2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid details

Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid

The 2014 Pathfinder Hybrid is nearly 20 percent more fuel efficient than it's gas sibling, but to find out how it performs Nissan invited me to drive a production-intent prototype on a short loop through the streets of downtown Nashville, Tenn.

The newly updated exterior of the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder is quite handsome. The more bulbous exterior look carried over from the Murano suits the Pathfinder and gives it a much softer look without dumbing it down.

According to Nissan, with the exception of what’s under the hood and the lower tow rating, the Pathfinder hybrid is pretty much the same as the gas-powered Pathfinder. The hybrid gets LED taillights, a few Puredrive hybrid exterior badges, and special hybrid-information screens in the gauge cluster. Nissan even figured out a way to mount the lithium-ion battery pack beneath the third-row seat in such a way that the chairs can still fold flat, and cargo capacity is unaffected. The hybrid gear is available as a powertrain option on three of the standard Pathfinder’s four trim levels SV, SL, and Platinum and buyers have the choice of front- or all-wheel drive.

The Pathfinder really looks best from the front, where its sharp headlamp angles and the prominent new grille are large enough to check your hair like a bathroom mirror. The 2014 Rogue’s LED running lights are also absent on the Pathfinder, despite this truck being new just this year.

The bench seat in the second row slides back and forth, giving more legroom if the third row is empty. It also has a complex sliding-and-folding mechanism for access to the back row that lets parents leave their child seats locked in place even while the seat partially collapses--truly a parent-friendly feature. That third row has short, flat, van-like cushions that sit surprisingly low. That's good for headroom for growing teens, but it's still marginal for an adult. That nonetheless actually makes it roomier than most third rows.

Nissan's new setup utilizes a supercharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder for gasoline-powered motivation. A CVT handles "shifting" duties, and a 15-kw electric motor sits between the engine and transmission with a pair of clutches to disconnect it from the system and conserve energy as situations allow. Nissan says the goal of the powertrain is to produce V6-like output without a commensurate appetite for fossil fuel.

EPA fuel economy numbers have not been released, but Nissan claims the front-drive Hybrid will achieve 25/27/26. With this powertrain, towing capacity drops to 3,500 pounds.

The Pathfinder Hybrid’s class-exclusive, next-generation Xtronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), eliminates gears by using a precisely machined metal drive chain instead of traditional fixed metal gears, which transpires power from the engine to the wheels far more effectively and smoothly.

The Pathfinder comes with fewer standard features than many SUVs in the class. A six-speaker stereo and tri-zone automatic climate control are standard on all trims. Options include Nissan's Around View Monitor camera system, which uses four cameras to give a birds-eye view around the vehicle, Bluetooth, navigation, a panoramic sunroof and a 13-speaker Bose sound system.

The Pathfinder comes with 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes and six airbags, including side airbags for front passengers and full-length side-curtain airbags. Electronic traction and stability control are also standard, as is Hill Start Assist.

Pricing for the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid starts at $35,970; that'll get you a hybrid front-wheel drive Pathfinder SV. You can climb all the way up the price chart to $45,210 for the all-wheel-drive Pathfinder Platinum Hybrid.