Nissan is teasing its new 2013 Pathfinder SUV which will debut next week at the Detroit Auto Show in concept form. The new SUV will be a ground up redesign of the aged Pathfinder which is one of the last hold outs to ride on a truck based ladder frame.

The concept to debut next week will be a thinly disguised production model, as the new Pathfinder is to go on sale this fall here in the United States. The new Pathfinder like the Ford Explorer and other competitors in the United States will move to a car based platform with a transverse mounted engine, available in both front wheel and all wheel drive.

In fact, the new FF-L platform will be the same that underpins the new Infiniti JX Crossover SUV that was unveiled last fall, and most likely to be built in the same plant here in the States. Both models will most likely use a V6 engine of 3.5 or 3.7 liters based on the current VQ engines.

What this means is that if you want a genuine off-road, truck based Pathfinder with a ladder frame and boat towing capability, you should get out and buy one now. As we test drove the current Nissan Pathfinder last spring, we found it to be a genuine old-school SUV with truck attributes.

While that is a good thing to some, the reality is that moving the Pathfinder to a car based crossover platform like its contemporaries such as the Ford Explorer, Dodge Durango and Chevrolet Traverse, will make it competitive in ride, handling, efficiency and in style.

When the new Pathfinder Concept debuts we will bring you a complete report. Come back and see us!