Base Nissan Pathfinder given marching orders

NISSAN Australia has quietly decided to pull the pin on the most-affordable variant of its Pathfinder shortly after the new-generation large SUV range launched in December priced from $61,790 plus on-road costs.

The deletion of the ST-L eight-seater leaves two Pathfinders standing: the eight seat TI at $71,490 + ORC and range-topping Ti-L seven-seater at $81,490 + ORC. In February, both were subject to price rises, of $1460 and $1263 respectively.

Departure of the entry-level Pathie comes after Nissan Australia recorded a miserable 193 sales for the range in the first two months of this year, against competitors like the Ford Everest (1982 sales), Toyota Prado (2305 sales), Kia Sorento (2088 sales) and Toyota Kluger and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport with 1785 and 1118 sales respectively. 

A Nissan Australia spokesperson told GoAuto that the Pathfinder line-up had been “streamlined” to the two most-popular variants in this market.

“We have opted to streamline the Pathfinder line-up due to unavoidable supply constraints and ongoing disruption in the global production environment,” the spokesperson said. 

Nissan dealers GoAuto spoke with put a positive spin on the situation, suggesting room has been made for a high-end Warrior version of Pathfinder down the track, which would bring the variant count back to three, albeit with a significant move upmarket.

Nissan Australia currently offers two locally enhanced Warrior versions of the Navara ute with a Warrior version of the V8 petrol Patrol confirmed to be in the pipeline. 

The sorry result for Pathfinder sales comes after the model went into hiatus for two years in the run up to the fifth-generation version that arrived late last year facing stiff competition, variously offering hybrid or diesel powertrain options and some shifting towards smaller capacity turbocharged four-cylinder engines instead of gas-guzzling petrol V6s like the one in the Pathfinder.

All-wheel drive is standard across the Pathfinder range, which uses Nissan’s 202kW/340Nm VQ35DD 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine with roots going back decades. 

Industry commentators suggest the lapse in model continuity may have cost Pathfinder sales dearly as buyers moved on to newer high-tech offerings including Nissan’s own new X-Trail that would suffice for extended family duties at a pinch – and at a considerable cost saving considering the current constrained economic environment.

Nissan Australia only launched the new-generation, three-row Pathfinder in December last year, said to plug the gap between diesel-powered and body-on-frame 4x4 models like Ford’s Everest, and bitumen-biased seven-seaters like the Toyota Kluger.

Like the latter, the Pathfinder utilises a monocoque chassis design similar to a passenger car, positioned between softer and harder competitors within the large SUV category and is engineered to be more off-road capable than its predecessor after Nissan research showed the previous-generation Pathfinder had strayed too far from its rugged roots.

Despite swapping the old Pathie’s unloved continuously variable transmission for a nine-speed torque converter auto and providing a seven-mode all-wheel drive system that promises more off-road capability, Nissan’s efforts to address the perception that the Pathy is a soft roader seem to have fallen short of the mark judging by the vehicle’s poor sales rate that equates to less than even SsangYong’s fringe-dwelling Rexton.

Nissan Australia senior marketing manager Martin Longayroux said late last year at the launch of the new Pathy: “There was a lot of customer feedback, particularly out of the US where the car is from, that said buyers wanted to capture what they call the ‘cool dad’ car, something they could drive the kids around in, but was still capable and that actually looks like a car they want to drive,” he explained.

“So, yes, it was 100 per cent intentional that the move to become more capable off-road was one the car needed to take.”

Mr Longayroux alluded to the possibility of a Warrior version of Pathfinder that would have enhanced off-road capabilities.

“That’s obviously something we could maybe look at but it will depend on whether there is an opportunity for that sort of lifestyle, and if that’s what the market is looking for,” he said.

The Pathfinder has a 2700kg braked towing capacity while the all-wheel drive system uses a new direct coupling that Nissan says allows torque transfer directly on the clutch pack using oil pressure, allowing for confident and immediate take-off in low traction scenarios. 

The AWD system offers driver selectable modes including Standard, Sport, Eco, Snow, Sand, Mud/Rut and Tow but a jarring note for true off-road credentials is the Pathfinder’s space saver spare that resides under the rear floor.

Featuring for the first time on a Pathfinder is Nissan’s Pro-Pilot semi-autonomous driving system and is further enhanced by Nissan’s new dual-pinion electric assisted steering set-up it claims provides sporty and engaging feedback to the driver.

The Pathfinder rides on a MacPherson strut (front) and independent multi-link (rear) suspension arrangement and is stopped by four-wheel disc brakes.