2 hours ago
3
Nissan's Pathfinder could return to a body-on-frame chassis, rivalling the Toyota Prado, Ford Everest and Mitsubishi Pajero if it remains on sale in Australia.
Family Cars
The next-generation Nissan Pathfinder will revert to a ute-based body-on-frame chassis – replacing the unibody car platform it has used for more than a decade – US dealers have reportedly been told.
Automotive News reports Nissan confirmed at its 2026 dealer conference that it will launch five US-built models based on a new ladder-frame chassis: the reborn Xterra, the next-generation Pathfinder, Frontier and Infiniti QX60, and an Infiniti variant of the Xterra.
The Nissan Xterra will be the first vehicle to debut with the new chassis, reportedly arriving at US dealerships in the second half of 2028, followed by the other models.
Since its launch in 1986, the Nissan Pathfinder has switched between a unibody and body-on-frame chassis, depending on the generation.
The first (D21) and third (R51) generations were body-on-frame and related to the Navara ute, while the second (R50), fourth (R52) and fifth (R53) generations were unibody, with the latest model dating back to 2021.
However, the Australian future of the Pathfinder is in doubt due to global exchange rate pressures, slow sales and its lack of hybrid power – while it is unknown if Nissan's new ladder-frame chassis has been developed with right-hand drive markets in mind.
A facelift for the current-generation Pathfinder debuted in the US in November 2025, but it has yet to be confirmed for Australia.
At Nissan USA's 2026 national dealer conference, regional chairman Christian Meunier said the brand aims to sell one million vehicles in the United States in 2027, which would be its best year since 2019.
In 2025, Nissan sold 873,307 vehicles in the US, and the company is forecasting 10 per cent growth for 2026 as it launches new models, including the Mitsubishi Outlander-based Rogue Plug-In Hybrid and the next-generation Rogue (X-Trail) with its e-Power hybrid system.
Locally, 35,511 Nissan vehicles were reported as sold last year, a 21.6 per cent decrease from 2024, with the Pathfinder achieving 732 sales, making it one of the slowest-selling vehicles in its segment.
Family Cars Guide
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
