Nissan will reveal the production version of the new Pathfinder this spring.
Only a few years ago, many in the mainstream media seemed intent on writing the obituary for the SUV. Those reports, like those of the death of Mark Twain, were “greatly exaggerated.” Well, maybe not. The traditional SUV definitely isn’t dead, but more and more manufacturers are migrating away from classic truck-based ute designs to lighter, more fuel-efficient car-based crossover-utilities.
The latest to do so is the newly-updated Nissan Pathfinder, the concept version making its debut this week at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. A production version will reach showrooms later this year, following in the treadmarks of domestic competitors Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The alternative should have a big payoff, Nissan officials tell TheDetroitBureau, with the 2013 Pathfinder expected to yield about 25% better mileage than the outgoing, truck-based SUV. While the maker declined to provide hard numbers for the new truck, the current offering gets about 16 mpg in the EPA Combined rating.
Nissan cuts 500 pounds in weight off the new crossover-based Pathfinder.
In all, the shift to crossover design is expected to cull about 500 pounds of unnecessary weight off the next-gen Nissan Pathfinder. Weight, it is often said by industry engineers, is the enemy of not just fuel efficiency but also comfort and handling, and Nissan promises to improve both attributes with the lighter new model.
“The key for us was making sure this was still perceived as a real SUV with the capabilities Pathfinder was known for,” said Tom Smith, Nissan’s truck and crossover marketing chief.
The new offering will be powered by a V-6, power and size to be announced when that production model is revealed, probably at the upcoming New York Auto Show, in April. Significantly, it will be paired with a new CVT transmission – something Nissan has been fond of for its passenger cars but this is a notably move switching to the technology in a big ute.
There will still be an on-demand four-wheel-drive powertrain, which is expected to feature more intuitive functionality. But the next Pathfinder will no longer offer a low range, something largely limited in use to the most serious of off-roaders.
Towing capacity? TBD, but Rich Miller, Nissan’s senior manager of truck planning says you won’t be pulling a 30-foot trailer with the next Pathinder but it will haul most anything else you can throw at it.
The V-6 may be joined by additional powertrain options during the next Pathfinder’s full lifecycle. Miller hinted that Nissan is looking at “other options,” including a hybrid powertrain or a diesel. The latter approach was something that the maker might not have considered a few years ago when selling diesels in the U.S. was “like pushing water uphill,” he said, but with German makers gaining traction for the technology and Jeep ready to offer a diesel on its Grand Cherokee next year, Miller added that this is a subject worth revisiting.
The Pathfinder concept on display at Detroit’s Cobo Hall doesn’t feature a full interior. And company officials weren’t discussing much of what we’ll eventually find inside – with one notable exception. Expect a roomier cabin, they boasted, something that the crossover design makes easier.
That will notably translate into a larger third row bench that they suggest will now be able to handle a couple of full-sized adults. And one of the surprises we should see in New York is an easy access system that will make it much less of a chore getting in or out of the back.