THE new Nissan Pathfinder will have the tree-huggers weeping into their muesli, but then who really cares about them except themselves?
I for one don't take too much notice of them. They keep banging on about cars destroying the world, but they seem blind to the fact that cars have never been cleaner, even heavyweights like the new Nissan.
Okay, it's a pretty big motor, but the diesel version I drove on test returned around 32mpg, which isn't a lot more than some normal size family saloons which many moaning environmentalists themselves use.
It's probably true that the Pathfinder, like other big 4x4s, will never leave the tarmac despite being well equipped to tackle the toughest of off-road tracks.
But the plus side is the fact that this superb motor can carry up to seven people, which means you don't need two cars to transport the same number of bodies.
And another great thing about the big Nissan is that being nowhere as tall as a typical SUV, it has a lower centre of gravity and so handles more like a road car.
Pitched in the sector that includes the Toyota Land Cruiser, Mitsubishi Shogun, Volvo XC90 and Land Rover Discovery the Spanish-built Pathfinder uses the same basic 2.5-litre engine fitted to the Nissan X-Trail.
I found it gutsy enough to do the job with two people on board, but I think it may struggle a bit with a full complement of passengers plus luggage.
It certainly turned heads during the test week with its chunky, strong styling - aided by the fact that the car was white!
The Pathfinder is not a huge off-roader. At 4.74m long, it is shorter than a typical seven-seater and is shorter even than a family estate such as the Vauxhall Vectra. And at 1,763mm in height, it's lower than a Land Rover Discovery.
This, and a lower centre of gravity, means the Pathfinder drives well in bends and doesn't have the same tendency to roll and pitch as some of its competitors.
I drove it for more than 400 miles with more than half that distance being on motorways. In sixth gear the 2,488 oil-burning engine is ticking over at 70mph and the result is great fuel figures for a big SUV.
The diesel-powered Pathfinder has a top speed of 109mph and takes 11.7 seconds to reach 62mph from rest.
From next month - September - a petrol model will be added to the range, powered by a 269bhp four-litre version of the V6 engine that drives the Nissan 350Z.
Nissan is excited about its 4x4 sales and the Pathfinder is expected to add greatly to that success.
Last year, 2004, marked the third in a row that Nissan's 4x4 sales rose significantly in the UK. The firm sold 21,292 4x4s - up more than 30 per cent compared with 2003 - to claim fourth slot in the UK market.
Nissan's target for 2005 is 24,500 4x4s, a figure than includes 1,000 Muranos, 2,650 Pathfinders and 750 Patrols, with the popular X-Trail, Pickup and Terrano accounting for the rest.
The Pathfinder is an excellent, fun-to-drive addition to the growing number of full-size 4x4s out there and, as I said earlier, it has a place in the motoring line-up, despite strident opposition from some bearded killjoys.
FAST FACTS
Nissan Pathfinder 2.5 dCi SE 5dr
Price: £25,800
Mechanical: 174bhp, 2,488cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving all four wheels via 6spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 109mph
0-62mph: 11.7 secs
Combined mpg: 31.4
Insurance group: 13
CO2 emissions: 238g/km
BiK rating: 35%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 3yrs paint; 6yrs anti-rust