Nissan Releases Teaser Photo of Pathfinder Concept Before Detroit

By Jacob Brown | December 19, 2011

Nissan has already said the concept we’ll see of the Pathfinder SUV won’t differ much from the production vehicle. But if the photo leaked today is any indication, it’s going to be a drastic departure from the three previous generations of Nissan’s off-roader. Gone are the blocky lines, the rear door handles up in the pillars, and most likely, the vehicle’s traditional truck-like construction. The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder is likely to share its basic mechanical bits with the just-released 2013 Infiniti JX crossover, and it already looks like the two sharetheir basic proportions from what we can tell. That means it’ll likely use 3.5-liter V-6 engine that’s been under the hood of various Nissan and Infiniti products for more than a decade. But it’ll likely be in a sleeker, lighter package, more able to go after the market served by the seven-passenger Toyota Highlander and eight-passenger Honda Pilot.

Nissan says it’ll ride on an all-new chassis and retain four-wheel drive. We’re eager to see whether that means a legitimate off-road-capable vehicle or simply a rough-road family hauler. In either case, we’re sure to find out more as Nissan takes the wraps off its thinly-veiled concept at its January 10 Detroit Auto Show debut. Source: Nissan