The Nissan Pathfinder is a Japanese mid-size SUV and full-size crossover vehicle manufactured by Nissan Motor since 1986. Since 2013, the 4th generation of the model has been produced, which received an update in 2014, and then in 2017 Autos were assembled in Japan, Indonesia, Spain and the USA. In the right-hand drive version, the car is also known as Nissan Terrano.
The Nissan Pathfinder SUV debuted as a version of the Terrano model intended for the US market. At first, the car was offered only in a three-door version; in 1989, a five-door version appeared.
Nissan Pathfinder had a frame structure, dependent rear suspension and all-wheel or rear-wheel drive. The car was equipped with 2.4 (106 hp) and V6 3.0 petrol engines with 143 hp. In 1989, the power units were modernized, as a result of which the three-liter V6 received fuel injection and became more powerful – 153 hp. Transmissions are five-speed manual or four-speed automatic.
The second generation Nissan Pathfinder was significantly different in design from its predecessor: a monocoque body instead of a frame, automatically connected all-wheel drive (there was also a version with rear-wheel drive). The car, offered only with a five-door body, received a more solid and modern look.
The only powertrain option is a V6 3.3 petrol engine with 168–170 hp, paired with a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. After restyling in 2000, its place was taken by a new engine – V6 3.5, developing 250 or 240 hp (on versions with manual or automatic transmission, respectively).
Production of the second Pathfinder at a plant in Japan ended in 2004. In its native market, this model was still called the Nissan Terrano, and its luxury version was sold in the USA under the Infiniti brand.
The third-generation SUV of the 2005 model returned to the frame design; the car was created on a common platform with the Navara pickup, but unlike it, the Pathfinder had an independent rear suspension. It had all-wheel drive with an automatic clutch in the front wheel drive and a reduction gear. There could be five or seven seats in the car. With the change of generations, the Nissan Pathfinder became a global model and was sold all over the world, including Western Europe and Russia.
European and Russian cars were equipped with a 2.5-liter turbodiesel with a power of 174 hp paired with a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. An alternative to it was a V6 4.0 petrol engine (269 hp), which was equipped only with a five-speed automatic transmission. The Nissan Pathfinder for the US market was equipped only with a gasoline engine; it could be either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
In 2008, a restyled SUV was introduced in the United States. Externally, it remained virtually unchanged, but received an updated interior and an expanded list of options. The range of power units has been replenished with a 5.6-liter V8 petrol engine with a capacity of 310 hp paired with an automatic transmission.
The European Nissan Pathfinder was updated in 2010. The V6 petrol engine disappeared from the lineup, but the 2.5-liter diesel engine was modernized (its output increased to 190 hp), and in addition to it, they began to offer a new V6 3.0 turbodiesel (231 hp), which was equipped with a seven-speed automatic transmission.
The production of cars at the American plant in Tennessee ended in 2012 due to the emergence of a new generation of the model; cars for the European market were produced at the plant in Barcelona until 2014.
The fourth generation of the Nissan Pathfinder model began to be made at a plant in the USA in 2012. The car is fundamentally different from its predecessor: now it is not a frame SUV, but a crossover with a monocoque body.
In 2016, the restyled Nissan Pathfinder was introduced in the United States. The crossover received a fresh design, changed interior materials, new options, and a modernized chassis. The previous V6 3.5 engine now has fuel injection and its power increases from 264 to 288 hp. The hybrid version disappeared from the lineup even before the restyling.
The current generation of the Nissan Pathfinder model has been produced since 2021.
The 3.0-liter diesel engine Renault-Nissan V9X or 3.0 dCi was assembled from 2008 to 2015 and was installed on such concern models as the Laguna, Pathfinder, Navara and Infiniti crossovers. This diesel has a controversial reputation for being very costly to repair.
The 3.0-liter Nissan ZD30DD diesel engine was produced from 1999 to 2012 in Japan and was installed on an extensive family of Caravan minivans, including Homi and Elgrand modifications.
The 2.5-liter diesel engine Nissan YD25DDTi or YD25 has been produced since 1998 and is installed on the most popular minibuses, pickups and SUVs of the company. This motor replaced the CD20 and TD25 on some cars. The cylinder block here is an in-line 4-cylinder, cast iron, with a cylinder diameter of 89 mm.
The 2.7-liter Nissan TD27ETi diesel engine was produced by the company from 1995 to 2001 and was installed on the popular Pathfinder and Terrano SUVs, as well as the Caravan minibus. The power unit stands out in its family by the presence of an electronically controlled high pressure fuel pump.
The 4-liter VQ40DE engine has become not only one of the most reliable in the line of Nissan VQ gasoline units, but also the most voluminous in it. This is an enlarged version of the VQ35DE, which received an expansion of volume due to the size of the cylinders and the piston stroke. In all …
The 3.5-liter Nissan VQ35DD engine was first introduced in 2016 and was intended for the popular Pathfinder crossover, as well as its counterpart from Infiniti under the QX60 index. The motor is equipped with a proprietary direct injection system and phase shifters on both shafts.
The VQ35 engine is considered one of the most massive engines from Nissan. This engine has won “Best Engine of the Year” many times. VQ35 replaced the VQ30DE unit, which belonged to the first generation of VQ motors.
5.6-liter V8 Nissan VK56DE engine was produced in US factories from 2003 to 2015 and was installed in the largest and most powerful models, such as Armada, Titan, and Infiniti QX56. In 2007, this unit was seriously upgraded and therefore two generations of it are distinguished.
The 3.3-liter Nissan VG33E engine has been produced since 1995 and is still installed in China. This power unit is most often found on pickup trucks, SUVs and minibuses. There is a version of the VG33ER equipped with a supercharger with a power of 210 hp and 334 Nm of torque.
The 3.0-liter Nissan VG30E engine (or VG30 for short) was assembled from 1983 to 1999 and, in fact, is one of the most massive V6 engines of its time, as it was installed on many models. The unit was produced in a wide range of capacities, there was even a version with a phase regulator.
The 3.0-liter Nissan VG30i engine was assembled for a short time, from 1985 to 1989, and quickly gave way to more modern power units with distributed injection. This single-injection gasoline engine was only installed on pickup trucks or SUVs.
The 2.5-liter Nissan QR25DER engine was produced by the Japanese concern from 2013 to 2017 and was installed on hybrid versions of such models as the Pathfinder, Murano and Infiniti QX60. This motor stands out for its Atkinson economy cycle operation and Roots type compressor.
The 2.4-liter Nissan KA24E engine (or KA24 for short) was produced from 1988 to 1999 and was installed on a large number of models, but is primarily known for the Pathfinder and Terrano SUVs. This power unit is very often found under the hood of numerous pickup trucks of the concern.
