2024 Nissan Pathfinder line-up could expand giving Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Palisade rival starting price closer to $55K

More grades of fifth-gen R53 Nissan Pathfinder large SUV have appeared in Australian new-car homologation documents.

Three front-wheel drive and two all-wheel drive options join the existing Ti and Ti-L 4WD models in the documents, potentially swelling the two-strong range to seven.

Nissan Australia declined to comment on whether the newly-unearthed trim levels will be added to the seven- and eight-seat SUV range.

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That said, it's unlikely Nissan would go to the trouble of homologating new trim names and a FWD model without the intent of bringing them to market.

It can be as long as six months between these documents appearing and vehicles arriving, though it is usually shorter - again, not guaranteed. 

There’s limited detail to pull from the documents, though it appears the front-drive model uses the same ‘Engine - a’ powertrain, 3.5-litre direct injection V6 developing 202kW and 340Nm mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. 

The American-built Pathfinder is one of the bigger large monocoque SUVs available.

Nissan has not detailed what level of equipment the new Pathfinder trims would feature.

Based on the North American Pathfinder range, we can speculate the front-drive ST might feature a simpler 18-inch alloy wheel design, cloth upholstery, more basic sound system, 8.0-inch touchscreen and a polyurethane steering wheel. 

An ST+ may get different alloy wheels and LED headlights, a larger 9.0-inch touchscreen and perhaps more safety equipment. 

A leather-wrapped steering wheel and power-adjust, heated seats are likely for the ST-L as leather-accented upholstery is currently reserved for the Ti grade. 

Nissan may add more affordable Pathfinder variants with cloth upholstery to lower price-of-entry.

ST and ST-L AWD grades also look likely, making the Pathfinder range swell from a meagre two to a full-bodied seven. 

There’s still space for Nissan to add a rugged off-road version, potentially built off the North American Rock Creek edition, wearing N-Trek – or even Warrior – insignia.

One reason Nissan may be looking to add more trims is to drive Pathfinder sale. Nissan's three-row SUV made up 0.6 per cent of the market in Q1 2024; monocoque rivals such as the Hyundai Palisade (2.5 per cent) and Toyota Kluger (8.2 per cent) took a much larger slice of the pie. 

Expect similar amounts of cabin practicality from more affordable trims – if they arrive.

Hyundai offers a front-drive V6 Palisade Elite from $66,800 and Toyota goes even lower with its seven-seat Kluger GX priced at $54,420, both before on-road costs.

Looking at other models in Nissan’s range, expect a base-model Pathfinder ST FWD to arrive between $55-58K and mid-spec ST-L around $65K.