2023 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek

The various auto manufacturers are constantly looking for that niche to fill, that trend to exploit, anything where they can take an existing model, make some inexpensive alterations, and appeal to the buyer who wants the latest “in” vehicle.

One of the big trends this year seems to be what might be called “ruggedization,” or giving an existing SUV a more adventurous look and capabilities, so that people might think the vehicle is capable of heading out on an overlanding exhibition.

The Nissan Pathfinder is a long-established model, that has evolved into a roomy three-row family-type SUV with ample soft-road capabilities, and some off-road ones too. Its unibody / all-wheel drive architecture won’t see it climbing too many mountains, though.

But Nissan wants to play in the “rugged” niche with the Pathfinder, and the Rock Creek model is the result. Some well-chosen alterations have resulted in a Pathfinder that looks adventurous and can back that up – at least to a certain extent.

Starting under the hood, the well-proven 3.5-litre V6 continues in the Rock Creek, albeit with a bit more power thanks to some re-jigging of the throttle controls – and the recommendation of premium gasoline. The horsepower is up 11 to 295, and torque is bumped 11 lb-ft to 270. This engine is perfectly adequate for all everyday use, smooth and willing to rev when called upon. This performance is aided and abetted by a responsive 9-speed automatic transmission, versus the CVT automatic that used to be on Pathfinders. The towing rating of 6,000 pounds is amongst the highest in the crossover SUV segment.

Continuing with the hardware changes, the Rock Creek’s suspension has been slightly strengthened, although perhaps not as much as one might have thought it would be. Its body has been raised some 5/8-inch, yielding a ground clearance of 7.7-inches (196 mm). The rolling stock at the corners sees the most visible change, with 18-inch wheels replacing the 20-inch units available on top-line regular Pathfinders, in a style that is called “bead lock”, a means of firmly attaching the tire to the rim of the wheel and reducing the chance of a tire failure in the real rough stuff. Except, these wheels only look the part; the bead locks serve only a stylistic function.

Mounted on the wheels are a set of 265/60-18 Toyo Open Country A/T (all terrain) tires, an off-road upgrade on the regular-spec all-season tires. On the short gravel-and-mud course we tried out the Rock Creek on, they proved to grip tenaciously, giving the RC some legitimate cred in the rough stuff. On tarmac, though, you can expect them to be a bit noisier and less-smooth riding than the all-season tires.

Getting the power to those tires is Nissan’s intelligent four-wheel drive system with seven-position Drive and Terrain Mode Selector, including Mud/Rut and Sand. To keep an eye on the terrain as you approach it, Nissan adds an off-road mode to the Intelligent Around View Monitor. Also standard are Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist and a full suite of electronic safety measures.

Completing the visual differences, the Rock Creek is given a unique front bumper and fascia below it, which look burlier than the ordinary model’s units, but, we are told, don’t give the RC any more clearance when approaching an obstacle off-road. Nor are skid plates part of the design.

Up top, there is a large black tubular roof rack, of the type you would see on any vehicle outfitted for overlanding. It has a weight limit of 220 pounds, which might be enough for a tent to be mounted to it, but not also the adult people who might want to sleep in the tent. That large rack means that the Rock Creek cannot be had with the moonroof underneath it, that the SV model upon which it is based has.

Inside, the Rock Creek rocks its own special trim, including leatherette-upholstered seats (which would be easier to clean all that off-road mud from) trimmed with orange stitching. Otherwise, the equipment list is pretty similar to that of the SV, which means some of the higher-end gear like navigation, upgraded audio and bigger screen are absent. Present, though, are Bluetooth, Apple Car Play and Android Auto, along with satellite radio.

As previously mentioned, the RC is a three-row-of-seating SUV, with the middle-row bench allowing for eight passengers, although the three in the third row will necessarily be less than full-size adults. Like most of these vehicles, that third row will usually be folded down unless you are transporting six or seven kids to the soccer game, yielding a quite roomy cargo area. With some 18 cupholders, all those kids will be able to find somewhere to park their beverages.

While most Rock Creek buyers won’t have fuel efficiency too high up on their ‘want’ list, the RC’s 11.9L/100km city, and 10L highway, consumption figures are interesting when compared with those of the SV model, which rates at 11.6 and 9.2. With the RC weighing but 78 pounds more, one has to think that the aerodynamic drag of the roof rack and perhaps the front bumper, along with what one assumes is the higher rolling resistance of the all-terrain tires, account for most of the difference.

In any case, the Pathfinder Rock Creek is a very capable vehicle for the active family to head to the great outdoors, with some useful enhancements over the regular Pathfinders. People looking at it might even think it has all that is needed to go overlanding, but that may be more wishful thinking than reality.

Specifications