The fate of the Nissan Pathfinder has already been decided, but company officials have yet to comment on what direction the next-generation SUV will take. The internal debate at Nissan has been whether to keep the Pathfinder on its truck-derived body-on-frame platform or to switch to a car-based platform, transforming the Pathfinder into a true CUV.
Change is nothing new to the Pathfinder as it has ridden on both platforms. When the Pathfinder was originally launched in 1986, it rode on a body-on-frame platform. When the SUV was redesigned in 1997, it went to a unibody construction. For 2005, the Pathfinder was redesigned on the same platform that underpins the full size Nissan Titan pickup truck.
But with the rising cost of fuel and newly passed CAFE regulations, it seems that a switch back to unibody construction is likely. According to Nissan , the decision hinges on whether mid-size-SUV buyers needs a towing limit of 5,000 pounds or 9,000 pounds. It’s fairly safe to assume that a very small percentage of mid-size-SUV buyers actually need a towing limit north of 5,000 pound, indicating that the next-generation Pathfinder will be car-based.
“Five years ago, we would have said SUV without hesitation,†Larry Dominique, Nissan North America vice-president in charge of product and advanced planning, told Car and Driver. “But there are more options today from different platforms for a [crossover] to meet needs.†Dominique also said that most buyers in the segment are looking for amenities and comfort, something a front-wheel drive CUV architecture would provide.
Bruce Campbell, vice-president of Nissan Design America, back the move to a car-based platform, siting that it gives more freedom in the architecture and packaging. But Campbell is also concerned about diluting the SUV’s off-road heritage. “Pathfinder means something in North America and something completely different in Europe. In Asia, it’s just another large SUV,†he says.
But don’t look for Nissan to go down the typical CUV path. “We need something new. We can redefine brawny,†Campbell says.
Nissan could also develop two versions of the Pathfinder: a more refined version for North American and Europe, and a model more adapt to off-road conditions in undeveloped regions.
The model headed for North America and Europe will likely ride on the same front-wheel drive platform that underpins the Nissan Maxima , Altima, Murano and Quest — a platform that still allows for all-wheel drive.
Nissan is expected to announce its decision later this year, but the new Pathfinder is still a few years off.
Despite the Pathfinder’s possible switch to a car-based platform, Nissan has no such plans for the Pathfinder’s bigger brother, the Armada SUV. Dominique says people buy full-size SUVs for specific reasons. “They have big families, toys, lifestyle needs, and that won’t change. The segment has shrunk because those who don’t need those attributes have left.†Despite the slumping segment, Armada sales only fell about 3% in 2007.
