The release dates for the 2022 Nissan X-Trail have finally been confirmed! Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi Outlander will appear in Australia before the end of the year

The X-Trail was introduced in June 2020 and is finally coming to Australia.

Nissan Australia has finally announced the launch date for its long-awaited next-generation X-Trail mid-size SUV.

The high-riding, fourth-generation family station wagon will land on Australian shores in late 2022, but for now, those are all the details we're getting from Nissan Australia.

Any information relating to pricing, specifications and powertrains is withheld until launch.

The confirmation comes more than 18 months after the introduction of the new X-Trail, albeit in Rogue guise for the US market. This model has been on sale in the US for some time, while many other markets, including Australia, continue to sell the outdated current model.

The outgoing X-Trail has been living in Australia since mid-2014 and is one of the oldest models among its midsize SUV rivals, along with the equally outdated Jeep Cherokee.

What we do know for sure is that, like its predecessor, the new model will ship from Japan.

Powertrains for the Australian market have yet to be confirmed, but the 135-litre naturally aspirated 245kW/2.5Nm Rogue four-cylinder petrol engine from the US market and the mechanically related Mitsubishi Outlander are expected to take center stage.

Given Nissan's global push for electrification and the promise of more electrified offerings in Australia, it will likely also be offered with Nissan's ePower series hybrid powertrain.

Nissan hasn't confirmed this yet, but the new X-Trail could also go up in price. The current model is one of the more affordable options in its segment, ranging from $30,665 for the base front-wheel drive ST to $46,115 for the all-wheel drive Ti.

But given additional technology and new fundamentals, it's unlikely to stay that low.

It will almost certainly ditch the manual option, and it should also be offered with a third row in some variants.

The new generation X-Trail is likely to be the last new model launch in what promises to be Nissan's most important year in a long time.

Prior to the X-Trail, the new model includes the latest Qashqai small SUV, the new Z coupe, and the new-generation Pathfinder large SUV.