Nissan announced a new off-road variant of the Pathfinder for the 2023 model year, called “Rock Creek.” The new SUV will debut at the New York International Auto Show with a slightly more powerful engine, reinforced suspension and subtle visual adjustments to communicate its robust nature. Its appearance is really attractive, and the Japanese are confident that it will quickly position itself among the most important cars in the American showroom.
To begin to define the car, it is noteworthy that the new Pathfinder Rock Creek is distinguished by the black V-motion grille, the distinctive Rock Creek, a tubular roof rack that can support up to 220 pounds (100 kg) of equipment and an 18-inch beadlock-style wheelset. wheels with all-terrain tires with good grip. The model is available in six colors and four two-tone combinations.
The outside of the car
From its front we can appreciate that it is a really striking, sporty and aggressive car, with a wide hood that brings lines to the sides and that pair perfectly with the optics of the car and the grille. The manufacturer’s slogan is displayed right in the center. The optics of the car have LED technology. The grille is black with chrome accents. On the sides of the bumper it brings air inlets that support the one in the center, in the central lower area.
On the sides of the car we have the aforementioned alloy wheels or wheels, in black and gold, which also hide an efficient brake system composed of high-performance calipers and discs. The door locks are the same body color, while the mirror housings come in black. On the roof there is a grill for loading light objects or luggage.
The rear of the car has brake lights or stop in LED, sports spoiler with a third stop in LED, slogan of the manufacturer right in the center, lights embedded in the bumper among other details.
Other technical details
The rugged new Pathfinder is equipped with a tuned off-road suspension. The Rock Creek sits slightly higher off the ground compared to the rest of the Pathfinder range, thanks to a 5/8-inch (15.88 mm) elevation. This isn’t as impressive as the 2-inch lift kit of the Project Overland Pathfinder concept that debuted at SEMA last year, but it’s certainly an improvement over the standard variants.
The mechanics of the car
As far as mechanical qualities are concerned, we have that the 3.5-liter V6 engine produces 295 horsepower which is accompanied by 366 Nm of torque, which is slightly more than the standard 284 horsepower and about 351 Nm of torque thanks to a revised fuel mapping. True to its adventurous character, the Rock Creek is available exclusively with Nissan’s intelligent AWD system and nine-speed automatic transmission. The standard trailer hitch receiver and harness allow for a maximum towing capacity of 6,000 pounds.
Inside the cabin
Inside the cabin, we find a combination of synthetic leather and fabric upholstery, rock Creek badges embroidered on the seats and center armrests, plus orange stitching around. Standard equipment includes the intelligent peripheral vision monitor with off-road mode and captain’s chairs for the second row, which means the Rock Creek is only available as seven seats.
The first deliveries of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek are scheduled for late summer 2022 along with the entire 2023 MY range, following the SUV’s official debut at the New York International Auto Show between April 15 and 24.
