2013 Nissan Pathfinder Revealed

The move to a unibody isn't surprising, not only because of the potential to save weight and improve fuel economy, but also because the switch will likely provide a more car-like ride.

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cknowledging the reality that most mid-size SUV buyers don't take their rigs off-road, Nissan is moving its 2013 Pathfinder from a body-on-frame platform to a unibody setup.

The Pathfinder will share its platform with the Infiniti JX which went on sale earlier this year, and Nissan is promising a 30 percent improvement in fuel economy and seven-passenger seating.

2013 Nissan Pathfinder

The new Pathfinder drops 500 pounds and will have fuel-economy ratings of 20 mpg city and 26 mpg highway with the front-wheel drive model, and 19/25 with the all-wheel-drive model.

Power will come from a 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 260 horsepower, with the ability to tow up to 5,000 pounds. A continuously-variable automatic transmission will get the power to the wheels.

2013 Nissan Pathfinder

The move to a unibody isn't surprising, not only because of the potential to save weight and improve fuel economy, but also because the switch will likely provide a more car-like ride. Also, as mentioned above, few SUV buyers plan on trail-bashing with their SUVs, so Nissan is following the lead of Ford (which switched its Explorer to unibody construction for the 2011 model year) and others by moving the Pathfinder away from body on frame.

Nissan is targeting a fall on-sale date.

[Sources: Autoblog, Nissan]