As the world moves towards smaller and lighter vehicles, Nissan holds the line with the 2024 Pathfinder ST-L, flipping the bird, with a cheeky grin. It’s big, bold and never going to change, and nor should it.
With seven driving modes and enough room to fit a basketball team with room to spare, it’s the opposite of minimalist design, in the best, tech-packed, safety-forward, way possible. That begins with its exterior design.
The front end is almost box-like, with minimal contouring on the bonnet. Curves start to form from the LED headlights down, while chrome tastefully borders the centre grille. You’ll find cleverly placed sensors in the bumper and front lip, as well as a set of LED fog lights.
We’re a big fan of the subtle design inclusions of cameras and sensors, as it maintains the clean aesthetic of the build. Move on over to the side, and the sense of size and space really shines through.
The 2024 Nissan Pathfinder ST-L is kitted out with 18-inch dark painted alloy wheels, bordered against black side mouldings around the guards and side skirts. Door handles match the body colour, and nice large windows feature privacy glass from row two back.
Black roof rails are also included. At the rear, a stylish rear spoiler wraps around the tailgate window, followed by LED taillights etched into the body contour. Once again, camera and sensors are well placed, without drawing much attention.
Pathfinder is marked loud and proud across the tailgate, clearing any doubts for those wondering. Cargo capacity kicks off at 205-litres with all three rows in use, or 782-litres with the back set of seats down. That space came in handy while we moved house.
The interior is nice, felt immediately as your tush meets with the 10-way, power adjustable, heated driver’s seat. The front passenger scores a 6-way version. Row two and three can hold a trio of people, making this big SUV an eight seater.
Although the seats are fabric, they are remarkably comfortable, although the third set may be a little tight for full grown adults. Nissan have designed an EZ-Flex seating system, which gives row two the ability to slide forward at the push of a button.
It even works if it has a baby seat attached, which is impressive. The middle pews are fitted with ISOFIX and tethers on the outer seats, and the latter in the middle spot. In row three, there’s an extra one of each, making for an incredibly children friendly vehicle.
Tech-wise, you’ll find a 9.0-inch central touchscreen display, a 7.0-inch TFT in the instrument cluster and a 10.8-inch head-up display. It’s practically a cinema. We’d like to say it’s matched with a banging BOSE sound system, but that’s reserved for the Ti models.
Instead there’s a mediocre 6-speaker audio setup, and you can tell. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included though, so there’s that. You also won’t find wireless charging, but you do score a USB-A and USB-C port in both the first and second row.
There are generous and well-placed cup holders in the centre, great (tri-zone) climate control, and deep pockets in the doors. The ST-L misses out on a sunroof too. There’s also a metric tonne of safety technology.
Everything you’d expect is on board, and we can vouch for the intelligent cruise control, the rear-view camera clarity, and parking assist capabilities. The 2024 Nissan Pathfinder ST-L has a 5-star ANCAP safety rating.
Under the hood is a 3.5-litre DOHC 24-valve direct injection V6 petrol engine, channelled through a 9-speed automatic transmission. Our test vehicle was the 4WD version (it can also be had in front-wheel drive), which adds a terrain mode selector with seven options.
This combination generates up to 202kW of power and 340Nm of torque. While that sounds like a lot, when you consider its kerb mass is almost 2,000kg, it’s not as much as you think. It does take a bit of pedal power to move, and it’s not in any particular hurry either.
A 71-litre tank supports fuel consumption figures that Nissan says sit at around 10.5-litres/100km. In real world testing, we saw 14.7-litres, but did have it full of cargo for most of its test period.
In reality, the driving experience is actually really good, regardless of the load on board. It’s a big unit, so turning circles and parking will always be a predicament, but they’re easily catered for by the driver assist technology. Stopping power is good but not great.
Overall, the 2024 Nissan Pathfinder ST-L offers a nod to its past, while improving on the things that matter, like safety. It comes in a range of colours, including Super Black, Glacier White, Brilliant Silver, Gun Metallic, Scarlett Ember, Ivory Pearland Deep Ocean Blue Pearl.
You also get a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty and the same period of roadside assistance. Priced from $66,318 drive away, you can find out more from your local Nissan dealership, or visit their website.
To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was supplied by Nissan Australia for independent review purposes.
