2024 Chinese-spec Nissan Pathfinder’s exterior design revealed

The US has a lot of vehicles in their market that aren’t sold here in the Philippines, a lot of them we like a lot and one of those cars is the Nissan Pathfinder. The Pathfinder is Nissan’s midsize crossover offering for the US market. It came with seven seats, a long and wide body, and was the SUV for the people who didn’t want to go with the much more rugged Patrol. In its current generation, the Pathfinder is currently offered with a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine, which is good if you’re an American, but not so great if you’re in Asia. 

Over in China, thanks to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIT), we now know that a Nissan Pathfinder specced for the Chinese market is soon on its way. Best of all, it has a radically different look compared to its Western cousin. Starting at the front, the grille and headlight design features prominent horizontal slats, sleek swept-back headlights, and the new design of Nissan’s badge. Overall, the exterior styling appears to be based on the Pathfinder concept Nissan previously unveiled at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show, except for the missing light bar connecting the headlights and taillights.

Aside from providing the exterior photos, the MIT also recorded the size of the Pathfinder. According to their records, the Chinese-spec Pathfinder is 5131 mm long, 1981 mm wide, and 1768 mm tall. Much like the US version, this Pathfinder also has three rows of seats for seven passengers, but aside from the name and the seating capacity, those are where the similarities end. 

The Pathfinder produced by Dongfeng-Nissan is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that produces 248 hp. According to earlier reports, this four-cylinder engine is coupled with a nine-speed automatic transmission, distributing power to all four wheels. The reason why this SUV has a four-pot instead of a bigger V6 is because of a law in China that puts a higher tax on cars with bigger engines. That’s also why Chinese car brands here in the Philippines normally equip their cars with a 2.0-liter or 1.5-liter engine.

Since the Pathfinder has already made its way to China, there is always a possibility that the models they introduce there will also make their way to the Philippines. However, that’s wishful thinking on our part so don’t hold your breath yet.