Nissan Pathfinder Celebrates Its 1980s Roots, But The Next One Will Be Far More Retro

Vik is the Co-Founder and former Editor at MotorAuthority, a leading U. S. website covering performance and luxury cars. Since 2025, he has contributed to CarBuzz, blending his engineering background and almost 20 years of automotive journalism experience to deliver cutting-edge news and analysis. It's been 40 years since Nissan launched the original Hardbody pickup truck-based Pathfinder, which has evolved over the years into a family-friendly midsize SUV offering convenience, practicality, and safety at an affordable price. While a significant further evolution could be just around the corner, the current generation still has a lot to offer and enters the 2027 model year with a very cool option. Nissan is celebrating the nameplate's 40th anniversary with the launch of the Pathfinder Special Edition, which packs many of the SUV's most popular features along with some cool retro cues honoring the original.

The Nissan Pathfinder has spent four decades going from a relatively compact two-door SUV to a serious off-roader to a somewhat softer three-row unibody family hauler. For its 40th birthday, Nissan is reaching back to the beginning with a new Special Edition that brings 1980s-spec burgundy upholstery back into the picture. There's a little welcome restraint in the pricing announcement, too, with the cheapest 2027 models holding steady and the biggest increase elsewhere coming to just $300. The Special Edition's main attraction is its black and burgundy “TailorFit” upholstery. Nissan says the combination references the burgundy cloth seats in the original 1987 Pathfinder. A bit of color seems like a simple and inoffensive way to celebrate; it also gives this version a more obvious connection to its predecessor than an anniversary badge alone would. Nissan2027. Nissan1987. The theme continues outside through red accents, including the Pathfinder lettering on the liftgate. Black 20-inch alloy wheels round out the exterior changes described by Nissan. Standard equipment includes a panoraic moonroof, second-row captain's chairs, rear-door sunshades, and a Bose sound system.

The 2027 Nissan Pathfinder turns 40 and gets a Special Edition trim with a bold black-and-burgundy interior that references the first generation’s upholstery. The Pathfinder Special Edition also features 20-inch wheels, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, a panoramic sunroof, and a higher towing capacity. The 2027 Pathfinder goes on sale next month, with the front-wheel-drive Special Edition starting at $48,965, and the all-wheel-drive version starting at $50,965. Nissan has officially sold 2 million Pathfinders since its debut in 1986 for the 1987 model year. After 40 years of production, the Pathfinder is still a solid competitor in the mid-size SUV segment, though it’s grown a bit since its initial days as a compact two-door ute. NissanTo celebrate its 40th birthday, the modern three-row SUV is getting all dressed up. Nissan’s 2027 Pathfinder Special Edition brings back iconic aspects of the first-generation Pathfinder to blend its storied past with the present moment. The most recognizable throwback appears inside, which is covered in two-tone black-and-burgundy upholstery, similar to the 1987 model’s interior.

Gilbert Smith is an automotive journalist with over five years of specialized research and writing experience. Before joining CarBuzz in 2024, he produced in-depth buyer’s guides and feature articles for Vehicle History, focusing on practical insights and detailed automotive analysis. The most reliable SUV on the market – and the most reliable vehicle overall in terms of longevity – is theToyota Sequoia. This is according to recent rankings from iSeeCars, which sees Toyota and Lexus dominating the top 10, with the full-size family SUV at the top. For Toyota fans, this is just confirming what we already knew. But it's somewhat startling to put the numbers into perspective and see just how much more reliable the Sequoia is than its competitors.

The cars of today are all hot rods. Everything from family minivans to budget electric sedans can gallop to 60 mph faster than some classic sports cars did. If you think some car sold today is slow, you should look at how slow diesel cars used to be! Mark wrote a showdown between a 1984 Ford Escort Diesel and a 1987 Ford Tempo AWD. Josh O:

Michal studies Automotive Journalism at Coventry University in the UK, and has been writing for CarBuzz since March 2025. He was nominated for student culture piece of the year recently and has been the Vavel.com F1 Editor. He studied Journalism at university to combine his love of writing and cars. Michal's love for cars started when he couldn't sleep as a baby. His father would watch the only thing on TV to help them relax - Formula 1. Since then, he's felt like he's had a V10 ringing in his mind.