SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here probably applies to the models you can get at home.

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*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports.

We try the Nissan Pathfinder LE 3.0 V6 dCi

When there are obstacles to overcome

Published in The Witness Motoring on Wednesday January 26,2011

Just a few months ago Nissan's rugged off-roaders, the Navara and Pathfinder, were treated to "midlife refreshes."  At the same time the 2.5 litre diesel motor came in for a power and torque boost, giving the range-topping LE models a useful leg up in the muscle department while most of the lowlier models moved up an engine notch as well.

What fans suspected, and we were told to "wait and see," was the new Alliance-designed 3.0 litre V6 diesel; cleaner, lighter, stronger and car-like in its smoothness and quietness. It sneaked without fanfare onto my driveway recently. It took a while for the facts to filter through, because I noticed the V6 badge immediately and assumed it was the 4.0 litre petrol version, but the rev counter redlined at 5 000 made me wonder. I had to stand outside the car with the engine running, to be sure that this was in fact the new diesel.

The new V6, codenamed V9X, develops 170 kW of power at 3 750 rpm and 550 Nm of torque between 1 700 and 2 500 rpm, with 500 Nm available at just 1 500 rpm. This gives the top Pathfinders and Navaras stump-pulling power when there are obstacles to overcome and the ability to cruise even more effortlessly on the freeway when in civilian mode. A new seven-speed automatic gearbox with manual override, deals out the power.   

A departure from common practice in 4x4s built for manne, is that this new Pathfinder provides awd "on demand" just like your baby sister's soft-roader. You do your daily rounds in 4x2 mode with the selector dial set on "Auto", knowing that awd will kick in as needed. When there is real work to be done, you simply dial in 4x4 High or 4x4 Low.

Nissan bills its Pathfinder as a premium product and so it is with all the usual electronic aids, leather trim, a driver's seat that adjusts for up, down and tilt, plus the usual functions and has two memory settings as well, a really smart Bose sound system, keyless start and six airbags.  A sunroof, side steps and roof rails are part of the package. An additional R25 000 buys you an even smarter sound system, greater Bluetooth connectivity, a DVD player, satnav and a reversing camera; hardly worth overlooking, is it?

Space-wise, in normal five-seater mode, people room is plentiful with easy entry and exit thanks to grab handles at each doorway. Luggage room measures out at 515 litres, increasing to 2 091 litres when the rear seats are tumbled forward. With the additional kiddie seats pulled out from the floor, primary luggage space shrinks to 190 litres, so you won't be using them too often will you? They are also a bit of a mission to extract, because the second row seat backs (all three of them) need to be tilted first. And anybody taller than about five-foot-nothing or older than thirty will battle to get in or out of there.

Internal storage consists of two medium-sized cubbies, a small box under the aircon and radio controls, a bigger one in the centre console, bins in the doors and front row seatback pockets.

Out on the freeway, the Pathfinder cruises at 2 000 rpm in top gear and accelerates strongly from there if needed. While the sunroof is very pleasant at low speeds, it might be a good idea to keep it closed at serious travelling velocities - it gets noisy. On provincial dirt roads, our comments on the Navara apply equally to the Pathfinder - good, but even though it's a unibody SUV with all-independent suspension, it's quite firm.

While the Pathfinder LE with the more powerful version of the 2.5 litre diesel is great, the V9X motor makes it just so much more civilised. OK, it's more potent as well, but smooth and quiet is what this one is all about.

The numbers

Prices: R619 900 (standard) R644 900 (satnav)

Engine: 2 991 cc 24-valve V6 turbodiesel

Power: 170 kW at 3 750 rpm

Torque: 550 Nm between 1 700 and 2 500 rpm

Zero to 100 km/h (claimed): 8,9 seconds

Maximum speed (claimed): 200 km/h

Real life fuel consumption: about 10,1 l/100 km

Tank: 80 litres

Max. trailer mass (braked): 3 500 kg

Max. roof carrier load: 100 kg

Ground clearance: 231 mm

Wading depth: 450 mm

Approach/departure/rampover angles: 30/26/24 degrees

Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km

Service plan: 3 years/90 000 km

Intervals: 15 000 km

To read our review of the 2014 update click here

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves.

What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the central hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and go to kick back and relax. 

So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!

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