Nissan draws on 1986 model for new 2022 Pathfinder
The fully redesigned Nissan Pathfinder gets refined looks, more space, and an upgraded interior
Nissan recently unveiled the new Pathfinder, the brand’s best-known model which competes in a vast segment against other three-row SUVs such as the Ford Explorer and the Toyota Highlander. With a lot of help from Nissan Design America in San Diego, CA, the company has been able to give the Pathfinder a new look while giving a nod to its history.
Nissan senior designer Marcus Quach, who oversaw the exterior design, says the team was inspired by the original Pathfinder from 1986. “There was a certain robustness, a certain modernity to the design, especially given the other cars on the market at the time,” he explains. “There’s some cleverness hidden within; it’s very pragmatic and honest, and that’s a lot of what we wanted to capture with the new Pathfinder.”
But – as with the design team that did the new Frontier, Quach says “we didn’t want to do a retro interpretation. We dropped some Easter eggs; you’ll see a few echoes in the original design.”
Among those is the front grille, whose three slots are a clear homage to the first-gen vehicle. Quach says one of the challenges for the exterior team was how to evolve the “V-motion” front end, as well as the lighting signature. “The boomerang lights are a key design element of a lot of Nissans, so we wanted to interpret that in a much more tough way,” he explains. Achieving seamlessness and flushness with the lighting was also a priority, especially with the tail lights. “We created a very wide aspect ratio by slimming them vertically and pushing them out to the farthest corners of the car,” he says.
Quach also points to the vehicle’s fenders. “The original Pathfinder has these box blister flares, which everyone at NDA really loves because they’re not executed in a way that’s completely expected. There’s a certain fluidity to it, and there’s kind of a quirky way they’re executed, so that’s another thing we wanted to capture in the new Pathfinder. The transition between the body side and these fenders (on the new vehicle) is a really unique, U-shaped highlight. I remember working with the clay modelers day and night trying to get that just right.”
The original Pathfinder’s triangular-shaped C pillar was another inspiration, prompting designers to create a floating roof off the new vehicle’s C pillar. “There’s a certain interlocking quality to the way the roof looks,” Quach says, who credits the colour and trim team with using the break in the roof to split the colour divide. “It gives a completely different character to the car.”
On the interior, the highest-grade 2022 Pathfinder gets a new central 9-inch touch screen, customizable 12.3-inch digital dashboard, and a new head-up display (HUD). Design manager Lihao Yu aimed for an interior that looks modern, confident, and tough, but still comfortable. “In the new Pathfinder, I emphasized the super-straight horizontal movement with robust section, bold and smart grouping of functionality by interlocking different materials, drawing hints from the first Pathfinder but dressing it up to create more fresh surfacing and integrating it with the latest technologies,” he explains.
Yu’s favourite inspiration from the original Pathfinder is the vertical side vent. “I enhanced the vertical theme and came up with the treatment of interlocking the soft wrapping material and metallic finisher, which makes the side vents stand out even more.”
Colour and materials highlights include premium leather seats with a unique perforation pattern and cloth seats with a beveled 3D embossed pattern. Cloth accents are inspired by outdoor gear, according to lead colour designer Moira Hill.
The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is expected to go on sale this summer, powered by a 284-hp 3.5-litre V6 engine and an all new 9-speed automatic transmission that replaces the outgoing CVT. The company also recently released the new Frontier.