2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid Boasts Supercharged I-4, 26 MPG Combined

Show floor update: Nissan’s first in-house-developed hybrid aims to exact little or no penalty in terms of packaging or utility — even towing remains at 3500 pounds. That’s because this generation’s front-drive-based platform was designed from the outset to be a hybrid. Keeping that capability played in to the decision to supercharge the 2.5-liter instead of the more obvious option of turbocharging (since the electric motor can fill the low-end torque hole typically left by an efficient turbo). Andy Palmer asserts that to get sufficient output to equal V-6 performance in sand or towing, would have required larger or twin sequential turbos. The Roots-type supercharger is more power dense. — Frank Markus

The fourth-generation Nissan Pathfinder has gone a different route than its immediate predecessor, moving to a car-based crossover platform and adopting seven-passenger seating. Now, the model distances itself farther from its body-on-frame ancestors with the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, debuting at the 2013 New York auto show.

The new crossover exchanges the standard Pathfinder’s VQ-family 3.5-liter V-6 for a supercharged 2.5-liter I-4, which is supplemented by a 15-kW electric motor and compact lithium-ion battery. Combined output of the system is rated at 250 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque, down slightly from the V-6’s 260 hp but up from its 240 lb-ft. Managing power output from the engine and electric motor is Nissan’s Intelligent Dual Clutch System, which uses one clutch between the I-4 and CVT in place of a torque convertor, and another between the engine and electric motor. The setup can also charge the battery by converting deceleration energy from the CVT into electricity.

Nissan estimates fuel economy of 25/27 mpg city/highway and 26 mpg combined for the Pathfinder Hybrid. That figure represents a 24-percent increase over the standard Pathfinder, and when paired with the crossover’s 19.5-gallon fuel tank, yields an estimated range of 526 miles. The lithium-ion battery resides beneath the third-row seat, preserving the vehicle’s sliding second-row seat function.

Visually, the hybrid model’s only distinguishing features from a standard Pathfinder are special LED taillights and new Puredrive Hybrid badging. Inside, the in-cluster display receives special hybrid info screens. The 2014 Nissan Pathfinder will be available in three trim levels, including SV, SL, and Platinum, with all-wheel drive available as an option. Nissan says the hybrid will carry a price premium of around $3000 over comparably equipped V-6 Pathfinders when it goes on sale in late summer. While the base-model 2013 Pathfinder S is priced at $29,495, the front-drive SV trim costs $32,755, which suggests the least expensive 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid will cost around $35,755, and about $1600 more for all-wheel drive.