2027 Nissan Pathfinder Special Edition Celebrates 40 Years With a Burgundy Throwback
The Nissan Pathfinder is turning 40, and Nissan is celebrating with a throwback. The new 2027 Nissan Pathfinder Special Edition pays tribute to the original 1987 Pathfinder with burgundy upholstery, red exterior accents, and a well-equipped feature list when it arrives at dealerships in November.
Here is what the Special Edition adds, what it costs, and how the Pathfinder got here.
What the 2027 Nissan Pathfinder Special Edition Adds
The Special Edition is its own trim in both the front-wheel drive (FWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) lineups. Outside, it gets red accents throughout, including red PATHFINDER lettering across the liftgate, plus black 20-inch alloy wheels.
It also comes loaded with family-friendly features. You get a panoramic moonroof, second-row captain’s chairs, rear door sunshades for the kids, and a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system. A tow hitch receiver is included, too.
A Burgundy Nod to the 1987 Original
The coolest part of this Special Edition is inside. The seats use a two-tone mix of black and burgundy TailorFit materials, a direct callback to the burgundy cloth seats in the 1987 original. If you grew up riding in an early Pathfinder, this one should look familiar.
Every 2027 Pathfinder also gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with an available Qi2 wireless charger. Seating is for eight, or seven with the Special Edition’s captain’s chairs, and cargo space measures 16.6 cubic feet behind the third row and 80.5 cubic feet with both rear rows folded.
2027 Nissan Pathfinder Special Edition Pricing
The 2027 Pathfinder Special Edition FWD starts at $47,390, and the Special Edition 4WD starts at $49,390. Both prices exclude the $1,575 destination and handling fee. For perspective, the 2027 Pathfinder lineup starts at $39,990 for the SV FWD, while the off-road-ready Rock Creek 4WD starts at $45,390. You can build your own on NissanUSA.com.
Powertrain and Towing
Power comes from a 3.5-liter V6 making 284 horsepower and 259 lb-ft of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Standard towing capacity is 3,500 pounds, and the Special Edition’s included tow hitch receiver helps bump that to as much as 6,000 pounds when properly equipped.
Forty Years of Nissan Pathfinder
The Pathfinder first arrived in the U.S. as a 1987 model, and over five generations it grew from a compact two-door SUV into the three-row family hauler it is today. Nissan has built it at its plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, since 2004, and it earned a spot on the 2026 Cars.com American-Made Index for the second straight year.
The Pathfinder is also on a roll. Nissan sold its 2 millionth Pathfinder in September, the SUV posted its best-ever second-quarter sales in 2026, and it earned a 2026 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating. Nissan also says nine out of 10 Pathfinders sold in the last decade are still on the road.
“Pathfinder has challenged preconceptions of SUVs for 40 years,” said Marco Fioravanti, vice president of product planning for Nissan U.S. and Canada.
Our Take on the Pathfinder Special Edition
I celebrated my own 40th birthday this past weekend, so I can personally confirm that 40 isn’t really that old. The Pathfinder seems to agree. I love a good heritage edition, and the burgundy interior is a fun, tasteful callback that doesn’t go overboard. With captain’s chairs, sunshades, a panoramic moonroof, and towing up to 6,000 pounds, it is also packaged with families in mind. We spent time in the Pathfinder Rock Creek a few years ago and have a review of the 2026 Rock Creek dropping later this week, and I would be curious to see how this anniversary model stacks up.
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