A new Pathfinder is something close to the heart of many Australians who have come to know Nissan’s mid-weight 4WD since its arrival in the mid 1980s. Its combination then of off-road tenacity and on-road handiness was something new in this segment of the market, but it took ages to get the four doors and V6 engine it really needed. Now, the new-generation Pathfinder also gets the turbo-diesel customers have been crying out for. It also gets three rows of seats that enable it to carry seven passengers, as well as a fully-independent suspension that, theoretically, allows it to run with the new-breed SUVs. Theory doesn’t quite translate into practice with the new Nissan though, which is a bit more agricultural than some might have expected.

Nissan Pathfinder
Released: February 1999
Ended: June 2005
Family Tree: PathfinderThe Pathfinder is an enduring Nissan model, having been launched here back in 1987 as a three-door wagon with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine utilising a Navara chassis. Buyers appreciated its off-road prowess but lamented the lack of five doors and a bigger engine. This changed in 1992 when it finally got a 3.0-litre V6 - plus two extra doors. The second-generation version arrived in November 1995, adopting a monocoque body and lifting engine capacity to 3.3 litres. In February 1999 it got the All-Mode four-wheel drive system as part of a substantial facelift, and has continued virtually unchanged since then.
Facebook Twitter Instagram