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2027 Nissan Pathfinder Gets A Retro Throwback To Its 1987 Roots

Special Edition models revive the burgundy Pathfinder cabin, add extra comfort features, and keep the familiar V6 and towing capability unchanged.

2027 Nissan Pathfinder Special Edition

Photo by: Nissan

Brian Potter

By: Brian Potter

Oct 20, at 1:59am ET

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Nissan marks four decades of the Pathfinder with a Special Edition that evokes 1987 nostalgia inside the cabin. The two-tone black-and-burgundy upholstery is a direct callback to the original SUV's interior and sets this trim apart in the current lineup.

The 2027 Pathfinder Special Edition slots between the SL and Platinum trims and reaches dealers nationwide in November 2026. Pricing starts at $47,390 for front-wheel drive as part of Nissan's full 2027 Pathfinder pricing release.

What Changes

2027 Nissan Pathfinder Special Edition

2027 Nissan Pathfinder Special Edition

Photo by: Nissan

The anniversary trim borrows its color scheme straight from the first-generation Pathfinder, which arrived as a compact two-door SUV before growing into the three-row family hauler Nissan sells today. Burgundy seat inserts and trim panels pair with black surfaces throughout the cabin.

Outside, the Special Edition gets black-finished 20-inch alloy wheels, red grille accents, and C-pillar badges unique to the trim. Large PATHFINDER lettering stretches across the hatch, a styling cue meant to echo the blocky typography of 1980s SUVs.

1987 Nissan Pathfinder

Photos by: Nissan

1987 Nissan Pathfinder

1987 Nissan Pathfinder

Photos by: Nissan

The Special Edition carries the same 3.5-liter V6 as every other Pathfinder trim, rated at 284 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic.

Marco Fioravanti, Nissan's vice president of product planning for the US and Canada, called the trim a tribute rather than a redesign. "The Nissan Pathfinder has challenged preconceptions of SUVs for 40 years, giving families more of what they need for the everyday while retaining the rugged confidence that made the original an instant hit," he said.

Gallery: 2027 Nissan Pathfinder Special Edition

2027 Nissan Pathfinder Special Edition

1987 Nissan Pathfinder 1990 Nissan Pathfinder 1996 Nissan Pathfinder SE

Source: Nissan

Pricing And Equipment

Front-wheel-drive models start at $47,390, and stepping up to Intelligent all-wheel drive pushes the price to $49,390. Add the $1,575 destination charge and the totals arrive at $48,965 and $50,965.

That positions the Special Edition above the SL and below the range-topping Platinum trim in Nissan's five-trim lineup.

Model

MSRP

Pathfinder SV FWD

$39,990

Pathfinder SL FWD

$42,790

Pathfinder Special Edition FWD

$47,390

Pathfinder Platinum FWD

$49,890

Pathfinder SV 4WD

$41,990

Pathfinder SL 4WD

$44,790

Pathfinder Rock Creek 4WD

$45,390

Pathfinder Special Edition 4WD

$49,390

Pathfinder Platinum 4WD

$51,890

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Standard equipment covers a panoramic moonroof, second-row captain's chairs, rear door sunshades, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, and a factory tow hitch receiver, all bundled into a seven-seat layout instead of the eight-seat bench configuration offered elsewhere in the range. Towing is rated at 3,500 pounds as the Pathfinder baseline. The Special Edition includes hardware and calibration for up to 6,000 pounds as standard, matching the Rock Creek and Platinum trims for 2027.

Nissan builds every Pathfinder, this trim included, at its Smyrna, Tennessee plant, which has produced the SUV for the US market for many years. That consistency in production and the Special Edition's standard 6,000-pound towing capability give buyers a more feature-rich alternative to the SL without climbing all the way to a Platinum price tag.