Pathfinder Hybrid a fuel-efficient family hauler
Nissan crossover seats seven in comfort
NASHVILLE, Tenn. While the rest of the auto industry was racing to catch up to rival Toyota’s increasingly popular gasoline-electric hybrids, Japan’s Nissan stubbornly stuck by its non-hybrid fuel-economy strategy, touting the fuel-saving benefits of its continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) technology, and forging ahead with its allelectric Leaf.
But now, after the departure of its Altima Hybrid that used a Toyota-licensed system, Nissan is introducing its all-new, in-house-designed gas-electric powertrain in the 2014 Pathfinder mid-sized crossover.
Nissan’s so-called PUREDRIVE hybrid system becomes available in the 2014 Pathfinder Hybrid this fall as an alternative to the gas V-6. And it adds a few engineering tricks.
For starters, PUREDRIVE marries a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder gas engine with a 15-kilowatt electric motor sandwiched between engine and CVT. Nothing out of the ordinary there. But to help achieve similar power and torque ratings as the 3.5L V-6 Pathfinder, the Hybrid’s gas-four gets a supercharger, and what Nissan calls its Intelligent Dual Clutch System, a one motor/two clutch parallel system that manages power from both the electric motor and the gas engine for maximum efficiency.
The result: Pathfinder Hybrid offers only 10 fewer horsepower than the V-6’s 260 rating, and 243 poundfeet of torque (three more than the gas model.) Acceleration from rest to 100 km/h for the Hybrid and V6 Pathfinders are both under seven seconds. But with a rating of 7.8 L/100 km in the city, compared to 10.9 for the V-6, the Hybrid wins in around-town fuel economy.
There were times at continuous highway speeds where Pathfinder’s hybrid system would disengage the gas engine and the e-motor would power the wheels, but the Nissan hybrid can’t drive from rest under epower alone, unlike Toyota’s Highlander Hybrid, which scores a better 6.6 L/100 km city estimate.
Less impressive on the highway, Pathfinder Hybrid is rates at 7.1L/100 km, compared to the gas model at 7.8. (Rival Toyota Highlander Hybrid is a bit higher, at 7.3.)
Other than a few PUREDRIVE Hybrid badges and LED tail lights, there’s little to signal you’re saving the planet. Inside, a graphic screen shows the energy flow between gas engine, battery pack and regenerative braking system.
The Hybrid remains a Pathfinder throughout. That means three rows of seats for up to seven, with access to the third row helped by a clever second-row seat that tips up and slides forward. And you don’t lose any cargo space in the Pathfinder Hybrid model because the e-motor is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack tucked under the crossover’s third row of seats.
Pathfinder is best for families who need a minivan but want an SUV. As such, the Hybrid’s driving characteristics are best described as benign.
During my one-day media drive, I hit the Natchez Trace Parkway, a scenic, 700-km drive to Natchez, Louisiana. I cruised comfortably in the 80 to 100 km/h range.
However, in downtown Nashville’s more stop-and-go traffic, it was evident Nissan’s new hybrid system lacks some refinement. Pulling away from stoplights, the Pathfinder Hybrid’s throttle response is lacklustre unless you really dip into it. And the Nissan’s regenerative braking system is especially grabby. Overall, the Highlander Hybrid is more refined.
The trip computer said my Pathfinder Hybrid sipped fuel at a rate of 8.9 L/100 km. Not bad, but know that the Hybrid demands a $4,000 premium over comparably trimmed V6 versions. The Pathfinder SV 4WD Hybrid comes in at $40,808, while the fully loaded Platinum/Premium Package 4WD Hybrid is $50,758.
The 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid costs considerably less to get into than the $45,090 to $54,140 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, but you’ll need to drive farther than Natchez to make up the difference in fuel savings.