Looks like Ford’s Explorer is going to be getting some steep competition in the form of the new Nissan Pathfinder….concept. Yes, despite its production ready looks, Nissan is still dubbing this one a concept.
Despite this, Nissan is giving a few details. Probably the biggest change in the new Pathfinder is its unibody platform which, as Nissan points out, reduces weight significantly. This, in addition to a new V6 mated to a CVT, means that the Pathfinder will be more efficient than the outgoing model. 25% more efficient in fact. While there are no official fuel economy numbers just yet, a 25% reduction in fuel usage for a 7-passenger CUV is fairly impressive.
“Nissan is in a great position today. Sales are up, market share is increasing and our dealers have a great selection of 2012 Nissan cars, trucks and SUVs in inventory,” said Michael Colleran, Regional Vice President of Field Sales and Sales Operations, Nissan Canada Inc. “This new Pathfinder Concept is just the beginning of a far-reaching wave of new products on the horizon for Nissan. By the end of 2012, more than 70 per cent of our sales volume will be all-new or redesigned.”
Indeed, big things are happening at Nissan and it’s a bit risky to change over the platform of a tried tested and trusty model such as the Pathfinder, but Nissan hopes this will generate into more agreeable reactions to city driving all while keeping the Pathfinder’s offroad prowess.
Once the Pathfinder is revealed in non-concept mode, there will likely be more specs to report and Car Driven will have all the details. What do you think of the Pathfinder Concept?
[Nissan Canada]