Nissan e-Trail trademark points to plug-in X-Trail

A curious trademark filing by Nissan for the e-Trail name in the US has only muddied the waters around the carmaker’s approach to naming its popular SUV.

Spotted by CarMoses, the trademark patent was filed on January 15 – but only in the US, where the model we know as the X-Trail in Australia is called the Rogue.

While the publication speculates the e-Trail name could be used on an electric SUV to sit between the existing Ariya and upcoming third-generation Leaf, Nissan’s previously announced plans leave the door open for a number of potential powertrains.

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In February 2023, Nissan said it planned to announce 27 new electrified models – comprising 19 new electric vehicles (EVs) and eight new hybrid models – across the core Nissan and luxury Infiniti brands by fiscal year 2030.

A report in the same month by Autocar reported that Nissan Europe boss Guillaume Cartier had hinted at an electric X-Trail (as well as Qashqai and Juke) to be sold alongside existing hybrid models from 2025.

At this stage there has been no trademark filed for the e-Trail name in Europe, Japan or Australia. 

It’s also possible the e-Trail name could be used in some capacity for a version of the Rogue that’s yet to go on sale in the US.

In October last year, Nissan unveiled a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the US-built, left-hand drive-only Rogue, however, this technology isn’t available in the Japanese-sourced, Australian-delivered X-Trail.

The Rogue PHEV uses the same powertrain as the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, consisting of a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a pair of electric motors, which are fed by a 20.0kWh lithium-ion battery.

Nissan is yet to start US deliveries of the plug-in Rogue, meaning it could still be badged as the Rogue e-Trail if the carmaker doesn’t want to include PHEV in its name.

Last year Automotive News reported Nissan’s Mississippi plant is currently undergoing a US$500 million (A$747 million) makeover to prepare it for the production of next-generation EVs.

It’s been expected that the Rogue PHEV will take place there, instead of the Tennessee factory which currently builds the SUV for the North American market.

Australian X-Trails only relatively recently gained the option of an electrified powertrain in the form of the e-Power system, which is a more complex take on the traditional hybrid powertrain concept.

While the X-Trail e-Power has a turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine under its bonnet, this only acts as a generator for a small battery that feeds a pair of electric motors. The engine has no direct link to the wheels.

Nissan hasn’t announced plans to provide the option of a traditional plug-in hybrid system in the Japanese-made X-Trail.

If it does launch one, it’ll likely be a long way behind the Rogue PHEV, judging by the previous model launch timings of US-made and Japanese-made models.

The current-generation Rogue went on sale in the US in late 2020, while its X-Trail counterpart didn’t reach Australian showrooms until May 2022, followed by Japanese showrooms in July 2022.

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