Western News: July 20, 2023

8
Thursday July 20 2023
Substantial overhaul for Nissan Pathfinder
ARMED WITH a raft of
improvements and a lot more
style, the latest iteration of the
Nissan Pathfinder should find
the road to success smoother
than its underwhelming
predecessor.
It borrows some bits from the
old model, including the same
3.5-litre petrol V6, but has had
an emphatic styling overhaul to
make a telling and compelling
difference. This Pathfinder demands
attention with its strong,
muscular appearance, shorter
front overhang, slimmer pillars,
C-shaped LED headlights and a
“floating” roofline.
Seven drive and terrain
settings are available for the
all-wheel drive system. A new
innovation is Pro-PILOT featuring
semi-autonomous driving.
Safety is nailed in one, thanks to
nine airbags, including curtain
Motoring with Bob Nettleton
bags spanning all three rows of
seats. Towing of braked trailers
up to 2700kg is made safer and
easier with a two-mode on-board
trailer-stability programme.
Sold here initially in 2022 as a
three model line-up, Nissan NZ
didn’t wait long to hit the delete
button on the entry-level ST.
Instead, they’ve opted for a two
high-spec line-up starting with
the $83,490 Ti. The lavishly appointed
Ti-L I road tested is the
‘cherry on the cake’ model.
The engine’s maximum power
of 202kw is about the same as
the old model, while the 340Nm
of torque is under done in an
SUV of this size and weight.
Consequently, low-speed pulling
power suffers and isn’t as
strong as it needs to be to cope
with long punishing hill climbs
under load. This leads to the
transmission hunting between
Incorporating
best motorbuys
www.drivesouth.co.nz
gears in search of more power to
keep the vehicle moving along
at a respectable clip. At times, all
nine gears the transmission has
at its disposal need to be called
into play to do their bit.
A large and welcoming cabin
looks and feels the real large
upmarket SUV deal. Comfort is
assured regardless of what the
weather is doing. Making this
happen is the excellent tri-zone
climate controlled air-conditioning
with air vents all the way
through to the back row of seats.
Rear sunshades do a good job of
reducing heat and glare.
A huge 10.8-inch Head Up
Display is standard, projecting
key information, including turnby-turn
satellite navigation, to
keep the driver focused on the
road ahead. An upgraded infotainment
system has integrated
wireless Apple CarPlay and
wired Android Auto, four USB
charging points plus two 12-volt
outlets.
There’s a comprehensive safety
package from Nissan’s Intelligent
Mobility Suite. Included is a
rearview camera, an Advanced
Drive-Assist instrument cluster
and LED dusk-sensing headlights
with high-beam assist.
A well-sorted double wishbone
front suspension and an
independent multi-link rear end
with coils, brings a fair degree
of handling composure to the
road holding table. However, the
Pathfinder’s sheer size and 2000-
plus kg kerb weight compromises
the vehicle’s handling at its outer
extremities. This comes to the
fore when driving on tight,
twisty terrain, which we have an
abundance of on our roads. The
vehicle’s handling limitations
aren’t helped by light steering.
To my mind, the latest Ford
Everest is the road-holding
benchmark model for our large
SUV market. Because it’s based
on the latest Ford Ranger ute,
it has genuine go anywhere
off-road capabilities that are
superior to the Pathfinder. It’s
okay on ski-field access roads
and that type of driving, but
little more with its average
ground clearance.
Rating out of 10:
Performance 7; Handling
6; Build Quality 7;
Comfort 7; Space 8;
Test consumption
12.9L/100km; Value for
money 6; Safety – 5-star
ANCAP crash rating.
Overall points out of 10: 8
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