Nissan Pathfinder faces the axe

NISSAN is weighing the future of its long-serving Pathfinder nameplate in the Australian market as languishing sales impact the model’s relevance.

Launched locally in its current form in December 2022, the petrol-only fifth-generation Pathfinder has failed to ignite the interests of Australian buyers, selling just 2203 examples between January 2023 and the present day.

That figure places the Nissan Pathfinder well behind rivals like the Ford Everest, with comparable sales of 48,785 units, and even ageing Japanese rival, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, with 14,640 unit sales.

Speaking with GoAuto at the launch of the MY25 Patrol and Patrol Warrior in Torquay this week, Nissan Oceania managing director Andrew Humberstone said the US-built Pathfinder was a victim of tariff and exchange rate implications that continue to see it unfairly positioned against comparable Thai-built competitors.

“The challenge we have with the Pathfinder is that because it’s produced in the United States, we have the issue of an evolving tariff story at the moment – which we do not know how it’s going to play out – as well as the issue of exchange rate challenges,” he said.

“At the end of the day we are a business, and it (the Pathfinder) needs to be commercially viable. To answer your question with full transparency, the future of the Pathfinder will depend on the outcomes to (the Trump administration’s) tariffs and the US exchange rate.”

While Mr Humberstone offered no timeline on when the Pathfinder might depart the Nissan Australia portfolio, he suggested that current generations of the Large segment SUV have missed the mark with an audience accustomed to a more rugged and off-road-centric offering.

“We would love to keep the vehicle and give it an opportunity to grow. Customers loved it historically, but in its current position it faces an uphill battle,” he proffered.

“At the moment, it is in a ‘watch and see’ situation, and we will have to decide (on whether we axe the Pathfinder locally) sooner or later.”

Without a turbo-diesel or hybridised alternative in the range, the eight-seat Pathfinder instead relies solely upon Nissan’s proven 202kW/340Nm VQ35DD-series 3.5-litre petrol V6 and paired with a nine-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

With a lower 2700kg towing capacity, higher fuel consumption average, and higher list price than most of its segment alternatives, the Pathfinder is currently offered only in higher trim grades with an entry price from $59,945 plus on-road costs.

That compares with $54,240 + ORC for a comparable Ford Everest and $44,940 + ORC for a similarly specified Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.

Year-to-date sales figures show the Nissan Pathfinder has notched up just 279 unit sales (and 0.6 market share points), placing it second-last to the also US-made Jeep Wrangler with 151 unit sales (0.3 per cent).

By contrast, the Ford Everest has managed 7220 registrations to the end of April 2025 (and 16.3 market share points) and the now-defunct Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 5547 unit sales (4.4 per cent).

2025 Large SUV over $70K YTD sales*:

*Sales data supplied courtesy of VFACTS.