairy moment would prove. On to Margaritaville ...
Next week: The Litchfield trails.
mario.james@gleanerjm.com
