SUVs have arguably become the most important vehicles in any automaker’s lineup. For domestic brands, it’s because they sell more trucks and SUVs than anything else, and for imports it’s because they would love to crack that market with product that stands up to the best from the Big Three. It’s why Honda stayed back with the release of the Pilot SUV until they had it just right. Make a mistake with this crowd and suffer the consequences.
Nissan has taken a measured approach to their new SUVs, emphasizing car-like ride with modern design and versatility. Not too tough to gain acceptance on that basis – especially when no one has heard of your Murano and you’re on a long product win streak. But when the iron you’re twisting has a heritage – and with that heritage a long list of expectations – making a new one becomes a little tricky. Move too far away from the Pathfinder’s original charm and lose your core buyer; fail to improve it and be faced with an out-dated product in a cutthroat market.
Nissan accomplishes both with the new 2005 Pathfinder. It’s an SUV that stays true to its rugged heritage while adding improvements such as a third row of seating and a superb V6 engine, built on an all-new foundation that cost about $2.4 billion to create and will also host the new Xterra SUV and Frontier pickup truck. The Pathfinder, consequentially, finds itself back in the game as a grocery hauling, off-road threat in the SUV market. It is, truth be told, a completely different vehicle than the previous Pathfinder – and a glimpse into future SUVs and large vehicles for Nissan. The glimpse, by and large, is pleasing.
|
