Nissan is undergoing a product renaissance, with a plan to introduce all-new or significantly refreshed versions of the majority of its models—as well as potential new vehicles—through 2026. This includes a recently unveiled redesign of its venerable and groundbreaking Pathfinder SUV, which can host up to eight passengers in its roomy three-row interior.
Nissan comes by its inventiveness naturally, as one of the oldest carmakers in Japan. Though the company was officially established in 1933, it can trace its roots back to 1911 with the founding of the Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works in Tokyo, and the release of its first models, the DAT—an acronym of the initials of its original investors—and the subsequent smaller Datson (later Datsun). Since its founding, and particularly since it entered the American market in the late 1950s, the brand has been a pioneer in creating vehicles that are affordable, reliable, efficient, design-forward, fun to drive, and innovative, with an emphasis on creating new market segments.
This can be seen readily in its introduction of vehicles like the Datsun Pickup, the first compact truck, in 1958. With its highly competitive and resolutely affordable entries into the sport sedan and sports car market with the 510 in 1968 and the 240Z in 1970, respectively. And with its continued championing of new categories like the four-door sports car (1981 Maxima), rally-inspired pickup (1982 Hardbody), four-door compact truck (1999 Frontier), and battery-electric vehicle (2010 Leaf). We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the broad diversity of its offerings, from its fuel-sipping Sentra economy car to its world-challenging GT-R supercar.
But when it was introduced in 1987, the Pathfinder was one of Nissan’s biggest game changers. Brought to market well in advance of the SUV craze that swept the country (and then the world) in the 1990s, it was based on the tough and capable Hardbody pickup, adding an enclosed bed, rear seats, and, a few years later, a pair of well-hidden rear doors. It combined chiseled good looks with acute capability, an adaptable and increasingly luxurious interior, and Nissan reliability. This standard of build quality made adventure feel achievable and was a big hit with consumers. More than that, it established the Pathfinder as a vehicle for people who wanted the freedom to go beyond the familiar, without giving up comfort or reliability.
It was also a prescient entry into an emerging market of active-lifestyle car buyers, who wanted their vehicles to be able to do everything: haul them and their gear, function well in all weather and roadway conditions (or even if there was no road at all), look cool and ready for anything, and provide increasing levels of creature comforts.
Refined and Refocused
Nissan’s latest product push emphasizes its core strengths, bringing fresh creative vision, flexibility, joy behind the wheel, and the implementation of new technologies to vehicles that are attainable by a broad swath of the market. All of this can be seen in the newly updated Pathfinder.
Revealed at the end of 2025 as a 2026 model, the Pathfinder no longer has a continuously variable transmission (CVT). All Pathfinders now come standard with an adaptive and advanced nine-speed automatic gearbox. This change comes with noticeable improvements to fuel efficiency, acceleration, towing capability, driving feel, interior noise levels, and overall adaptability.
Coupled to the nine-speed automatic, the Pathfinder’s powertrain also includes Nissan’s durable 24-valve direct-injected double-overhead-cam 3.5-liter V-6 that’s engineered to power your adventure, reflecting Nissan’s emphasis on reliability and long-term quality. This naturally aspirated engine produces 284 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque in standard trim, enough to hustle the all-wheel-drive Pathfinder from 0 to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. And it accomplishes all of this while still delivering a combined EPA rating of 22 mpg (20 mpg city/25 mpg highway) besting much of the competition, and providing a freeway range, in our testing, of up to 510 miles between fill-ups.
Moreover, when paired with available all-wheel drive, the nine-speed transmission hosts seven different drive modes, including ones specifically focused on loose, slippery, rutted, or off-road surfaces, or for more spirited sporty driving. So, you can get out and return safely from wherever you need, or want, to go. That capability turns uncertain roads and unfamiliar terrain into opportunities rather than obstacles.
The significantly refreshed mid-size SUV also incorporates new front and rear-end treatments, new electronic comfort and convenience features, and upgraded safety technologies. And it has been enhanced with more adventurous capabilities, making it a standout choice in the highly competitive three-row-SUV market.
Integrating all these options into one vehicle gives you the capacity to graciously move between all the destinations that define your daily activities: driving to work, running errands, taking trips, and shuttling yourself or other members of your household to appointments and activities. But they also allow the new Pathfinder to seamlessly change up its personality and take you on out-of-the way adventures, away from the everyday. This flexibility, and the expertise that undergirds it, is what gives the Pathfinder its name.
Awareness, Built In
Inside, the new Pathfinder upgrades its central touchscreen, which is now 12.3 inches wide and is powered by the latest iteration of NissanConnect software. This provides a larger and clearer display, as well as more ready access to all the features it controls. An available high-definition Intelligent Around View Monitor uses a suite of exterior cameras to create a 360-degree image of everything surrounding the vehicle, so you can clearly see whatever might be beside, in front of, and behind you when backing out of a driveway or getting into a tight parking spot. Moving Object Detection alerts you visually and audibly to animals, bikers, or pedestrians that may be in your path. And the system provides animated path lines that adjust with your steering inputs, so you can see exactly where your vehicle is going and whether it will fit.
