What Car? Q&A - Should I wait for new X-Trail?

I am thinking of purchasing a new Nissan X-Trail, but I'm wondering if I should wait in case a new model comes out. I'm planning on keeping it for a while.
Conor McSorley

A: You'll be waiting around a year-and-a-half for the new X-Trail to come out. The next 4x4 launch from Nissan will be a smaller model based on the Qashqai concept. This car goes into production at the end of this year.

So, if you've started thinking about buying now that's probably too long a wait.

Either way, if you're going to be keeping your X-Trail for a while, the arrival of the next generation will have less of an impact on you. New models can dent the values of the ones they replace, but if you're hanging on to yours for a few years beyond the arrival of the newcomer, it becomes less of an issue.

Remember, too, that the current Nissan X-Trail is still our favourite compact 4x4. It recently came out top in a four-car group test that included the all-new Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Jeep Cherokee.

The next compact off-roader launch will be the all-new Land Rover Freelander, which makes its debut at the British International Motor Show in the summer and goes on sale in the UK this autumn.

Land Rover promises that quality and reliability have improved, but it remains to be seen if the Freelander can really match the excellent record of Nissan.