STOP us if you’ve heard this one before. Nissan has just pulled the covers off a brand-new SUV, and it’s a beauty.
No, you haven’t found yourself in an echo chamber. Nor are you in the midst of a massive deja vu moment.
It’s just that Nissan, the long-beloved Japanese carmaker which has built a huge following in Australia, has apparently decided to clean house. Or at least, tidy up the house.
Nissan has launched a handful of all-new models over the past 12 months - from the perky little Juke all the way up to the company’s long-standing SUV model, the Pathfinder.
That includes rolling out four all-new SUV models, virtually back-to-back, and five new models in a year (counting the sexy-looking new Zed car).
It’s an exciting process, but not nearly as straightforward as you might imagine.
Nissan was forced into a corner, firstly by Covid and then by world-wide supply-chain issues that have stricken most manufacturers. Those impacts were magnified with model run-outs, launches, training of sales and service staff and clashing advertising campaigns.
An attractive re-imagining of the baby Juke - the car Nissan hopes will attract a steady stream of first-time buyers, got this process off the ground last year. The Juke, having been discontinued about six years ago, suddenly became the brand’s great white hope while it waited for the pipeline for other new models to reopen.
So it has ground to catch up in 2023 - and these all-new models look up to the task.
In the first six months of this year, Nissan has rolled out three important new models - starting with an redesign of the classy Qashqai compact SUV; the fourth-generation of the enduring X-Trail and now the all-new Pathfinder.
Not to mention the rebirth of Nissan’s famous Z-car to complete this extraordinary roll-out.
Nissan’s Pathfinder has always been a bit of a Cinderella vehicle for the SUV-heavy Nissan range. Many would be surprised to learn the badge has been around for 30 years in Australia, with more than 77,000 sales and now five generations.
It’s always been a bit overshadowed by its bigger, more capable and better-known Patrol. But that all seems about to change.
Not only has the Pathfinder undergone a thorough rebuild, but is an altogether better proposition - in price and performance - than the apex-predator Patrol.
Now, surrounded by vastly upgraded in the showroom, the Patrol desperately needs to refurbish a model virtually untouched for a decade.
But that’s good for this relaunched Pathfinder which should find a sweet spot in the market.
The Pathfinder will be offered in four trim levels using the same naming conventions as the brand’s other soft-road contenders: from the entry-level ST 4WD ($61,790) to the ST-L, Ti and Ti-L.
There’s only one decision to make in the engineering department - whether you want two- or four-wheel drive.
Otherwise it’s just one solitary engine and transmission option, but it’s a good one.
Tested was the penultimate model, the Ti, which at $70,030 neatly splits the range between the base version and the flagship Ti-L at $80,227.
The fifth-generation brings an impressive list of features generously spread across the model range.
The entry-level model offers eight seats, 2.7-tonne towing capacity, a host of electronic driver aids and handling programs and a drive-by-wire all-wheel-drive capability.
A 7-inch instrument screen is supplemented by a 10.8-inch head-up display, while a 9-inch touch-screen provides access to most cabin management functions. The overall cabin ambience is excellent – switches are easy to locate and to use and the seating options are excellent.
The ST also gets eight-way electric driver’s seat, tri-zone airconditioning, DAB radio and electric park brake.
The ST-L adds digital all-round mirror system, Pro-PILOT semi-autonomous driving system plus mud and sand modes for 4WD models. Front parking sensors and power tailgate are also part of the deal.
The Ti test machine enjoys full leather trim, heated front and rear seats (electric in the front), wireless phone charger, 13-speaker Bose premium audio and third-row USB charging points. You can save $5000 by choosing two-wheel-drive on the Ti, although that would seem a bit illogical, particularly since the $61,790 gets all-wheel grip at almost $10,000 cheaper.
At a tick over $80,000, the Ti-L adds goodies such as middle-row captain’s chairs (which reduce seating capacity to seven seas), plus another bagful of things that beep, chime and gently keep you pointing where you want to go.
Nissan has always done engines and transmissions well and this might be one of the best. The 3.5-litre petrol V6 (202kW, 340Nm) is married to a beautifully creamy and intuitive nine-speed self-shifter (which replaces the bothersome CVT of the fourth-generation models).
The result is a car with oodles of low-down torque which, as well as being impressively quiet and refined, delivers effortless progress and instant responsiveness. The only knock on this drivetrain is its 10.5L/100km thirst (10L/100km for two-wheel-drives).
Its impressive driving habits and assured dynamics are backed up by modern, crisp design inside and outside the vehicle.
Exterior styling is a mixed bag. The back looks great with its big, curved rear hatch and its powerful hindquarters. The front looks less inviting in lower-spec models but a sea of chrome lifts the top-spec versions to a much more desirable place.
After being almost silent for the past few years, the Pathfinder should make some noise in the market very soon.
NISSAN PATHFINDER Ti
HOW BIG?
Not quite the alpha-dog in the Nissan stable, but the Pathfinder’s flexibility and space are first class. It will seat eight people in comfort.
HOW FAST?
The silky V6 is a reminder of what good technology-builders this Japanese company is. The Pathfinder is a sweet thing to drive, despite its imposing size.
HOW THIRSTY?
This is not exactly its strong-point, guzzling 10.5K/100km in 4WD (or a slightly more acceptable 10L/100km for the two-wheel-drive model. But why would you?)
HOW MUCH:
Prices start at a very inviting $54,190 for the basic ST (2WD) up to the flagship Ti-L, all-wheel-drive, just over $80,000.