But among its new technology upgrades, Nissan recognizes that analog switchgears remain superior when it comes to accessing commonly used systems, including knobs for adjusting the infotainment system’s volume and the climate control’s temperature settings. An optional head-up display can project key information like vehicle speed or navigation instructions onto the windshield in front of the driver. Because of these features, you never have to take your eyes off the road and the path to your destination.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Audio are standard, so you can easily cast your familiar phone interface onto the central touchscreen. And to keep your devices ready to use, the optional wireless smartphone charging pad in the center console is now more potent than on outgoing models, juicing up your battery more quickly.
A second 12.3-inch screen in front of the driver houses an elegant and straightforward digital gauge cluster. This, in combination with another set of analog buttons on the steering wheel, allows drivers access to Nissan’s optional ProPilot Assist semi-autonomous driving technology. This sophisticated and extremely capable system, now in its 10th year, allows the Pathfinder to start, stop, steer, and follow the traffic ahead at a set speed and from a set distance all on its own. It can even, in some circumstances, change lanes—overtaking, and returning after passing another car on the highway. This reduces driver fatigue, physically and cognitively, while driving, and increases safety.
And even if you pass on ProPilot Assist, potentially life-saving features including automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring are standard on all models.
From Errands to Everywhere Else
Duality is where the Pathfinder shines. It has always given families the confidence to move seamlessly from everyday obligations to the experiences they’ve always imagined sharing together. Back when it was first introduced in 1987, the Pathfinder built its reputation on its combination of all-terrain adeptness and inviting ease of use. Based on Nissan’s go-anywhere Hardbody pickup truck, but laden with additional creature comforts, it was equally at home carrying passengers and their backpacks to the school drop-off line or to a remote campsite. It wasn’t just about going farther but about making those farther places feel possible, practical, and worth pursuing.
The new Pathfinder has enhanced both aspects of its versatile personality. Premium versions of the Pathfinder include luxurious niceties like a panoramic sunroof, heated and cooled front seats, heated individual second row captain’s chairs, semi-aniline leather surfaces, and a booming 13-speaker Bose entertainment system. So you’ll always ride, and arrive, in the utmost comfort.
For those who crave added security and capability, the Pathfinder now offers the tough Rock Creek variant. With a bump in power for the V-6 to 295 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, this specially equipped model comes with a standard hitch and increases towing capacity from 3500 to 6000 pounds, so you can bring your trailer or powersports machines along on all your adventures. In addition, an off-road suspension and all-terrain tires help provide enhanced ground clearance, and a standard tubular roof rack allows you to cart even more equipment to wherever you need it.
And while the new Pathfinder is a lovely and commanding vehicle to drive in any circumstance, it is especially well constructed to thrive in the crucible of family life. That thoughtful design inspires confidence not only in how the Pathfinder performs, but in how far it can expand a family’s sense of what’s possible because true adventure begins with trust in the quality of what’s carrying you there.
Whether you outfit yours with a second-row bench to provide an eighth seat for carpool duties, or a pair of separate captain’s chairs to quell your passengers’ arguments over personal space, the rich materials and generous interior accommodations will keep all your occupants happy. Heated seating surfaces for the second-row captain’s chairs are an option. But multiple USB-C ports and rear climate vents are standard, regardless.
Second-row seats flip and slide easily via a manual or an available electric mechanism, so that additional passengers can readily access the third row. And both rear rows split and fold so you can carry a combination of people and/or cargo simultaneously, even accommodating long objects like skis or surfboards along one interior vertical axis while carrying passengers on the other. By making room for both people and passions, the Pathfinder helps transform once-complicated ideas into experiences that feel not only achievable, but effortless.
Other storage areas are found throughout the cabin. A big cubby under the front center console can be readily accessed by the driver or front-seat passenger and is handy for totes and shopping bags. Bins below the windows and pockets on the seatbacks can carry books, gaming systems, and other devices. And though there are already 10 cupholders in the cabin, many big enough for large coffees or water bottles, an available center console between the individual second-row seats can provide storage for more beverages (and gear) or can be readily removed to make a clear path between rows.
Room to Go Further
All of this combines to make the Pathfinder a great choice for today’s busy, always-on-the-go drivers. With the designed-in ability to comfortably and safely take you and your passengers anywhere—work appointments, sporting events, concerts and recitals, home improvement stores, vacations—it makes your life easier. It also makes your time on the road confidence-inspiring and relaxing.
And with a starting price of $39,000,¹ the Pathfinder helps make high-featured seating for up to eight people affordable, continuing Nissan’s nearly century-long mission of enhancing access to well-designed, well-engineered vehicles.
¹ Price shown is Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for base model trim. MSRP excludes tax, title, license, options, and $1,495 destination and handling charges. Dealer sets actual price. Some color, package, and option selections may include, exclude, or require the purchase of additional options and packages. Some options shown may not be available on all trims. See retailer for details.
