The updated Nissan Pathfinder has fronted up.

BEHIND the moderately freshened face there’s a extensively re-engineered petrol V6, but diesel still doesn’t get a look in with the updated Nissan Pathfinder.

The facelift for a model that released here in 2013 in three formats – a rear-drive kickstarter at $54,990 and two all-wheel-drives, topping at $65,990 – continues with a 3.5-litre V6 and a constantly variable transmission, but the engine itself has undergone a significant redesign.

Nissan claims this mill has 56 percent new parts with redesigned pistons, intake manifold, and combustion chambers. There are also new direct injection and valve timing systems.

Power has increased from 193kW to 212kW while torque climbs to 351Nm, from 325Nm.

The lack of a diesel is simply reflective of where this model being solely manufactured at Nissan’s Smyrna Plant in Tennessee, United States. The Australian and New Zealand models were the first right-hand produced Nissan vehicles to be sold outside of the States.

The previous Pathfinder was built in a Spain alongside high grade Navara models; because Europe likes diesels, the Spanish-made line came with that type of engine. Because Americans don’t … it now doesn’t.

The update delivers slimmer headlights flanking a revised grille that features three horizontal black bars and a thinner chrome frame. The front bumper has also been revised with squarer details than before.

Pathfinder sports new wing mirrors with integrated indicators and the wheels – 18 and 20-inch – are new designs. At the rear, there’s an updated bumper with sharper features and new tail-light graphics.

The major feature of the cabin redesign is a standard 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Satellite navigation with voice recognition is standard on some models.

There’s also an updated multi-function display in the instrument panel, which incorporates extra infotainment system connectivity and driver assistance features.

Other new features include moving object detection for the surround view camera system, and a tailgate that pops open automatically when a foot is waved under the rear bumper.

Nissan New Zealand has not yet commented about when this Pathfinder will arrive here but the Australian distributor has indicated it is a 2017 entry for them.