The Nissan Pathfinder has had quite a long run already as it was first introduced in 1986 and its structure is derivative of Nissan's compact pick-up truck structure. During its initial introduction, its primary Japanese competition was the Toyota 4Runner.

When the Pathfinder came to North America it first had two different bodies and its styling was quite similar to that of the Nissan Hardbody Truck. This was Nissan's answer to the competition, which were, at that time, the Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Bronco, Jeep Cherokee, and several other cars that did not come from the United States. When 1990 rolled in, the Nissan Pathfinder was given a bit of alteration as the four-door model was introduced. Along with additional doors, the front grille of the car was revised and the Pathfinder now offered a much larger repertoire of interior trim level. When 1994 came, the most notable change was the curved dashboard.

Several new generations would come and go with the most recent being the fourth generation R52 series, which is in fact a 2013 model. The Pathfinder is now continuing to move away from the truck body format and is beginning to introduce a more unibody design. This version also improves on the fuel economy of previous designs showing that with constant, relevant innovation that Pathfinder is here to stay.