As an off-road utility vehicle that first graced the market back in the mid-1980s, the Nissan Pathfinder was a very different beast from what it is today. In fact, in looks and function the original Pathfinder was much more of a desert-explorer than the pedestrian crossover for families it later became. Even more to the point, the original Japanese version of the SUV was actually tuned for the Dakar Rally, and was quite successful. However, to broaden the market appeal, the two-door SUV turned into a four-door crossover, and was given more comfort and convenience features to appeal to a wider audience.
The original SUV, which seemed more like a competitor to the Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, became more of a competitor to the Ford Explorer or Jeep Cherokee. Over each successive generation, those who opted to buy a Nissan Pathfinder for sale often did so more for its daily-driver appeal rather than its off-road prowess. This was something that Nissan leaned heavily into as well, with the newer generations slowly moving further away from its off-road roots.
For instance, during its fourth generation, the Nissan Pathfinder didn’t even have a dedicated off-road trim as part of the base model offerings. This is despite the fact that the Pathfinder still came in two-wheel or four-wheel drive options. It was clearly designed to participate in off-road recreation, except Nissan wasn’t too interested in focusing on that aspect of the Pathfinder’s persona–until now. With the new fifth generation models, the Pathfinder now finds itself not only indulging in a bit more of the luxury side of its SUV offerings, but also moving back to its off-road roots, all while still catering to a modern market audience.
Bigger Bolder, and More Capable
The latest generation of the Pathfinder has a much bolder, completely revamped look to its predecessor. The Pathfinder is now slightly taller and slightly wider than its outgoing model, even though it has the same wheelbase. This gives the SUV a much more aggressive look to match its three-row design.
What’s more is that the added expanse of the Pathfinder lends itself well to looking a lot more rugged, which is a great way to match the off-road appeal that some enthusiasts are looking for in an SUV. The more squared-away stature and prominent feature of the V-Motion design on the front fascia helps give the Pathfinder a more muscular stance, which is great for stability purposes. When you combine that with the improved 3.5L V6 with more torque to spare, you can see how there are a lot of essential elements in place for a very capable off-road SUV.
When you combine this updated look with the four-wheel drive design, you can see how Nissan poised the new Pathfinder to be much more acclimated towards not only being a very luxury-themed SUV, but also a three-row off-road SUV. It’s a unique gesture for a vehicle as large as the new Pathfinder, as most off-road pursuits by today’s automakers are positioning the compact and midsize vehicles as the off-road options. But the Pathfinder moving back to its roots seems to be indicative of Nissan opting to bring back classic features for a new generation design.
The Rock Creek Paves the Pathfinder’s Way
Originally introduced as a special edition during the fourth-generation run of the Pathfinder, the Rock Creek Edition offered some great features that pushed the Pathfinder back towards its off-road roots. The 2020 Pathfinder Rock Creek was just a special edition appearance package, though, featuring black accents around the vehicle such as the door handles, outside mirrors, roof rails, and the V-Motion grille, along with black 18-inch wheels with silver accents.
Foregoing any mechanical alterations or improvements, the Rock Creek of the previous generation topped out its offerings with interior badging, but little else in the way of making any significant changes to the Pathfinder. However, it ignited a fire under Nissan to do more with the Pathfinder beyond just appearance packages. Feedback on the original Rock Creek Edition showed Nissan that there was, and is, an audience looking for a three-row crossover SUV that is off-road capable. Nissan has leaned into this heavily while rolling out the fifth generation Pathfinder.
Instead of relegating the Rock Creek to a special edition or an appearance package, Nissan did the right thing by making the Rock Creek a staple in the Pathfinder’s trim line-up. Rather than being relegated to the sidelines or as an afterthought to the main offerings, the Rock Creek became a main offering alongside the rest of the model year line-up as a dedicated off-road trim. The Rock Creek comes with its own unique flavor, involving orange interior stitching and badging, along with vinyl upholstery.
On the outside, the Rock Creek comes with 18-inch wheels paired with all-terrain tires, and a suspension setup designed for off-road travel. The lifted suspension and modified front fascia for optimized approach angles are paired with an improved V6 engine that makes up to 295 horsepower, exclusive to the Rock Creek trim. Nissan recognizes that off-road enthusiasts want more power and performance out of their vehicles, and they’re delivering that with the Rock Creek. It’s not just an appearance package this time around.
Fusing the Old With the New
The Nissan Pathfinder is still a ways off from the more hardcore off-roading features you might find on a Jeep Trailhawk, a Ford Raptor, or a Chevy ZR2. However, you still have some impressive off-road capabilities from a three-row crossover that had mostly become an afterthought, or simply not present during previous generations of Nissan’s popular family SUV. After Nissan graduated the 1980s with some impressive off-road Dakar Rally feats, they simply focused more on what the market wanted from the Pathfinder: a reliable family vehicle.
The SUV took a sharp 180-degree turn from its roots and went gung-ho in the direction that showed to be the most lucrative for Nissan. The decision made sense at the time. The Pathfinder saw a sales explosion throughout the 1990s, especially after the second generation came out in 1995, where it was regularly selling twice as well as it did during the first generation. It made sense that Nissan further tapped into that market all while the off-road focus dwindled out of view in favor of the Pathfinder becoming a more domesticated SUV.
The newest generation now sees Nissan back on board the off-road train. The focus on the fifth generation Pathfinder finding a home among off-road enthusiasts seems fitting, especially since it was 35 years from when the Pathfinder originally participated in the Dakar Rally for the first time to when they made the Rock Creek trim a staple in the Pathfinder’s line-up.
How well will the Rock Creek move the Pathfinder on the sales dial within the off-road enthusiast market? We’ll have to wait a little while before we can properly gauge that, as the Rock Creek trim is still fairly new. However, the sleek new look of the Pathfinder as part of the fifth generation overhaul, plus the combination of offering a very powerful and capable off-road model, will surely lure in a lot of onlookers in the market for a three-row crossover SUV, especially one with some alluring off-road capabilities.
