Calistoga, Calif. – As Nissan’s new-generation Pathfinder moves to a unibody construction, it brings to an end the era of body-on-frame sport utes that created the truck-as-car phenomenon in the 1990s.
Nissan moved the Pathfinder to unibody because body-on-frame is dead in the U.S., except for trucks and specialized off-road vehicles. While going to unibody seriously ups the body’s rigidity and often increases weight, the Pathfinder actually got 150 lb. lighter than the previous generation.
With two decades of sport-ute experience to call on, sport-ute buyers know that, whatever the image, whatever the capabilities, the vehicle is expected to drive and function as a car.
Buyers clinics showed Nissan that people wanted the Pathfinder to be bigger inside, with more features and sophisticated middle-American touches. Entertainment, audio, connectivity, luxury touch and feel were the words defining key needs. It also needed to be quieter and more fuel-efficient. It needed to look less like a truck and the inside needed a step up in sophistication.
While always a player in the true off-road sport ute market, Nissan gave that up because the old generation Pathfinder was appealing to a customer base that no longer seemed to exist. Yet it’ll continue to be driven off-road the way the vast majority of drivers who drive on un-paved roads tend to do it.
The Pathfinder will tow up to 5000 lbs., which is probably of interest to those active-lifestyle families that Nissan mentally sees lining up outside their dealerships for the comfortable, quiet Pathfinder. That’s the thing, really. In all the next-gen competition, comfort and features are as important as capability.
The primary client for the Pathfinder is obviously families, and the vehicle’s styling reflects much of this new reality. As most of its competitors had already switched to unibody in their previous generation, the one advantage Nissan got out of being the last of the dinosaurs was to be able to take a good look at what was liked, needed, wanted or worshiped so they could include it on their next-generation model.
All that’s clear when you view the Pathfinder, as it has a kinder, gentler look. It also has eight cubic feet more interior space than the previous model, in a vehicle that's four inches wider and three inches lower, with a two-inch longer wheelbase.
It’s also still a three-row seater, with the second row sliding fore and aft depending on the needs of those in the third row. The backs recline, and these two attributes mean a significant increase in second-row comfort, particularly when you add in that they’re heated. That’s true in front, and they’re also cooled as well.
There’s a neat “latch and glide” system that allows the second row to be moved for access to the rear row without removing existing baby seats — a serous selling point for multi-kid families.
The optional all-around cameras are of decent value for those who tow, drive in tight places or wish to demonstrate their small-parking-space skills. This camera system can also operate looking forward up to five mph for cresting hills and other neat stuff.
The power for all this fun is Nissan’s 3.5-liter V6, a well-regarded engine that produces 260 hp. and 240 lb.-ft. of peak torque on regular gasoline. It’s plenty for the Pathfinder. That power comes with both smoothness and distant sound. The cabin remains calm and quiet during most driving operations.
The power gets to the wheels through a chain-driven continuously variable transmission that was developed knowing it would be used in the Pathfinder as well as other vehicles. It’s both quiet and accurate, with downshifting capabilities that make it work for this vehicle. It has a tow mode and downhill speed control capability that makes towing with the Pathfinder smoother and safer.
The all-wheel drive features a “four-high” lock that keeps the all-wheel drive driving all the wheels. There’s no “low-range,” which is why Nissan will tell you the Pathfinder is no longer a rock-crawler.
Fuel efficiency is decent, with the front-wheel drive version sporting a rating of 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, for a 22 mpg combined score. The all-wheel drive costs you a single mile per gallon in those numbers.
The engine for the Pathfinder is built in Tennessee, which is where the vehicle is assembled as well. It’s already on sale. Suggested prices run from $28,270 for the front-wheel drive Pathfinder S model to $40,770 for the all-wheel drive Platinum model.
At just over $30,000 for a seven-passenger vehicle, there’s a lot of value for the larger family that needs this much space. There’s no difference in the driving, handling or capability of the various Pathfinder trim levels, but there’s certainly a different look and feel to the top models.
The “got-everything” model has the feel of a luxury-level crossover. There’s a long list of “stuff” to play with, and the touch of surfaces inside and the design of the interior is up to grade. Nissan’s done a good job of differentiating the same vehicle into really different categories in the full-sized crossover segment.
(Source: Heritage)
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