New Nissan Pathfinder reveal set for February 5

Nissan USA has started the official countdown clock to the global reveal of the fifth-generation Nissan Pathfinder, which was originally due to make its world debut at the Los Angeles motor show in November before it was cancelled.

A new mini-site launched by the Japanese car-maker this week confirms the upgraded 2022 Nissan Frontier – the US version of the 2021 Nissan Navara that arrives here in March – and the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder will be revealed at 1:00pm EST on February 4 (5:00am AEST on February 5).

Neither model is specifically named, but it’s clear from this teaser image that the next-generation Pathfinder will be unveiled online in two weeks.

Expected on sale in the US later this year but not in Australia until early 2022, the all-new US-built seven-seat SUV will again take the fight to the dominant Toyota Kluger, the latest version of which finally arrives Down Under by mid-2021.

First teased last May, the new Pathfinder will be the next in a series of new Nissan models to be launched, starting with the new JUKE last year and also including the new X-TRAIL and QASHQAI, both of which are also unlikely to arrive here before early next year.

Nissan’s new flagship SUV – apart from the hulking Patrol – will take on squarer proportions than the model it replaces, if the teaser image is any guide.

Up front, it should also share its V-Motion grille and headlight design theme with the new Nissan Rogue, as the X-TRAIL is called in the US.

Inside, expect an upgraded interior with a carryover seven-seat layout and an advanced touch-screen infotainment system supported by the latest connectivity options.

As seen in the new X-TRAIL, high-tech features should include a digital instrument cluster, wireless phone charging and a raft of new and upgraded ProPILOT autonomous driver assist systems.

Also likely is a more premium fit and finish to the cabin, with top-spec models including tri-zone climate control, premium leather seats with cooling and heating, a motion-activated power tailgate and improved/modular storage areas throughout the vehicle, including the cargo area.

Unlike the new-look Nissan X-Terra, the large SUV that’s based on the same ladder frame as the Navara but is unlikely to come to Australia, the next Pathfinder will remain a large crossover wagon based on a monocoque platform – in this case an updated version of the current model’s D platform that’s shared with the US-only Nissan Murano, Altima and Maxima.

The current Nissan Pathfinder is offered with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric powertrain (188kW/330Nm) and a 3.5-litre petrol V6 (202kW/340Nm). Both 2WD and AWD drivelines are available, and pricing spans from $44,240 to $70,140 (plus on-road costs).

The new Nissan Pathfinder is also expected to continue without diesel power, but the naturally-aspirated V6 could score a nine-speed automatic transmission rather than the current model’s continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Alongside it, Nissan may also offer the variable-compression VC-Turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 185kW/370Nm in the Altima and 200kW/380Nm in the Infiniti QX50 and QX55.

A replacement for the Pathfinder Hybrid is also expected, and it could incorporate a non-plug-in ePower petrol-electric hybrid powertrain like the new X-TRAIL.

The hybrid system works more like a range-extending EV, with electric motors propelling the vehicle and a small petrol engine working solely to recharge the battery system, with no connection to the driving wheels.

The Nissan Pathfinder has been a mainstay of the Nissan SUV fleet since 1985 and the existing R52-series model dates back to 2013. It reached an annual sales peak of almost 6500 in 2015, but found just 1118 Australian homes last year.

It will face stiff competition not only from the new Kluger and recently released Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento, but the all-new Hyundai Palisade, updated Mazda CX-9 and the fifth-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, which also remains about a year away from Australian showrooms.