2013 Nissan Pathfinder Concept

A preview of the next Pathfinder, Nissan’s midsize SUV. It showcases styling cues that will carry over to other models in the lineup.

It looks much sleeker than the current Pathfinder, morphing from a boxy truck into a tall wagon. What’s underneath is quite different as well. Nissan abandoned the traditional truck underpinnings — called a ladder frame — of the previous model for a carlike unibody structure. Technical details are sparse, but Nissan says the new Pathfinder will have a V6 engine and a continuously variable transmission that will deliver 25 percent better fuel economy. It will also get 4-wheel drive and a decent towing capacity. It will seat seven, like before, and have more legroom in all three rows, as well as more cargo space behind the third row.

Continuously variable transmissions are great for improving gas mileage, but not everyone likes the driving experience they create — there’s no gear changing. Other than that, it’s too soon to tell what other faults might lurk.

The new production version of the Pathfinder will go on sale this fall; pricing has yet to be announced. We expect it to cost close to what the existing model does.

The current Pathfinder is a holdover from a different era, when SUVs were tough trucks that could handle rough terrain. The new Pathfinder is so different from the current one that a name change would almost seem in order — maybe something like Streetfinder or Highwayfinder. Essentially, Nissan is adopting the same formula all automakers have been following to keep this segment from becoming extinct: make midsize SUVs more carlike and fuel-efficient.

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