Pathfinder

This is our best look yet at the new Nissan Pathfinder, which has been teased in this shadowy silhouette ahead of its unveiling at the Detroit Motor Show in January.

As you can just about make out from this image, it gets a far more sweeping look than before. Nissan says the flagship 4×4 “takes all of the Pathfinder’s traditional SUV hallmarks and wraps them in a new platform and dramatic new aerodynamic body”.

That means the new Pathfinder will swap its traditional ladder frame chassis – where the body is bolted to a seprate ladder frame – for a more modern monocoque chassis, where the body and chassis are one.

Together with a more stylish look, the new Pathfinder should be a far more upmarket and refined SUV, able to act as a cut-price Land Rover Discovery rival. It will have seven seats, a much higher quality cabin and is likely to get a powerful diesel for the UK, in addition to plenty of off-road ability.

We’ll learn more about the new 4×4 early in 2012, but an on-sale date of the summer is likely with a starting price tag of around £32,000.