Overview
I’m so sorry, I made a mistake. Ahhh, the immortal phrases of 1 Basil Fawlty; and some extent Nissan close to as a lot admitted in returning the newest Pathfinder to its rugged roots.
It’s not the rough-and-tumble ute-based four-wheel drive of yore. As a substitute, it’s an immensely succesful automobile that has been designed particularly to stroll the road between its truck-like diesel-powered rivals, just like the Ford Everest and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, and concrete cruisers just like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Kluger.
So, has Nissan discovered an excellent center floor with its new technology ‘Pathy’?
We spent a few days with the brand new Nissan Pathfinder in Victoria’s beautiful Strathbogie Ranges sampling the mannequin on pockmarked B and C roads, crusty hearth trails and with a trailer in tow to see simply how broad the enchantment of this three-row household hauler actually is.
However earlier than we get to that, just a few essential particulars…
Nissan has priced the brand new American-sourced Pathfinder from $54,190 plus on-road prices, or a pineapple greater than the entry level to the now-defunct earlier technology vary. Though dearer, it can compete with rivals such because the Hyundai Santa Fe (from $45,550 + ORC), Kia Sorento ($47,650 + ORC), Mazda CX-9 ($46,250 + ORC) and Toyota Kluger ($47,650 + ORC).
Full variant specs and detailed pricing could also be discovered right here.
With seating for as much as eight passengers – very like Hyundai’s Palisade – together with new know-how and security options and a completely revised exterior design, Nissan says the Pathfinder marks a return to the mannequin’s rugged roots with out compromising on trendy luxurious or on-road consolation.
Powered by Nissan’s confirmed 202kW/340Nm VQ35DD 3.5-litre petrol V6 and paired to a nine-speed torque converter computerized transmission – with front- or all-wheel drive out there – the Pathfinder is obtainable with Nissan’s Professional-Pilot semi-autonomous driving system on ST-L grades and above for the primary time.
The brand new Pathfinder has handed muster with security watchdog ANCAP, which handed down a full five-star crash-test ranking, together with one of many highest little one occupant safety scores in the marketplace at 93 per cent whereas grownup occupant safety scored 86 per cent.
All-wheel drive fashions are provided with a brand new direct coupling 4WD system Nissan says permits torque switch instantly on the clutch pack utilizing oil strain, permitting for assured and fast take-off in low-traction eventualities. The 4WD system presents driver selectable modes together with Normal, Sport, Eco, Snow, Sand, Mud/Rut and Tow.
Braked towing capability for the Pathfinder is listed at a helpful 2700kg and is backed by a trailer stability program as a part of the automobile’s digital stability management system.
The Pathfinder is additional enhanced by Nissan’s new dual-pinion electrical assisted steering setup it claims gives sporty and fascinating suggestions to the motive force. The Pathfinder rides on a MacPherson strut (entrance) and unbiased multi-link (rear) suspension association and is stopped by four-wheel disc brakes.
Driving Impressions
There’s a high quality line between too rugged and too mushy. Take any of the present crop of seven-seat SUVs down your nearest dust highway and also you’ll quickly discover they’re no match for the job. By the identical token, most of the ute-based and diesel powered three-row household haulers are too off-road targeted for city use, feeling truck-like – even overtly utilitarian – in city environs.
Which suggests there was an apparent hole for a right-sized in-betweener. Enter the brand new Nissan Pathfinder…
Nissan has managed to tread the road between hard- and soft-core SUV with aplomb. The Pathfinder is a automobile one might comfortably reside with via the week whereas nonetheless getting far sufficient off the crushed observe to benefit from the kinds of actions Aussie SUV patrons love.
What’s extra, Nissan seems to have tailor-made the Pathfinder to cater for each alternatives with a number of thought. The automobile is simple to get out and in of, nicely set-up for household use, spacious with out being outsized, and but agile sufficient to sort out even the poorest of backroads with complete confidence.
Placing the Pathfinder via its paces over sealed, pockmarked and unsealed roads we discovered the suspension set-up succesful and composed. It takes a really tough collection of craters to upset this SUV’s roadholding, and with communicative steering and a ripper view out, there’s actually no excuse for ‘getting it fallacious’.
The Pathfinder’s digital nannies are splendidly nicely metered and cooperate with the motive force’s intentions always – which makes a refreshing change from a number of the more and more overbearing methods we’ve skilled elsewhere (GWM Haval, we’re taking a look at you). The interplay between the automobile and driver offers a sense of confidence that we discovered very reassuring, even when towing.
Admittedly, Nissan Australia wasn’t eager to push the boundaries of the Pathfinder’s towing talents on take a look at. However an 800kg jet ski and trailer mixture was greater than most automobile firms present and confirmed nicely how the mannequin’s clever Tow mode tailored the throttle and transmission response to cater for the extra weight.
Flick the dial again to Regular and it’s apparent how a lot of a distinction the setting makes when hauling uphill. The naturally aspirated V6 is saved buzzing in its candy spot, utilizing its torque to keep up tempo with out ‘searching’ for a decrease gear. It really works exceptionally nicely and is a function we’d be very eager to pattern with a heavier trailer in tow.
Which brings us to Nissan’s petrol-only driveline. Nissan Australia stated that the recognition of petrol energy in america, Gulf areas and South Africa meant the venerable VQ35DD unit is the one one on provide – no hybrid, and no turbo-diesel.
However that isn’t altogether a foul factor. Even when pushed off-road and when towing in undulating terrain, the three.5-litre V6 managed respectable gasoline financial system (13.5 litres per 100km, as examined), whereas on freeway runs and in Eco mode carried out at a really respectable degree of 8.3L/100km.
Engine and mechanical noise are muted, and the extent of tyre and wind noise acceptable over even the coarsest surfaces – and in blustery climate.
After all, there’s just a few cons to the Pathfinder’s many execs. For one, the space-saver spare in all probability isn’t very best for these eager on exploring the SUV’s new-found talents on the highway much less travelled, even whether it is sensibly situated underneath the cargo space ground (and never contained in the boot as is usually the case).
We additionally famous some distortion within the central space of the windscreen glass, maybe suggesting the glass was annealed too rapidly and exhibiting ‘pressure’ on the windscreen’s curve. It was an irregularity famous by fairly just a few scribes and in fairly just a few automobiles equipped for the launch – and one thing we’d discover notably bothersome if we’d simply coughed up $80K for a top-spec Ti-L.
The one different difficulty famous was that the local weather management appeared to battle when requested to ship extreme temperature variances between zones. The system accommodated requests for smaller variations (of a level or two) in temperature very nicely however was much less accommodating of bigger variances (of 5 levels or extra).
Small niggles apart, the brand new Nissan Pathfinder feels prefer it has been constructed with Aussie patrons in thoughts.
The pragmatism of the cabin, its sturdy tech ranges, and a drive that feels extra in line with ‘our’ expectations of what an SUV ought to be means the Pathy now presents a slightly distinctive set of promoting factors we expect will very a lot work in its favour – and reveals Nissan has nicely and actually learnt from its ‘mistake’.