Nissan Pathfinder Ti 4WD 2018 off-road review

This Pathfinder has the line-up’s new 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, which Nissan reckons produces more power (up from 190kW to 202kW at 6400rpm), more torque (up from 325Nm to 340Nm at 4800rpm) and reduced fuel consumption (down 0.2L/100km to 10.1L/100km) than the previous Pathfinder.

The 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine produces 202kW/340Nm.

Its transmission is what Nissan calls an 'Xtronic Continuously Variable Transmission with D-step Logic Control'. It has seven programmed ratios and, in layman’s terms, this CVT is an improvement over previous versions.

This Ti is badged '4WD', and is described in Nissan’s official specs as having 'Intelligent 4x4 with Hill Descent Control'. It has also been described as an 'AWD'. Basically, the engine drives all four wheels through the CVT and the driver is also able to switch between drive modes – 2WD, Auto and a rear-diff Lock mode for low-speed (under 40km/h) off-road driving.

The Ti’s interior has heaps of space and plenty of great tech and easy functionality for day-to-day life; from supportive and comfortable seating for front and second-row folks (the third-row is on the wrong side of hard and flat) to that tri-zone entertainment system, with head-rest screens and wireless headphones, as well as rear air vents.

The 8.0-inch touch-screen colour display up front is not the best in this segment but it works well enough.

The 8.0-inch touch-screen colour display up front is not the best in this segment but it works well enough.

There are storage spaces all-round, including glove box, sunglass case, large door recesses, 10 cup-holders, 12V power outlets (three in the front and one in the rear cargo area), as well as four cargo tie-down points and four luggage hooks.

The third row, with 50/50 split-fold reclining seats, is simple enough to access once you’ve slid the second-row 60/40 split-fold seats forward and out of the way on floor rails (using Nissan’s nifty 'EZ Flex' seating system).

As for cargo capacity, there is 453 litres (with second and third rows upright); 1354 litres (with second row upright and third row folded); and 2260 litres with the second and third rows folded flat.

There's 1354 litres of boot space with the second row seats upright.

The Ti has a motion-activated tailgate with position memory, handy for when you’re doing a Ninja parent move (i.e. carrying a baby, and sporting equipment, and leading a dog on a leash, while trying to get six bags of groceries in the boot, all without dropping anything).

The Pathfinder is a big vehicle – 5042mm long (with a 2900mm wheelbase), 1960mm wide, 1768mm high – and it has a turning circle of 11.8m and a listed tare weight of 2070kg. 

Even though its steering is evenly weighted, the Nissan feels every bit of that bulk when you’re trying to manoeuvre it around town, through traffic or into a tight parking space. 

It is exactly during those urban-based driving scenarios that a driver aid such as Nissan’s 'Intelligent Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection' comes in very handy. This system gives you a bird’s eye view of your vehicle’s position relative to everything else around it. Top stuff.

The Pathfinder has never been a lively drive – it’s adequate in every sense – but its new engine is a growling goer and at least this CVT doesn’t hold you back as other units tend to. 

For the driver, it is supremely comfortable with, among other things, power tilt/telescopic-adjustable steering column and seating adjustment and heating or cooling options. Head and legroom seems spacious enough, too.

Vision to the front, side or rear is clear and generous; the instrument panels are bright and easy to read.

Clearly this is a machine built for comfort not for speed, nor for spirited driving, so the Pathie’s suspension is more suited to open-road cruising than dirt-road tracks and fast, tight corners.

The Pathfinder has a claimed fuel consumption of 10.1L/100km (combined). We recorded 12.8L/100km (city and highway driving); and 14.2L/100km (country back roads, gravel tracks and dirt roads).

It has a 73-litre fuel tank.

The Pathfinder has a three year/100,000km warranty with roadside assist and capped-price servicing with scheduled visits every 12 months or 10,000km. Ti servicing will cost $991 for the first three years (or 30,000km) of ownership.