BY JARED GALL
Nissan’s Pathfinder SUV plays in a segment where the domestic leaders—Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevrolet Trailblazer—have had V-8 power for years. The Honda Pilot has never had a V-8, but Honda doesn’t seem to need one to sell a bunch of trucks.For 2008, the Pathfinder will be joining the big guns of the segment with the 5.6-liter “Endurance” V-8 from the juggernaut Armada and Titan full-size trucks. Nissan hasn’t confirmed that the new engine will retain the exact output it has in the bigger trucks (317 hp, 385 lb-ft), but it should be a gain of roughly 50 hp and 100 lb-ft over the Pathfinder’s base V-6; more than enough to offset the additional
weight it will plant on the Pathfinder’s front tires. The last V-6 Pathfinder we tested ran to sixty mph in 7.5 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 15.9 seconds at 87 mph. That means the V-8 Pathfinder should be capable of 0-60 in less than seven seconds, out-accelerating cars it has no business actually beating in drag races, and tearing over sand dune crests at deadly speeds.To highlight the new engine, all 2008 Pathfinders get a very minor facelift. The center portion of the tripartite grille expands, pinching the sidepods a little tighter
