It has been 14 long years but the all-new Nissan Patrol is finally here, with the covers whipped off the seventh-generation Y63 model to reveal a new look, a new platform, plenty of new tech and — perhaps most controversially — a new, smaller, familiar, engine.
Yes, the petrol V8 engine is dead and gone. But I really don’t think you’ll miss it…
So what’s the story behind the Y63 Nissan Patrol?
Put simply, it is Nissan’s flagship 4WD, and one that has achieved legendary status in the markets it is sold in. For its fans, only this or the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series can do what they need a vehicle to do, whether on the road or off it.
Who is the buyer?
There are two big markets for the Nissan Patrol — the Middle East, where petrol is so cheap and abundant you expect it to flow out of garden hoses, and Australia, where our love of cross-country adventure is pretty much unmatched.
Expect the Y63 Nissan Patrol to shine amongst the towing set, retirees planning their big lap of Australia, and anyone who wants a staggeringly capable 4WD right out of the box. Beyond that, bigger families who need seven or eight seats will be on the list.
Tell us about your first impressions?
Nissan has somehow managed to change just enough, without changing too much. The new Patrol still looks like a Patrol, only one that has had a giant glow-up.
Being in the Middle East for the launch, I am happy to confirm that it looks the absolute business in person, both elegant and menacing, like a cauliflower-eared UFC fighter squeezed into a three-piece suit.
Give us the top line on performance and efficiency?
The V8 is dead. In its place is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre petrol V6 producing 317kW and 700Nm, which just happens to be the most powerful engine, in terms of torque, the Japanese brand has ever produced.
That engine, by the way, is a tweaked version of the one that powers Godzilla itself, the Nissan GT-R, and also appears in the brand’s reborn Z.
So more power, but also better fuel use. Nissan says the Y63 will drink about 25 percent less fuel than the notoriously thirsty Y62 model. Oh, and 3.5-tonne braked towing will be a lock for Australia, too.
Tech and connectivity — what’s the word?
If the old Patrol felt like a brick phone, this new one delivers a digital overload. Up front, there’s a total 28.6 inches of screen, stretching from the driver’s binnacle to the centre of the cabin, while Google Built-In handles live mapping and the “hey Google” assistant.
Also cool, is a new function that uses infrared to read the skin temperature of your passengers, automatically increasing or lowering the air flow to that seat if they’re too hot or cold.
And what about the boring safety stuff?
New this time out is a function called Invisible Hood View, which magically disappears the bonnet and engine and anything else between you and the road below so you can see exactly where your tyres are when you’re off-roading. Handy in a tank-sized 4WD with all the vision of Ned Kelly’s helmet.
The most memorable — or heartbreaking — thing about the Patrol?
The Y63 has put what is probably the final nail in the V8’s coffin, which has gone the way of the mink fur coat — you just don’t want to be seen with one in 2024.
But from heartbreak comes happiness, because a Godzilla-powered Patrol is a pretty good consolation prize for anyone lamenting the end of the eight.
One thing you should know before taking a test drive?
Only that you’ll need patience. While the Y63 Nissan Patrol will be on sale in the Middle East in October, right-hand-drive production for our market won’t start for two years. Nissan says we’ll have the first cars on the road in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2026.
No word on local pricing yet, but based on the sticker price in the UAE, we suspect you’ll need about $130k to climb inside your own Y63 Patrol.
