The Nissan X-Trail Nismo has been revealed in Japan as a sporting version of the brand’s family SUV, gaining a more aggressive look and chassis upgrades.

Key to the package is a set of new swing-valve dampers supplied by suspension firm KYB, said to provide more effective bump absorption at low speeds than conventional items. These, said Nissan, provide an improved trade-off between body control and ride comfort.

It rides on new 20in alloy wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres, measuring 20mm wider than those fitted to other grades of X-Trail. The car’s electric power steering system has also been tweaked to accommodate the new chassis set-up.

The Nismo uses the same four-wheel-drive e-Power hybrid powertrain as is offered in other grades of the X-Trail, with a 1.5-litre petrol engine and two electric motors. The petrol engine does not drive the wheels, but instead acts as a generator for the motors, which produce a combined 201bhp and 243lb ft.

Nissan said it has tuned the car’s four-wheel-drive set-up to send a greater share of the power to the rear wheels. This, it claimed, makes it easier to adjust the X-Trail’s line through a bend using the throttle. 

Visually, the X-Trail is demarcated by a more aggressive bodykit with Nismo’s signature red accents. The new treatment – in particular the chunkier front splitter and rear diffuser – reduces aerodynamic lift by 29% compared with an entry-level X-Trail, said Nissan.

Inside, it also gets the option of more thickly bolstered Recaro bucket seats.

Prices in Japan start from ¥5,416,400 (equivalent to £27,300), compared with ¥3,843,400 (£19,400). 

The Nismo has yet to be confirmed for the UK, but the recent arrival of the Ariya Nismo here suggests it is a likelihood – albeit at a significantly greater cost. The current range-topping model in the UK, the Tekna, is priced from £46,135 when fitted with the four-wheel-drive e-Power system. The Nismo would almost certainly slot into the range above this, possibly nudging the £50,000 mark.