The 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid was parked at the 2013 Nissan 360 event along with a multitude of other Nissan vehicles, ready to be tested. This event had Nissan bringing many vehicles from all over the world to Orange County/Irvine, CA. The Nissan 360 event happens every four years for journalists.
Here’s the catch: you only have a few minutes to get all of your filming, testing and interviews in the can. Other journalists are in line to drive the vehicle you’re working on. Piece of cake! The Fast Lane Car does that all the time.
Here’s what we know about the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid:
- Nissan removed the 3.5-liter V6 and replaced it with a supercharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine.
- A 15 kilowatt (kW) electric motor works in conjunction with the engine to approximate the power of the V6 while aiding cleaner emissions and gas mileage.
- Combined, the output is 250 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder’s V6 puts out 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque. What’s interesting to note: if you take the combination of the supercharged four-cylinder and the 15 kW motor up to The Fast Lane Car’s stomping ground, (about 6,000 feet elevation) I suspect it will trounce the V6. I’m looking forward to a 0 to 60 mph time trial.
- Very little distinguishes the Pathfinder Hybrid from the regular Pathfinder other than a few innocuous badges, LED taillights and a hybrid display in the IP. Otherwise, it looks like a regular Pathfinder. The CVT feels the same too.
- The Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid is available in all of the same trims as the regular one and it’s offered in FWD and 4WD.
- Combined mpg is currently rated at 26 mpg in the FWD model.
- The price premium for the Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid is expected to be about $3,000.
- Evan Fulton, Product Planning Nissan North America, gave me some details about the Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid and gave a brief interview featured in this video. He came away from our first Nissan Pathfinder drive unscathed, and put up with our nonsense too. Nice guy.
In my brief testing period, I noted that the Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid drives and feels about the same as its V6 brethren. It’s comfortable, easy to pilot and has great acceleration. It’s also a bit ponderous and the CVT/engine noise tends to drone.
Another interesting aspect of this video: Roman was busy in Colorado pumping out his flooded basement. This meant I had no minder/supervisor/cranky-old(ish)-man looking over my shoulder. As such, I behaved accordingly.
Enjoy the video!
