Nissan Juke, Pathfinder details emerge

Nissan Australia will launch its first direct rival for Ford’s homegrown Territory and the big-selling Toyota Kluger next month, when its redesigned seven-seat Pathfinder crossover arrives brandishing a price-leading front-wheel drive variant for the first time.

As we reported when we drove it in California earlier this month, the new Pathie will represent a radical departure from the more rugged off-roader it replaces by eschewing a truck-like ladder frame, diesel power, manual transmission and low-range gearing in favour of a car-like monocoque platform and a sole 190kW 3.5-litre petrol V6 available only with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

However, Nissan’s new seven-seater will match the Kluger, which will be replaced by a redesigned model imported from the US rather than Japan next February, with a 2WD model that could open the range from under $40,000 – down from the $48,890 starting price of the all-diesel model it supersedes.

What’s more, despite Toyota’s reputation as the world leader in hybrid vehicles, the next Pathfinder will go one up on the Kluger by being available in hybrid form by the middle of next year. While the Japanese brand continues to sell its all-electric LEAF hatchback in small numbers here, Nissan Australia’s first hybrid model will be powered by a 187kW/330Nm supercharged 2.5-litre petrol-electric drive system.

From launch, the new Pathfinder will offer the same 750kg unbraked towing capacity as before, although braked towing capacity reduces to 2700kg from 3000kg (and a class-leading 3500kg for the outgoing 3.0-litre V6 diesel-powered Pathie Ti 550) and ground clearance shrinks from 228 to 182mm.

However, it grows in all other dimensions, by almost 200mm in length to 5008mm, more than 100mm in width to 1960mm wide and about 10mm in height to 1783mm tall. Wheelbase is also about 50mm longer at 2900mm, which should result in improved second- and third-row legroom.

All R52-series Pathies will ride on 18-inch alloy wheels, with other standard equipment including front, side and curtain airbags, traction/stability control and anti-lock brakes, and options comprising 20-inch alloys, foglights and a sunroof.

Notwithstanding its lack of diesel power, the new Pathie’s larger and more luxurious interior, improved standard equipment and vastly superior ride quality, handing dynamics and refinement should make it far more popular than before.

So far this year Nissan has sold just 740 Pathfinders – almost 60 per cent fewer than in 2012 and a fraction of the number of sales attracted by top-selling mainstream large SUVs like Toyota’s dominant Prado off-roader (10,226), which still outsells crossovers like the Ford Territory (9309), Holden Captiva 7 (9247) and Toyota Kluger (8144).

Expect full details of the new Pathfinder, including pricing and fuel consumption, when it is officially launched in the last week of October.

Meantime, first Australian details of Nissan Australia’s all-new entry-level SUV, the Juke, have also surfaced.

Also due for launch next month, the 4135mm-long Juke finally arrives in Australia as Nissan’s cheapest SUV, priced below the Dualis from about $21,000.

For that buyers will get an 86kW/158Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine driving the front wheels and matched with five-speed manual transmission and Nissan’s XTRONIC continuously variable CVT auto.

There will also be the same 140kW 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine as seen in the Pulsar SSS, available in either front-drive six-speed manual or all-wheel drive CVT auto form.

All Jukes will come well-equipped as standard, including six airbags, 17-inch alloy wheels, front and rear foglights and headlight washers.

Along with the new Pathfinder, the all-new Juke should provide Nissan’s growing SUV portfolio with a sizeable boost in sales volumes given the 20 per cent growth at the compact end of the segment this year.

While the five-seat Murano and full-size Patrol continue, Nissan’s SUV line-up will be further bolstered by the redesigned X-TRAIL in the first quarter of next year and the new Dualis in the second quarter.

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