MOM'S TAXI TEST: Peta Lee samples the Nissan Pathfinder V9X V6 turbodiesel:
Don't know why, but I've always viewed the Pathfinder as a man's kind of vehicle … possibly because a friend of mine has owned one for years and he's very much a man's man.
He's done extensive travelling in his Nissan: back and forth to Zimbabwe and Zambia for at more than a decade, into the back of beyond collecting and ferrying around giant-sized stone sculptures from various artists. He's forded rivers and mountains, and criss-crossed some pretty damn horrible terrain in his Pathfinder, and it's just kept chugging along. He loves it.
Climbing into and driving the latest and most powerful version - the very fine V9X V6 turbodiesel - I couldn't believe the comparison between his old model and this new one.
In fact, if you're planning a cross-Kalahari excursion, or one of those marvellous odysseys across Africa, you'll love Nissan's new Pathfinder. Big, brawny, dependable, comfortable, easy to handle (sounds like the ideal man!), the Pathfinder also doubles up as an exceptionally useful mom's taxi.
Although it's never really floated my boat (I've always been more a Murano or Qashqai fan, probably because they're prettier), I have to concede a newly formed bond with the ultimate machine from the Nissan stable.
With all the plushness, luxury and comfort of a top-of-the-range luxury sedan (heated seats, aircon, leather and hidden compartments, and no less than 64 ways to arrange the seven roomy seats), the 4x4 should do well to not only entrench its regular fans but also welcome loads of new Nissan buyers.
Yes it IS big, and tall, but with that comes a sense of security and invincibility. It looks good, too, with its roof rails, that attractive refreshed front grille, very much like the X-Trail's, sunroof and flared wheel arches. Not forgetting those big fat 17-inch alloy wheels...
The powerful 3-litre V6 common rail turbodiesel engine (170kW at 3750rpm and 550Nm at 1750rpm) is a real blast, ladies, and will shatter any misconceptions about what might, at first glance, appear to be a big fairly sluggish-looking vehicle. Amazingly, you'll do the 0-100km/h sprint in a rapid 8.9 seconds, making the Pathfinder no slouch on the straight and narrow.
Admittedly it's a bit of a guzzler, but hell, the ride is such fun you don't mind. It comes with a seven-speed automatic gearbox, which is smooth and sublime. Unsurprisingly, it has all the bells and whistles you'd expect, like ABS and Active Brake Limited Slip, which controls all four wheels and prevents wheel slip.
And if you need to make an evasive manoeuvre, the Vehicle Dynamic Control system uses sensors to automatically control the brake pressure on individual wheels and maintain the engine output to enhance vehicle stability and keep you in control.
The kids and I had a fine time in the Pathfinder, and they were constantly re-arranging the seating, which almost drove me round the bend. But I enjoyed the drive immensely: it was remarkably smooth and comfortable, and over some rocky negotiations, I was reassured by the massive 231mm ground clearance (and maximum wading depth of 450mm).
Looking down at it from our third-storey office windows, I was surprised at how long the Pathfinder was, yet despite that, I never had any problems parking or reversing it.
Nice one, Nissan. Now I just need to find R619 900 (without Satnav, or R644 900 with).