Nissan Pathfinder just got brawnier
The 2017 Nissan Pathfinder has been treated to a rather significant rejuvenation. This includes new exterior styling, interior updates and a more powerful engine.
According to those in the know at Nissan, Pathfinder’s core demographic — young moms — dictated the new brawnier look for the Pathfinder. To appease them, the front end has been reworked, along with the hood, the rear hatch, the rear fenders and the wheels. Yes, it sounds minor. But it looks major when you see it.
The new front-end treatment benefits from a raised hood line to give it a more substantive appearance. This is enhanced by boomerang-shaped daytime running lights. The grille treatment is also revised, with Nissan’s signature V-Motion trim piece playing a very prominent role. The front bumper was also reworked and houses new foglights. You’ll also find turn signal repeaters in the rearview mirror housings.
Combined, these changes afford the Pathfinder a wider and taller appearance, moving it away from the suburban crossover look and more toward a rough-and-ready, off-road capable image.
At the rear, the liftgate has been revised with larger lighting elements, a bolder line for the rear fenders and simpler styling for the rear hatch, which is now motion activated. Waving a foot under the rear bumper opens and closes it when you have the key on your person.
Inside, Nissan has treated the Pathfinder to a real techno-fest in the form of a new dash display Nissan is calling its Advanced Drive Assist Display, offering more information about secondary systems directly in front of the driver.
Meanwhile, an 8-inch touchscreen is standard and in true Nissan fashion is backed up by a dial and pointer system. Nissan Connect provides Bluetooth and navigation (as an option) with verbal destination entry in addition to automatic collision notification, emergency calls, stolen vehicle location, service scheduling and service alerts; a new HD microphone improves the Pathfinder’s ability to recognize voice commands.
Three rows of seating accommodate up to seven passengers, although third-row occupants are more comfortable if they are rather diminutive in nature. The second row
is designed to tilt and slide forward with child safety seats in place for welcomed convenience. Heat and cooling are offered for the front seats, as well as for the second row and steering wheel. Nissan’s Around View monitor system with motion detection is available, along with remote start.
The 13-speaker Bose surround audio system dovetails nicely with the optional rear-seat entertainment system’s headrest-mounted 8-inch monitors. Cargo capacity is 16 cubic feet with all seats deployed, 47.8 with the third row folded, and 79.8 with second and third rows folded.
Power comes from a newly revised version of the Nissan VQ-series V-6. Among the changes, reworked air intake and direct fuel injection system offer more efficiency. The cylinders get a mirrored bore coating to minimize friction and extract weight from the engine. Redesigned combustion chambers and pistons elevate the compression ratio from 10.3:1 to 11.0:1. The result is a 24-horsepower increase to 284. Torque is up 19 lb.-ft. to 259. Even with the power increase, fuel economy remains the same at 20 mpg city/27 mpg highway/22 mpg combined for rear-drive models. With all-wheel drive, you can expect a one-mpg drop across the board. Towing capacity is rated at 6,000 pounds.
On the road, this translates to a ready willingness to accelerate into fast-moving traffic. Throttle response is good and the continuously variable transmission has been programmed to exhibit “shift points” to eliminate the engine droning typical of CVT-equipped drivetrains. Making good use of the newfound power, the Pathfinder feels nicely solid on the road, agile in turns, and it stays remarkably flat when cornering, considering its tall profile.
All in all, the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder is significantly improved over its 2016 counterpart. With more aggressive styling, added power, and an abundance of contemporary technical features, we think it represents solid family transportation. Pricing for the 2017 Pathfinder starts at $29,995.