new Pathfinder Concept coming

[drbandkgb]

I never got that either.. then they put a V8 in it and no rear end..

 

[Scott Brady]

Wish we could get the Patrol - a handsom and completely legit truck

 

[drbandkgb]

yeah those days are gone Im afraid.. With the MPG issues about to hit Im not sure how the next Gen Jeep will meet them either..
I was told there is a loop hole for commercial truck

 

[Strizzo]

if you look back, the xterra took over the "offroad capable SUV" slot in nissan's lineup in 97 when the pathy went unibody the first time. if the xterra somehow ends up with a diesel and 6 speed manual option, i might have to pick one up, but there isn't much room for realistic improvement for the next-gen xterra, if there is one. we can talk about solid front axles and locking diffs all we want, but i'd be suprised if it is any more capable out of the box than it is now.

 

[haven]

Lengthening the XTerra's wheelbase would allow them to compete better with the Wrangler Unlimited and 4Runner. They could shorten up the current XTerra into a new 2 door, but that market is limited compared to the market for a family size 4 door SUV.

 

[drbandkgb]

The Body on frame SUV is getting very limited.. The one beef I have with Nissan and most others is this..
Way too many on the same cars in the same platform.

Nissan has:
Altima
Altima coupe
Maxima
Sentra
Versa
Versa Hatchback
Cube "is categorized as car

Out of those models, You have a Maxima and Altima that are near identical.. I have seen the new Altima in person.. Size and style is very close to Maxima..
Versa and Sentra near identical and I guess you can throw the Cube in here as its based on the Versa platform.. So really you have 2 size cars in all of that..

Now look at the Truck / SUV on frame line..

Frontier (1.5 more years)
Xterra (1.5 more years)
Pathfinder (last year)

These all have shared the basic design and even size.. The Pathy got a V8 and independent rear suspension but really its not much different in size vs The Xterra..
Sure the Pathy had a 3rd row seating but who really wanted to get back there.

Now to the troubling class..

Crossovers

Juke
Rogue
Murano
Quest
and coming soon the Pathy

I know they need a price point for everyone, but at some point the lines get blurred a little.. The new Pathy is only slightly larger than the Murano..
Rogue gets a new start this year but Im guessing size wise it will stay the same.. Juke love it or hate it is in a class all its own.. And the Quest, Well it keeps getting uglier.

The big boys

Titan (2013)
Armada (?)

The Titan is due out in 2013/2014 Nissan is wishy washy on this due to the fall out between them and Chrysler. The all new Ram was set to be a Titan as well as Ram.. Nissan did a great deal in the design work on that truck and really had to start over after the fall out. Armada is a potential dead man walking.. Its big and heavy and that Large SUV is a dying platform. One thing we do know is the MPG's can not get much worse on the truck line. With a projection of 28 MPGs this could be a big jump for the truck platform.


Nissan like most auto manufacturers went all in on the Crossovers.. So with the Pathy moving to a Unibody that shelf is getting pretty bare. The Frontier is due for a new design in 2013/2014. I look to see a V6 / 4cyl diesel option in it. I think you will only see a crew cab this time around too. The days of a single / king cab are done now that Ford killed the Ranger. Your only competing with Chevy and Toyota in the Mid size trucks now. This leave the Xterra as the only option to compete with Toyota's 4runner... This is some what scary to me.. The 4 runner keeps getting watered down. Not to say the latest model is weak.. Just inching down the Mall only road.. Nissan is up in the air about the Xterra.. Its not as dead as so many magazines have predicted for the past 2 years. I have talked with Nissan engineers about the fate of the Xterra and were would be looking at 2014 for a new model..
Xterra is Nissans real shot at a US off road fan base. The idea that it started out as a "every thing you need and nothing you don't" still lingers in the X community. The Gen 2 (2005-2009) Xterra lost its way some what. With a S, SE, and Off road edition, The Xterra tried to poke its nose in to many areas. They fixed that issue with the 2010-2012 X, S and ProX4.
Really it needs to be a basic X bare bones and the ProX4. The SE's started adding to many frills that only soccer moms wanted. If they next Gen 3 hit the market look for the 4 cyl diesel / V6 option..

