The Pathfinder reaches its 40th anniversary this year, and Nissan is marking the occasion with a 2027 SUV that pays homage to the original model’s utility-focused character. It includes several design cues inspired by the trail-ready first-generation Pathfinder, but a more faithful return to that spirit may be coming in 2029.
Before looking ahead, the 2027 Nissan Pathfinder Special Edition remains fundamentally the same three-row SUV introduced for 2022. Its standout anniversary feature is an exclusive two-tone black-and-burgundy interior, inspired by the burgundy cloth upholstery offered in the 1987 Pathfinder.
The package also includes black 20-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, second-row captain’s chairs, a 12-speaker Bose audio system, and a tow hitch receiver. The hitch raises the Pathfinder’s towing capacity to 6,000 lbs (2,720 kg). Although the exterior does not make a particularly strong retro statement, its powertrain is notably old-school in an age of turbocharged engines: a naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 producing 284 horsepower (288 PS) and 259 lb-ft (352 Nm).
The front-wheel-drive Pathfinder SV starts at $41,565, including the $1,575 destination charge. The front-drive Special Edition costs $48,965 all-in, placing it below the $51,465 Platinum. Choosing all-wheel drive brings the Special Edition’s price to $50,985.
At $46,985, the Pathfinder Rock Creek could be considered a closer match for the original SUV’s character. It features all-terrain tires, off-road wheels, and LED lighting, giving it the trail-focused appearance and equipment that recalled the first Pathfinder when it arrived in 1986.
The original Pathfinder was a rugged two-door, body-on-frame utility vehicle based on Nissan’s Hardbody pickup, competing with models such as the Ford Bronco II and Toyota 4Runner. According to reports, Nissan may lean much further into that identity with an all-new Pathfinder in 2029. Auto News reports that the model could adopt a body-on-frame design to rival the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, potentially receive Pro4X badging, and offer a hybrid option at a later stage.
Nissan is also expected to sell a softer and more affordable unibody Pathfinder alongside the tougher model, similar to the SUV currently in showrooms and aimed at cost-conscious buyers. The entry-level version could be a heavily updated iteration of today’s unibody Pathfinder, while the rugged model would share ladder-frame technology with the revived Xterra and next-generation Frontier pickup. Reports say production would take place at Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi, plant. Nissan has not confirmed these rumored plans, but if they prove accurate, the 2027 Special Edition will be only the beginning of the Pathfinder’s larger return to its 1980s roots. A two-door body, however, is not expected.
The 2027 Pathfinder Special Edition commemorates the SUV’s 1980s beginnings with a burgundy-and-black cabin and a range of equipment, while retaining the current model’s naturally aspirated V6. A more rugged future may be ahead: reports point to a body-on-frame Pathfinder arriving around 2029 alongside a softer unibody model, though Nissan has not confirmed the plans.
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