Just the Facts:-Nissan's midsize Pathfinder SUV is shifting from a body-on-frame design to unitized construction for model year 2013.
-The Pathfinder Concept previews the production version that will reach U.S. dealers this fall.
-The 2013 Pathfinder gets a smaller V6 engine and continuously variable automatic transmission.
DETROIT — Nissan's midsize Pathfinder SUV is shifting from a body-on-frame design to unitized construction for model year 2013. And that's not the only major change on the fourth-generation Pathfinder that's due to reach U.S. dealers this fall and is previewed in the Pathfinder Concept that debuts here at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.
To secure a 25-percent increase in combined city/highway fuel economy, while retaining the vehicle's towing capability, Nissan is reducing the weight of the 2013 Pathfinder and fitting it with a smaller-displacement V6 and a continuously variable automatic transmission.
The current 2012 Pathfinder, which shares its body-on-frame architecture with the much larger Nissan Armada, comes with a standard 4.0-liter V6 and five-speed automatic transmission. The EPA rates that combination at 15 mpg in city driving and 22 mpg on the highway.
The next-gen Pathfinder is likely to borrow heavily from the Murano, which has a 260-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 and a CVT, with EPA city/highway ratings of 18/23 mpg.
Nissan said the smaller V6 in the 2013 Pathfinder "maintains nearly the same horsepower as the previous generation's larger-displacement V6."
The Pathfinder Concept shows off the new exterior design cues that are expected to grace future Nissan trucks, but its interior won't be revealed until either the Chicago or New York auto show.
Nissan said the truck will have three rows of seats, with accommodations for seven passengers.
The automaker said the new Pathfinder will feature an "intuitive four-wheel-drive system," as well as "towing capacity competitive with leaders in the segment." The interior will have "excellent legroom in all three rows and ample cargo room behind the third row."
Inside Line says: Nissan says the 2013 Pathfinder is one of 20 new or redesigned products that it plans to bring to the U.S. market over the next two years.
Source;
http://www.insideline.com/nissan/pathfinder/2013/2013-nissan-pathfinder-concept-2012-detroit-auto-show.html