What happened to the Nissan Pathfinder?

I recognize that I am not the first person to think about the Nissan Pathfinder all day. I'm kind of "check the used car sites to see if the prices of Lotus Elise hold", and the Pathfinder does not necessarily scream "Think about meyou are an absolute dunce! That would not be a very convincing argument.

The price of the Pathfinder 2020, however, was set Tuesday, with the model starting at $ 31,680 for the front-wheel drive version and completing with a $ 44,610 four-wheel drive trim. It was only then that I remembered how the current generation of the vehicle looked like a "new" 2010 crossover and how cool the Pathfinder was.

From the outside, it is now about as attractive as a piece of oatmeal.

The Pathfinder went through a confusing existence in general, starting in the 1987 model year with two doors and frame-framed construction often used on trucks and large SUVs. (The rear doors arrived later.) The next generation arrived in 1996 and moved into a monocoque construction. Nissan said the looks had been changed to differentiate it from the company's pickup truck. In 2005, the third generation came out, returning to the body-on-chassis approach and the giant appearance of a truck.

The current generation Pathfinder was released in 2013 and features optional front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive systems. He went back to building unibody once again, and went from looking like your rough and tough neighborhood SUV to looking like any other bland crossover that you could buy. It's still what it looks like today.

Why did not he keep the boxy spirit and he did not let himself go to the "rugged luxury" atmosphere that car manufacturers adore nowadays is a mystery. Boxy SUVs are useful when a model has a history of boxiness, just like the Pathfinder. Just look at the Toyota 4Runner: vivid, prosperous and not looking much different from 2004, as it does not really need to change. Boxy works, when it's done correctly.

Instead, the Pathfinder has been transformed into a vehicle that does not look like the outdoors at all, as it should in 2020. We live in an era where car buyers know they want a crossover or a SUVs, but do not know which, which means everyone must stand out to get his attention, from where the Chevrolet Blazer to the look of Camaro or the next electric crossover "inspired" Ford Mustang. But the new Pathfinder is right there, shrugging his shoulders, thinking that he would rather not be noticed at all than to be noticed and potentially rejected.

The Pathfinder has had many different things in his life, but he has had some good ideas along the way. I'll never know how it grew from plants of potential future greatness to the old-fashioned crossings it is today.

But what is good is that I will not stay long with this tormenting question, because I will come back to forget it: it will exist towards tomorrow morning.