Nissan finds a new path

The new 2005 Pathfinder is built on a more rugged body-on-frame platform and features a more powerful V6 and three-row seating.

When it was first introduced in 1986, the Pathfinder was the lone SUV in Nissan showrooms in North America. Today the company has SUVs in many shapes and sizes including the full-size truck-based Armada and compact Xterra as well as the car-based Murano. This model variety has allowed the third-generation Pathfinder to return to its body-on-frame truck-based roots from the second-generation's unibody construction. The new model, which went on sale last month, will compete with the likes of middle SUV segment contenders such as the Toyota 4Runner, Ford Explorer, Chevrolet TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy, Dodge Durango, and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Four- and rear-wheel drive will be offered, with Nissan expecting that 70% of customers will opt for the former. The company also projects the take-rate on the four trim levels to be 15% XE (value), 30% SE (value/popularly equipped), 15% SE Off-Road (performance), and 40% LE (fully equipped).

The new Pathfinder, along with the new Frontier pickup and smaller Xterra SUV, is the result of the largest investment in a new vehicle platform in the history of Nissan. All told, the program involved a $2.4 billion dollar investment and the participation of all three Nissan technical centers in Japan, the United States, and Europe. Variations on the program's products will be sold in 32 countries.