(By Tom Lohnes) – Nissan is about to pull some serious risks in the next few years. Making an all-new sports car such as the upcoming “Z Proto” in such a dire financial state is unheard of, as is dumping another few million dollars into a new Pathfinder. Oh boy.
With the trailer showcasing a V6 soundtrack, it is safe to say the new Pathfinder will either retain the ancient VQ35-derived V6 that is in the current one, or a new 3.8-liter unit from the new Frontier pickup truck. It is rumored the Pathfinder is going back to its heritage as an RWD/4X4, body-on-frame SUV instead of its current big crossover persona. If that happens, it is safe to say Nissan is launching a full-on attack towards Toyota, with the Z effectively being a better Supra on paper, and the Pathfinder going after both the large crossover known as the Highlander and the 4Runner SUV that hasn’t been changed in who-knows-how-long. With the new V6 would come a new 9-speed automatic, which would be a great replacement for the dull CVT that is equipped to it right now.
Hopefully the Pathfinder re-earns its SUV badge, because as a crossover, it really wasn’t great at much. Because it’s a Nissan, prices will be competitive.