I think Clean diesel is Nissans key to the trucks all together... People in the truck world want it. No matter what your favorite brand is..

 

[Strizzo]

Lengthening the XTerra's wheelbase would allow them to compete better with the Wrangler Unlimited and 4Runner. They could shorten up the current XTerra into a new 2 door, but that market is limited compared to the market for a family size 4 door SUV.

i have to agree, the reason i went with the xterra was because i realized the FJ cruiser was really just an extended cab tacoma with a tiny indoor cargo area and poor rearward visibility, so shortening the xterra to a 2-door wouldn't really save much, considering it already looks like a 2-door truck anyways. i realized that practicality required four real doors, and the 4runners were overpriced/didn't compete in out of the box off-road capability in the same price range.

i'm pretty sure that the wrangler unlimited has about the same wheelbase as the xterra, and from the looks of it, ingress/egress isn't that much better into/out of the back seats in them either. the big advantage that the pathfinder has over the xterra for most buyers is the comfort and accessibility of the back seat and the better ride from the independent rear suspension.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Wish we could get the Patrol - a handsom and completely legit truck

View attachment 79632

We do get the patrol.

Infiniti QX whatever is a rebadged patrol.

 

[drbandkgb]

When Infinity builds a car or SUV that looks like a Nissan.. Its hardly a rebadge.. With the Smyrna plant building JX's Official launch is in 20 days I think.. The quality that go's in to a Infinity is crazy..
My eyes have been opened to why these cars cost more than a basic Nissan.. ITs a very big deal to have the Infinity brand being built in the US.. They tried to do it when the Canton plant opened but they could not get the quality up to the Infinity name.. Canton had to many new builds going on at the time.

I love how the press releases keep calling it a concept (Jan showing) lol.. Once the JX is launched the plant will finish up the Altima then the PAthfinder is ready to start line trails.. takes about 3 months..

 

[JeffRRC]

i have to agree, the reason i went with the xterra was because i realized the FJ cruiser was really just an extended cab tacoma with a tiny indoor cargo area and poor rearward visibility, so shortening the xterra to a 2-door wouldn't really save much, considering it already looks like a 2-door truck anyways. i realized that practicality required four real doors, and the 4runners were overpriced/didn't compete in out of the box off-road capability in the same price range.

i'm pretty sure that the wrangler unlimited has about the same wheelbase as the xterra, and from the looks of it, ingress/egress isn't that much better into/out of the back seats in them either. the big advantage that the pathfinder has over the xterra for most buyers is the comfort and accessibility of the back seat and the better ride from the independent rear suspension.

Xterra wheelbase is less than 1" longer than the FJ Cruiser (106 vs 105.) and is 10" shorter than the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (106 vs 116).

 

[RMP&O]

We do get the patrol.

Infiniti QX whatever is a rebadged patrol.

yeah we get it once Nissan killed it. Such a bummer....

 

[fangars]

There should be no changes in the Xterra's original purpose. The present wheel base is perfect. If Toyota wants to turn the 4runner and piss on the original purpose there is no reason for Nissan to have the Xterra follow. If they need something to compete with the other bloatmobiles they should pull a new name out of a hat rather then killing another brand like they killed Pathfinder and Patrol.
Its my wish that any changes that come with a next gen Xterra bring it closer to its original purpose rather then creating another bloatmobile.
They could always take this bloatmobile and rebadge it as a Nissan Whatitsname, looks a lot like the new 4runner already.

 

[Strizzo]

Xterra wheelbase is less than 1" longer than the FJ Cruiser (106 vs 105.) and is 10" shorter than the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (106 vs 116).

i must have been thinking about the original unlimited wheelbase, but the xterra is much more practical than the FJ, and at least as practical as the wrangler unlimited. hell, just look how many raptors ford is selling now that they come in a four-door version.

 

[fishy_frontier]

http://jalopnik.com/5874288/2013-nissan-pathfinder-first-photos/gallery/1

Well there it is I guess. Looks like they took design ques from the subaru outback.

 

[standog]

I got an 07 pathy and love it. I have taken it everywhere my built xterra went. It does take a little bit more finess but the size and ride is so much better than the X ever was. I plan on getting bilstien lift with taxes and ARB with bonus.