Nissan reveals new Pathfinder’s bold design, transmission

Nissan has showcased its latest Pathfinder, designed as 2022 model with a bold look and a nine-speed automatic transmission.

As one of Nissan’s best-selling vehicles, Nissan considers the Pathfinder SUV as a hugely important model. It is therefore not surprising that the automaker decided to make some remarkable changes to one of its oldest vehicles, begging for a significant overhaul for a few years now.

The wait is over as the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is finally here, bringing the techno-chic curb appeal of the redesigned Rogue and facelifted Armada in midsize, three-row crossover form.

Exterior

The outgoing Nissan Pathfinder may be beautiful, according to motor1.com, but it lacks personality. No one could accuse its successor of the same, thanks to headlights with wild turn-signal eyebrows, a squared-off grille (that the company still calls “V-motion,” and a flat hood that is less minivan-like than the current Pathfinder.

Blackened A, B, and D-pillars join a body-colour C-pillar on some models, giving the SUV a floating-roof effect that is more interesting than other iterations of the overdone styling feature.

Around the rear, slim LED taillights make the crossover appear wider and more planted, and the convex hatch, resplendent with a silver ‘PATHFINDER’ word mark, is said to recall the first-generation SUV.

The front grille’s three mail slots near the hood are seen as a nice throwback of the Pathfinders of the 1980s and 1990s.

The 2022 model comes with bold, blistered wheel arches and vehicle looks much more muscular and planted than its predecessors.

Interior

Most three-row crossovers live and die by their interiors. It looks as though the 2022 Pathfinder is primed to succeed in this respect, thanks to a revised technology suite that includes an available 9.0-inch centre touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and 10.8-inch head-up display.

The vehicle comes with an 8.0-inch screen as standard, as is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Bold styling is also the order of the day, with the infotainment, climate controls, and instrument cluster residing in a driver-oriented nacelle.

The HVAC outlets live in metallic-finished trim bits that “interlock” with the dash, furthering the Pathfinder’s tech-forward appearance. Nissan says it will offer woven cloth, leather, or semi-aniline quilted leather on the Pathfinder, the latter likely reserved for the Platinum model.

Unlike its seven-passenger predecessor, the 2022 Pathfinder gets a three-position rear bench, bringing standard seating capacity to eight.

For families who want a bit more comfort (at the expense of one seating position), there are optional second-row captain’s chairs with a centre console that’s easily removable.

The standard second-row bench retains the current SUV’s fold-and-slide function (though enhanced with passenger- and driver-side access), which makes it easier to climb into the third row, even when a child seat is installed.

Safety

The new Pathfinder adds a long list of safety and connectivity equipment to its roster, with family-friendly interior packaging and reasonable performance to boot.

The 2022 SUV is expected to offer more enjoyable driving its conventional nine-speed automatic gearbox replacing the old model’s droning continuously variable transmission.

Though still a unibody crossover SUV with either front- or all-wheel drive, the new Pathfinder offers seven different terrain modes, as well as up to 6,000 pounds of towing capacity.

Even the base Pathfinder S will get the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite, bundling automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and automatic rear braking.

The mid-level SV and SL models will also offer ProPilot Assist as an option, adding adaptive cruise control and lane-centering to the roster. At the top of the heap is the Platinum’s ProPilot Assist with Navi-Link, which uses data from the embedded navigation to slow down for upcoming bends in the road, freeway exits and interchanges.

Performance

Further reducing noise, vibration, and harshness is the decision to abandon the outgoing Pathfinder’s somewhat droning continuously variable transmission. Although the 2022 model retains its predecessor’s direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 with 284 horsepower (212 kilowatts) and 259 pound-feet (351 newton-meters), that mill is now mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox.