The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder is heading for suburbia, not an off-roading trail with its new crossover underpinnings, and that revised focus is reflected in the SUV's styling changes. The Nissan's trademark C-pillar-mounted rear door handles are gone and, everywhere you look, the crossover has new curves where the older vehicle adopted a more straight-edged appeal.
From the front, the 2013 Pathfinder wears a less upright grille with thick, vertical chrome edges that frame the large Nissan badge in the center. The headlights on the new Pathfinder appear more stretched than on the outgoing model, which also sported bold wheel well flares that continued directly into the lower front fascia.
Where the 2012 Pathfinder had crisp lines on the side and that semi-hidden rear door handle, the 2013 model features swoopy character lines that give it a more crossover-like style. The outgoing Pathfinder's eye-catching rear side window, with its right-angle edges, has been replaced by a softer look on the 2013 Pathfinder, which has reshaped taillights reminiscent of those on the refreshed Nissan Murano.
Step inside the 2013 Pathfinder and, again, it's tough not to notice the differences. The new Nissan SUV has far more available wood-like trim on the center stack plus a more Infiniti-like layout of buttons. The navigation screen remains at the very top of the dash, while the new Pathfinder's instrument cluster has been given a much-needed update.
The new and old Pathfinders are, without a doubt, very different under the skin. But what do you think about the new styling? Is the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder more attractive than the 2012 model? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.