Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

118 | AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE

T

he base Pathfi nder ST front-
wheel drive is $43,390, ST+
is $44,590, ST-L is $54,890
and Ti is $62,890. All-wheel
drive variants are $46,890,
$48,090, $58,390 and $66,390
respectively.
A 3.5-litre V6 petrol/
CVT (continuously variable
automatic transmission)
drivetrain is standard.
Like its closest rivals, the
Toyota Kluger and Mazda
CX-9, the Pathfi nder offers no
turbodiesel option.
Instead there’s a hybrid, in
keeping with the Pathfi nder’s
American market brief. A 2.5-litre
supercharged petrol four is
mated to a small electric motor
and CVT transmission.
Combined outputs are 188kW
and 330Nm, with a claimed
fuel consumption average of
8.6L/100km for the base front-

wheel-drive ST, which costs

$46,390. The all-wheel-drive

ST-L is $61,390 and Ti is $69,390.

The 3.5-litre V6 was

overhauled in 2017, with a new

direct injection system. We

haven’t driven this update, so

hopefully it will prove to be

more refi ned and fuel effi cient

than the previous version, which

was hoarse, sluggish and very

thirsty. It will need to work

better with the CVT transmission

too, which in the previous model

wasted too many revs and

was slow to respond when you

wanted decent acceleration.

The CVT transmission has

caused problems for many

owners, so beware.

Pathfi nder’s suspension is

tuned for American tastes, so

ride comfort and refi nement

are outstanding but you get no

feedback at all from the over-

assisted, imprecise steering and

in tight corners the Pathfi nder

is a barge. That said, on rough

country roads the Nissan feels

securely planted and safe. It’s

also as quiet as a luxury wagon.

Pathfi nder is one of the biggest

wagons in the class.

The driver in Ti sits in a

leather-faced, heated and cooled

seat that’s long in the cushion,

very comfortable and supportive,

though a few tall drivers will

want more seat travel. All

models have three-zone aircon

with vents for all rows.

Autonomous emergency

braking, blind spot monitoring,

adaptive cruise and rear cross

traffi c alert are standard in

all grades. ST+ adds surround

camera coverage and

navigation, while ST-L adds

adaptive LED headlights.

The 60/40 split middle row is

comfortable; however, the seat

is quite narrow so two will fi t

more comfortably than three and

adults sit knees-up with adequate

but not particularly generous

legroom, even when the seat is

pushed right back to the limit

of its adjustment. The backrest

angle is adjustable, too.

Either side of the row-two seat

folds and slides in one easy action

to provide unobstructed access

to the two individual row-three

seats, which fold up out of the

boot fl oor.

Adults will have to squat — but

by back stalls standards these are

actually relatively spacious.

Pathfi nder’s load capacity

is generous but the spare is a

space-saver. If you’re taller than

180cm, you’ll also whack your

head on the open tailgate.

NISSAN PATHFINDER FROM $43,390 S

THINGS WE LIKE

Spacious, practical, versatile interior

Comfortable, quiet ride on any

surface

Well built and fi nished

Ti is loaded with gear

Roomy row-three stalls with

easy access

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

ST-L and Ti are far too expensive

Petrol V6 plus big wagon equals

deep thirst

CVT isn’t particularly effi cient

Mediocre dynamics

No off-road ability

SPEX (Ti AWD)

Made in the USA

3.5-litre V6 petrol/CVT/front- or

all-wheel drive

202kW of power at 6400rpm/340Nm

of torque at 4800rpm

0–100km/h N/A

10.1L/100km combined average;

91 octane. CO 2 emissions N/A

Max towing weight 2700kg

Warranty: Five years/100,000 km

Pathfi nder ST includes seven

airbags, stability control, AEB,

blind spot monitoring, rear cross

traffi c alert, adptive cruise, 18-

inch alloys, tri-zone air, tyre

pressure monitoring, automatic

headlights

ST+ adds surround cameras and

navigation; ST-L adds heated front

seats, leather seat facings and

trim, front and rear sunroofs

Ti adds heated and cooled front

seats, a power tailgate, 20-inch

alloy wheels, row two DVD screens

Redbook future values: 3yr: 51%;

5yr: 37%

compare with ...

Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe,

Mazda CX-9, Skoda Kodiaq, Toyota

Kluger, VW Tiguan Allspace

Safety

ANCAP

Green Vehicle Guide

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money

Overall

STARS