Nissan fights back with new looks, more space in Pathfinder

MISSOULA, Mont. — When the Nissan Pathfinder was last redesigned, in 2013, it was in the top third of the three-row crossover segment, with a respectable 6.5 percent share.

Things look different as the fifth-generation Pathfinder prepares to rumble into dealerships next month.

The Pathfinder's share has slumped by more than half to 2.9 percent, according to AutoForecast Solutions, as the midsize crossover has aged and new challengers have emerged. Volkswagen and Hyundai didn't have competitive entries before, but now the Atlas and Palisade, along with the Kia Telluride and Subaru Ascent, have crowded the field.

"The new Pathfinder has some fierce rivals to beat to find its way back onto American shopping lists," noted Sam Fiorani, AutoForecast vice president.

But Mike Colleran, Nissan North America senior vice president in charge of sales and marketing, says the automaker is ready for the challenge.

"We think we've got the right solution," Colleran told Automotive News. "We think we've got great 'compares' against our competition."

Colleran rattled off the attributes of the redesigned model, citing a best-in-class for third-row roominess, abundant safety tech, larger infotainment displays and wireless Apple CarPlay. These features and technologies "really improve the customer's acceptance of the vehicle," Colleran said. "That's what it takes to compete."

With the redesigned 2022 Pathfinder, Nissan has worked to meet the realities of what customers need, while also playing to their aspirations.

The crossover dials up interior space by about 10 cubic feet and includes conveniences such as easier access to the third row and wireless charging. Nissan has also beefed up the light truck's "ruggedness" quotient, with more SUV styling and better towing capability to appeal to weekend warriors seeking to veer off the beaten path.

"We wanted to make the vehicle rugged, capable, but also provide that three-row versatility and flexibility that they're looking for in 95 percent of their daily living situations," Vishnu Jayamohan, senior manager of product planning, said at a presentation here last week.

But the redesign also taps into nostalgia: The 2022 model sports a Nissan V-motion grille that incorporates a hood design with three slots — a touch borrowed from the original Pathfinder.

"The DNA is very clear in this vehicle," Colleran said. "It's a more upright vehicle with a great stance and has that look of, 'Let's go driving out in the open country.' "

Research showed customers wanted a bolder, more "tough-looking" design, noted Ken Lee, senior design director at Nissan's Global Design Center in Atsugi, Japan.

"When we considered a new Pathfinder, the first thing we wanted to do was to enhance the proportions — making it bold, strong, and also have simplicity," Lee said. "So we strengthened the silhouette."

The front features U-shaped highlights that blend with the fenders to create a muscular look. The rear sports slim LED taillights and a squared-off liftgate.

Under the hood, the new generation dumps Nissan's long-ballyhooed continuously variable transmission for a ZF-supplied nine-speed.

"The nine-speed allows us to have a lot more torque from a standing start, and therefore, from a towing situation point of view, it's much more capable," Jayamohan said.

Nissan intends to play up the utility messaging in the marketing campaign, which begins in mid-July.

"You're definitely going to see a Pathfinder in more rugged environments and [with] the capability in connectivity and flexibility," Colleran said of the advertising message.

With the redesign, Nissan is breaking from a trend.

Pathfinder updates have often been countercyclical to the segment's evolution — oscillating between body-on-frame and unibody platforms with each successive generation, said Tyson Jominy, vice president of data and analytics at J.D. Power.

"Pathfinder owners returning to market would likely encounter a vehicle much different than the one they are trading in," Jominy said. "But now, Pathfinder is locked onto what consumers are looking for, and the new generation retains the setup of its predecessor."

The redesign arrives as Nissan is taking the defibrillator paddles to its U.S. business. The automaker is struggling to reverse the biggest annual percentage sales decline in its history — a 33 percent tumble in U.S. deliveries last year to 819,715.

The Pathfinder holds promise for that turnaround.

Midsize crossover sales have surged 36 percent in the past decade, and the segment accounts for 5.4 percent of retail sales, according to the Automotive News Research & Data Center.

Unlike some of its competitors, Nissan has room to run.

Toyota and Ford derive 10 to 15 percent of their sales from three-row crossovers, while the Pathfinder accounts for less than 6 percent of Nissan's sales, Jominy said.

"Even modest success in the industry's biggest segment would generate big share lift for Nissan," he said.