Editor-in-Chief | Zhang Kehuan
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Reports from The GreatAuto
Since its domestic production, Toyota Highlander has become one of the few medium- and large-sized SUV models in China at that time. At the same time, with excellent reliability, Highlander started the "open and hang mode" after the listing, not only the sales volume ranked in the leading position of the same level, but also the price increase became the norm.
Then, although there were a number of models in the market that competed with the Highlander, they were either short-lived or could not surpass the Highlander in terms of sales.
Because of this, for more new mid-sizeD SUVs, the Highlander is an insurmountable gap. This also requires more new cars to have stronger brand endorsement and product strength.
Recently, we learned from relevant sources that Dongfeng Nissan is expected to introduce a new medium and large SUV model this year, which is a new pathfinder that has been listed in overseas markets.
What is expected is that after this new car is introduced, can it break the wrist with Highlander?
Nissan Pathfinder, why "people"?
In fact, the Pathfinder was introduced in 1987 and is an enduring model of Nissan for more than 30 years. Like many Japanese SUVs, the Nissan Pathfinder is also focused on the North American market, and its target opponent is the Ford Explorer.
In order to cater to the demand of North American consumers for all-road vehicles, the original Nissan Pathfinder was built on the Hardbody pickup truck platform, so there is a strong emphasis on passability and off-road. Thanks to this, after the car was launched in North America, sales went all the way up, and its unique "hidden C-pillar" gradually became a popular design for American SUVs.
In the following generations, the Nissan Pathfinder used many of Nissan's advanced technologies, such as the famous VQ series engine, and also introduced the Birdview three-dimensional bird's-eye view navigation system, which was quite cool and fashionable at the time.
Not only that, in order to meet the demands of North American consumers for large-displacement engines, Nissan Pathfinder also provided two engines on the third generation of the 4.0L V6 and 5.6L V8. Coupled with a staggering 3.2 tons of towing capacity, the third-generation model became the pinnacle of the Pathfinder.
However, reaching the fourth generation of the model, the Nissan Pathfinder returned to the status of the urban SUV, with a 3.5L V6 engine and a full-time all-wheel drive system, the Nissan Pathfinder also gained a good reputation. At the same time, with the blessing of the CVT gearbox, this generation of Pathfinder can be described as the most fuel-efficient model in its class.
The new fifth-generation Pathfinder made its debut at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show. At present, the new generation of models has been officially launched in overseas markets, and the car is a 7-seat layout as Nissan's SUV second only in size to Tule, and a 3.5-liter V6 engine is available overseas.
However, large-displacement self-priming is not suitable for the current domestic market, so the V6 engine will not appear on the domestic version.
Can I fight Highlander?
Of course, for many consumers who are ready to buy Highlander, the key to whether Nissan's new Pathfinder is worth waiting for is whether it can have stronger strength than Highlander.
In fact, the new Pathfinder and the currently domestic Infiniti QX60 come from the same platform, and even in the design of the two have a lot of similarities.
Compared to the previous generation, the new Pathfinder adopts a tougher design style. The overall use of a large number of pen straight lines, so that this size of more than 5 meters of medium and large SUV is even more domineering.
Not only that, but the "hidden C-pillar" on the original model has still been retained, which has become the "standard" of the car and even most American SUVs. Of course, the design elements of the new car are in line with the new X-Trail, especially in terms of the front face design, which is almost the same as the new X-Trail.
Of course, design is only one aspect of attracting consumers, and the fundamental reason why consumers can pay for it lies in their product strength.
The interior design of the new Pathfinder is more fashionable and technological than nissan's previous model, for example, the new car provides a 9-inch suspension central control touch screen, a 12.3-inch full LCD instrument, a 10.8-inch HUD head-up display, an electronic gear, etc., all of which create a strong sense of technology.
And these scientific and technological configurations are bound to be more in line with the needs of the Chinese people. Compared with the same level of models currently on sale in China, there are not many models that can be equipped with so many technology configurations, which may become a major selling point for new cars.
Not only that, because the length of the new car exceeds 5 meters, the body width has reached 1961mm, which also brings more seating space for the new car. The overseas version of the model provides a 2+2+3 seat layout, and the new car will most likely continue this layout after it is produced.
At present, the overseas version of the model offers a 3.5L V6 engine, with a maximum power of 288 horsepower and a peak torque of 351N·m. At the same time, the new car also provides a four-wheel drive system, supporting 7 terrain modes to choose from. Compared to the new Highlander, the new Pathfinder still has certain advantages in terms of power and off-road.
As mentioned above, the new car will most likely cancel the 3.5L V6 engine after the domestic production. We are speculating that the new car may be equipped with the new VC-TURBO 2.0T engine. At present, the engine has been installed in the new generation of Tianlai and other models.
Write at the end
The introduction of a new Pathfinder is very important for Dongfeng Nissan. In 2021, Dongfeng Nissan achieved sales of 1.047 million vehicles throughout the year, which has exceeded one million for seven consecutive years, ranking first among domestic Japanese car companies. In order to further widen the sales gap with other Japanese manufacturers and consolidate the market position, it is imperative to introduce a new pathfinder.
Not only that, the introduction of a new Pathfinder will also further consolidate the layout of Dongfeng Nissan SUV. At present, Dongfeng Nissan has SUV models such as Jinke, Qashqa, Qijun and Loulan, covering small SUVs, compact SUVs and medium-sized SUVs. The introduction of the new Pathfinder will fill the gap in Dongfeng Nissan's mid-sized and large-sized SUV market.
With the trend of car consumption upgrading, coupled with Nissan's long-term advantages of reliability and fuel economy, the new Pathfinder is expected to emerge in the medium and large SUV market.
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