The Nissan X-Trail shares much of its structure with the Qashqai, tested in 2021.  Additional tests have been done where necessary but, otherwise, the results of the Qashqai have been used for this assessment.

The passenger compartment of the X-Trail remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy numbers showed good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger.  Nissan demonstrated that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions.  Analysis of the deceleration of the impact trolley during the test, and analysis of the deformable barrier after the test, revealed that the X-Trail would be a moderately benign impact partner in a frontal collision. In the full width rigid barrier test, protection of the chest of the rear passenger was rated as marginal, based on readings of chest compression.  All other critical body areas were rated as good or adequate.  In both the side barrier test and the more severe side pole impact, protection of all critical body regions was good and the X-Trail scored maximum points in this part of the assessment.  Limitation of occupant excursion - the extent to which the occupant is flung to the other side of the vehicle in a side impact - was rated as adequate. The X-Trail has a centre airbag as a counter-measure against occupant to occupant injuries in side impacts. In Euro NCAP’s test, the airbag performed well, with protection of the heads of the front seat occupants.  Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injures in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection. The X-Trail has an advanced eCall system to alert the emergency services in the event of a collision, but no system to prevent secondary impacts.

In the frontal offset test, protection of the neck of the 10 year dummy was rated as marginal, based on readings of tensile forces.  Otherwise, protection of all critical body areas was good or adequate for both the 6 and 10 year dummies in both dynamic crash tests. The front passenger airbag is automatically disabled when a rearward-facing child restraint is put in that seating position. Tests showed that the system worked robustly and the system was rewarded.  All of the child restraints for which the X-Trail is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.

The protection offered by the bonnet to the head of a struck pedestrian was predominantly good or adequate. The bumper provided good protection to pedestrian's legs at all test positions. However, protection of the pelvis was mixed, with areas of good and poor protection. The X-Trail's autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system detects vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists, as well as other vehicles. In tests of the system's response to such road-users, performance was rated as good, with collisions avoided or mitigated in most test scenarios.  The AEB system includes, as standard, the functionality to operate when the vehicle is in reverse, to avoid collisions with those behind the car.  However, only systems with the optional reversing camera, not included in this assessment, fully meet Euro NCAP's requirements.

The X-Trail’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system performed well in tests of its reaction to other vehicles, with impacts avoided in almost all cases. A seatbelt reminder system, including occupant detection, is standard for all seats and the X-Trail is also equipped with 'Driver Attention Alert’, which monitors steering inputs for patterns which are characteristic of a fatigued or inattentive driver. Lane assistance corrects the car's path if it is drifting out of lane and which also intervenes in some more critical situations, and the system scored maximum points in Euro NCAP’s tests. A camera based speed assistance system recognises local speed limits, allowing the speed limiter to be set appropriately.