Nissan is developing a clean-sheet body-on-frame platform for new midsize SUVs and trucks, and the company confirmed the current Pathfinder will retain its name, Nissan President and CEO Ivan Espinosa said.
Nissan decided not to adapt the Patrol/Armada/QX80 underpinnings because that frame carries excess cost, weight and technology for smaller models. The new architecture also must accommodate a different V‑6 than the VR35 twin‑turbo used in the QX80 and Armada.
A Nissan product planner said the current Pathfinder sells about 110,000 units a year with its V‑6 and there are no plans to downsize to a turbocharged four‑cylinder. The planner added that any hybridized Pathfinder would aim for a modest 5–7 mpg improvement, and Nissan has not confirmed which V‑6 will power the new body‑on‑frame models.
This summary is based on coverage by MotorTrend.
Read the full article at MotorTrend.
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