Instrumented Test
Nissan’s Pathfinder emerged for the 2013 model year wholly retooled for life in the modern world. The ladder-frame construction, rugged squared-off exterior, and respected 4.0-liter V-6 of the previous-generation Pathfinder were all ditched in the makeover to clear the way for a unitized body structure, soft exterior curves, and a smaller engine positioned transversely to facilitate, horror of horrors, front-wheel drive. Like many 20th-century hangovers looking for relevance in the new century, the logical next step in the Pathfinder’s evolution was a hybrid powertrain. Which brings us to the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder hybrid tested here.
Platinum Status
Finished in fetching Black Obsidian paint, our Pathfinder hybrid arrived in Platinum trim, a $2300 option. Including a pair of headrest-mounted seven-inch rear-entertainment screens, a pair of wireless headphones, a remote control, and an auxiliary-input jack for the entertainment device of your choice, the package is ideal for keeping one’s biological byproducts sedated in the back seats. If their catatonic state should wane, a dual panorama moonroof affords easy skyward gazes. Platinum trim also includes a set of futuristic-looking 20-inch twin-spoke aluminum wheels wearing 235/55 all-season rubber. A swanky set of $200 floor mats rounded out our test hybrid’s kit.
Taken on its own merits (we’ll get to the specifics of the hybrid powertrain in a bit) the Pathfinder is the same utey-crossover we’ve come to know in the form of our long-term V-6 Pathfinder. The three-row, seven-seat interior configuration swallows families and their attendant detritus with ease. The second-row seats fold forward to provide access to the third row in the wayback, which still folds flat despite residing directly over the hybrid’s lithium-ion battery pack. Nissan tells us the battery pack is so compact, it doesn’t intrude on interior space at all. Heated-and-cooled front seats come part and parcel with the Platinum trim, and we found them to be comfortable and well configured for their suburban mission. All Pathfinder hybrids get an eight-way power driver’s seat, a rearview camera, a seven-inch central infotainment screen, and Nissan’s Intelligent Key with pushbutton starting. The gauge cluster doesn’t stray too far from that of non-hybrid Pathfinders, but the 4.2-inch display between the speedo and tach is entrusted with informing the driver about hybrid-specific info detailing battery charge and the electric motor’s current state of operation.
Be Careful What You Wish For
Standing in for the 3.5-liter V-6 gas engine found in non-hybrid Pathfinders is a supercharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder and a continuously variable transmission with a 20-hp electric motor sandwiched between them. (It’s identical to the hybrid powertrain in the Infiniti QX60 hybrid.) Together, they produce a combined 250 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of twist, giving up only 10 ponies to the V-6’s 260, and bettering its 240 lb-ft of torque by 3. On paper, it looks like a win/win, with a negligible amount of horsepower sacrificed for a substantial improvement in efficiency. After all, the EPA gives the Pathfinder hybrid 4x4 a combined EPA fuel economy rating of 26 mpg, 5 mpg better than the V-6–powered Pathfinder 4x4.
