Nissan Australia has revealed some of the highlight features of the fifth-generation Pathfinder that is set to arrive down under in the second half of 2022.
Armed exclusively with a refreshed 3.5-litre direct-injection V6 petrol engine with a mechanical all-wheel-drive option, the Pathfinder will help fill the void left by its predecessor that was discontinued in early 2021.
The fifth-generation Nissan Pathfinder is coming to Australia in the second half of 2022
The new-generation Pathfinder went on sale in North America in September, and Nissan’s Tennesse factory will soon begin building models in right-hand drive for our market.
Nissan says the 2022 Pathfinder is “all-new from the ground up” and it looks to bring significant improvements in practicality, tech and safety that will help it take on accomplished rivals such as the Mazda CX-9, Toyota Kluger and Kia Sorento.
The arrival of the new Pathfinder marks a major product revitalisation for Nissan Australia that will also see a new-generation Qashqai small SUV, X-Trail midsize SUV and Z coupe join the fray in 2022.
Chasing Cars has already covered the 2022 Pathfinder extensively in a separate article that discusses the likely grade by grade breakdown and pricing in Australia.
A new all-wheel-drive system with seven driving modes has been fitted
Under the bonnet of the 2022 Pathfinder
Nissan Australia has confirmed the early specification of the new-generation Pathfinder with the full list of features and options set to be released closer to its release date.
Under the bonnet, Nissan has fitted the aforementioned 3.5-litre direct-injected V6 petrol producing 212kW of power and 351Nm of torque (in US spec), offering healthy increases over the last generation.
Nissan has dumped the unloved CVT transmission for a new ZF nine-speed torque-converter automatic transmission that can be paired with either or front- or all-wheel drive.
Low-traction acceleration is said to be improved over the old Pathfinder
Engineers have armed the all-wheel-drive system with seven drive modes tuned for both on and off-road conditions, along with a dedicated towing mode. Low-traction acceleration has also been improved on AWD models with activation of the rear wheels faster for better all-round grip.
The supercharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-hybrid has been discontinued from the Pathfinder range, making the V6 petrol the only option available at launch.
Towing remains a key strength for the Pathfinder with a maximum rating of 2720kg braked in the US specification, a remarkable figure for a monocoque SUV that comes very close to body-on-frame SUVs such as the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport at 3000kg braked.
A maximum braked towing capacity of 2720kg is seriously impressive for a monocoque vehicle
The Pathfinder sits on a newly developed platform though an identical 2900mm wheelbase suggests that this is a re-engineered version of the previous Pathfinder – though we won’t know until it arrives in Australia.
While slightly shorter than the previous model at 5022mm (-20mm), the Pathfinder has grown slightly in width at 1979mm (+19mm) and height at 1770mm (+6mm).
A seven and eight-seat option will be available in Australia
What does the 2022 Pathfinder include?
Buyers will be happy to know that the Pathfinder will be available in both a traditional eight-seat and a seven-seat option, with the latter adopting two captain’s chairs joined by a removable centre console.
Third-row access has been made easier thanks to a Nissan an upgrade of the EZ-Flex system that allows passengers to touch a button on either side of the car and the second-row seats will fold forwards automatically.
The pathway to the third-row has also been widened and baby seats will not have to be removed to allow access.
A new design brings LED tail-lights and a two-tone paint scheme
Up front, Nissan has fitted a suite of technology including a 13-speaker Bose Sound system, wireless phone charging and 360-degree camera on higher-grade models.
Nissan is yet to confirm if it will offer both the 8.0-inch or 9.0-inch centre touchscreen, with the latter available with wireless functionality for the standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
In the US, the Pathfinder is fitted with a 7.0-inch display in the instrument cluster as standard with a full-width 12.3-inch display and head-up display available on higher trim levels.
Nissan will offer customers over 11 paint schemes to choose from
Bold new styling with new equipment
Nissan has pursued a more modern appearance with the fifth-generation Pathfinder that features a V-shaped grille trimmed in chrome as a homage to the original frame-based Pathfinder but with a modern twist.
The grille is flanked by two C-shaped LED headlights and daytime running lights, that are fitted as standard, and matched with a similar U-shape design for the rear LED tail-lights.
Nissan Australia will offer 11 colour combinations including a two-tone paint job for the first time, with the model pictured wearing a shade combination known as Scarlet Ember and Super Black metallic.
Chasing Cars understand that the Pathfinder will go on sale closer to the new generation X-Trail during the latter half of 2022.
