First Drive: 2022 Nissan Pathfinder

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Thirty-five years and five generations ago, the Pathfinder lead Nissan’s push into the SUV market. Fast-forward to today and it’s a key part of the company’s ambitious Nissan Next mandate. So far, new or revamped versions of the Armada, Kicks, Rogue, Sentra, and Versa have all been launched — the next-gen Z, Frontier, and Ariya are being readied for release.

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In the interim, there’s the 2022 Pathfinder. The latest model earns a stylistic rework that runs from the more upright stance, sharper tail, and LED lighting; to the sharper lines and “floating” roof. The rework gives it a ruggedly sophisticated sort of look.

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Likewise, where the original Pathfinder rode on a truck-like body-on-frame platform, the last two generations have ridden on a car-like unibody platform. What changes for the new model is it has traded in its benign mall-assault status in favour of some real off-road ability to go along with a quiet highway ride.

Given the square, open-plan format of all crossovers, the tendency is for them to become a mobile boombox. To that end, the new Pathfinder’s carpet underlay is thicker, there’s better door and floor insulation and isolation, along with thicker side window glass. Running the 401 outside Kingston, Ontario, it boasted luxury-like cabin quietness. Throw in the zero-gravity front seats and this thing is a solid long-distant cruiser.

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Part of the highway package is ProPilot Assist. When the cruise is set, it maintains a driver-selectable distance from the car ahead and uses the steering to keep it centered in the lane. It works well, but gets annoying if the driver takes their hands off the steering wheel, and it only takes a few seconds before the red warning tells the driver to get a grip!

This tells part of the Pathfinder’s story. The flip-side is it goes back to its roots by offering more than just token off-road ability. The 3.5-litre V6 has lots of grunt, pushing 284 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque through an all-new nine-speed automatic transmission and a solid all-wheel-drive (AWD) system.

Unlike the previous generation, this AWD system is faster and, as such, it pretty much banishes unwanted wheelspin. It does drive the front wheels alone to improve fuel economy, but when needed the rear wheels hook up instantly.

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Heading onto the “off-road” section of the drive route I managed to get lost, so I turned to Molly of the Maps for help. It turns out Ms. Molly has a sense of humour. Rather than routing me back the way I came in, she had me wading through two rather large – and deep, as it turns out – water holes and scrambling up a steep, gravelly incline that was a true test of the Pathfinder’s ability to get the power down. The good news is the Pathfinder now has seven driving modes: Standard, Sport, Eco, and Tow for on-road situations; along with Snow, Sand and Mud/Rut terrain modes. I engaged the latter and it shuttled the power around so that gnarly climb became a non-event. The downhill descent control also proved its worth on the way down the other side.

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The new drivetrain boasts a quick 7.1-second run to 100 kilometres an hour; a maximum tow capacity of 2,722-kilograms; and yet it managed to return a surprising test average fuel economy of 9.9 litres per 100 kilometres, which was better than the posted average of 10.5 L/100 km.

After running this rough track for what seemed like an eternity, I arrived at Craig Road and finally onto Highway 38 for the homeward run. Here, an unexpected third side surfaced — the Pathfinder is a large vehicle, but that’s not to say the drive is ponderous. In fact, it drives like a smaller crossover with lighter and tighter handling than expected. The amount of body roll is limited to a few initial degrees and the new dual-pinion power steering has good on-centre feel. It’s also crisp when turned into a corner. No, you don’t want to track the Pathfinder, but as big crossovers go the reworked suspension more than holds its own when the road begins to twist.

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The cabin has been well thought through, especially in the Platinum model tested. From the Semi-Aniline heated and cooled leather front bucket seats; to the technology at play, it is a marked improvement over the outgoing model. The 12.3-inch customizable instrument cluster and nine-inch infotainment screen add some needed visual zing and functionality. The infotainment setup gives easy access to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation and a solid sound system. These screens are supported by a large 10.8-inch head-up display.

All models also arrive with a full suite of safety aids — from forward collision warning with auto-braking and blind-spot monitoring; to rear cross-traffic alert with auto-braking, the lot is in place.

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It’s also family-friendly. All models arrive with seating for eight and enough space for up to five child car seats in a two-three-three row format. The exception is the Platinum, which trades in the middle split-bench for a pair of captain’s chairs — it is a pity this option is not available on the other models. That aside, there is lots of middle row room and a third row that’s surprisingly roomy, although it really is best left to the kids. The good news is the EZ Flex middle row seating gives one-touch access to the third row. Literally touch a button and the middle seat lifts and slides itself out of the way. Returning it to the original position is also a one-touch job.

There’s also lots of storage space. It ranges from the storage area under the front console and a wireless charging bay to 16 cupholders. Yes, I wondered why two per rider as well! The cargo capacity follows this lead. With all rows up, there is 470 litres; and 1,274 L with the third row folded flat. Dropping the middle row then opens up 2,280 L. The plus is there’s enough space between the wheel wells to lay a 4×8 sheet of building material flat on the floor.

The outgoing Pathfinder was a rather non-descript entry in a highly competitive segment. The 2022 model address the shortcomings while adding some style, off-road ability, and decent handling, without sacrificing the family-friendly format and long-haul comfort that have defined previous generations.

The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is at dealers now, with the pricing starting at $43,798 for the Pathfinder S. It then moves through the SV ($46,798); and SL ($50,398); to the range-topping Platinum at $54,398.