Another one bites the dust… Patrol to mimic LandCruiser by downsizing from V8 to V6 for its next generation
The days of the combustion engine are numbered and the latest casualty look like being the lusty 298kW 5.6-litre petrol V8 that powers the Y62 Nissan Patrol.
According to Automotive News, the US-market Patrol (which is called the Nissan Armada) will ditch its petrol V8 in favour of a cleaner twin-turbo petrol V6 when the next-generation Armada/Patrol is launched late next year.
The intel stems from a dealer event in the US, where the presentation of Nissan’s short-term North American product plan reportedly included confirmation of a more economical V6 to replace the V8 in the new Y63 Patrol/Armada from late 2023.
If it eventuates, the move would mimic the cylinder-slashing strategy employed by Toyota with its LandCruiser 300 Series, which ditched its 4.5-litre twin-turbo diesel V8 for a smaller and more efficient – yet more powerful – 3.3-litre twin-turbo diesel V6.
What the news means for Australia’s version of the Nissan Patrol is not yet clear. A Nissan Australia spokesperson told carsales: “We cannot comment on future product plans” when asked about the new Patrol and the potential axing of the V8 engine here.
The good news in the first instance is confirmation there will be a new-generation Patrol, which some pundits had said was unlikely in the auto industry’s headlong rush towards EVs and smaller, more efficient vehicles.
Remaining true to their big, rugged, three-row, go-anywhere formula, the Nissan Patrol and Toyota LandCruiser are the last two remaining full-size off-road SUVs available in Australia.
And it’s likely Australia’s next Patrol, which should again come from Japan, will continue to mirror the Armada built in the US and LHD Patrols sold in other markets, which is why is why a diesel powertrain has never been forthcoming for the existing Y62.
A facelifted 2022 Nissan Patrol was announced earlier this week, bringing all of the cosmetic upgrades seen on the LHD version, except for US model’s upgraded infotainment system with big 12.3-inch high-definition central touch-screen and wireless Apple CarPlay.
It’s likely the MY22 Patrol will soldier on as is until its replacement arrives in late 2023, which could mean 2024 for Australia, by which time the sixth-generation Y62 will be 14 years old.
And given the launch of the homegrown Nissan Patrol Warrior has been delayed until 2023, it’s possible we won’t see the next-gen Patrol here until mid-decade.
It’s also possible, however, that Nissan and its local engineering partner Premcar delayed the Patrol Warrior’s release until at least next year because it will be based on the all-new model.
In that case Australians could see the new Y63 range, topped by a homegrown Warrior flagship, sooner rather than later – perhaps within two years.
Vital statistics for the Patrol’s new turbo-petrol V6, such as size or outputs, are not known at this stage, but it would need to out-muscle the 298kW/560Nm outputs of the Y62’s 5.6-litre V8.
The new V6 would almost certainly work its way into the brand’s full-size pick-up, the Nissan Titan, which is being considered for the Aussie market and currently also uses the same 5.6-litre V8 as the Patrol.
It’s unclear if hybrid augmentation will be part of the new V6 powertrain family but it’s highly likely, especially given the Armada and Titan’s arch-rivals from Toyota – Sequoia and Tundra – are offered with muscular 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 hybrid powertrains pumping out an eye-watering 325kW/790Nm.
Nissan already builds several turbo-petrol V6 engines, including the 3.0-litre six in the upcoming Nissan Z sports car.
Reports in the Middle-East, one of Patrol’s most important markets, claim the next-generation model will lob in 2024 powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 hooked up to a nine-speed automatic.
Many car brands have committed to offering only zero-emission powertrains in future, such as Volvo and Lexus, and Nissan has also confirmed it will ditch all petrol engine development – except in the USA.
As tougher emissions regulations continue to influence the world’s biggest auto markets such as the USA, China and Europe, more and more combustion engines are being phased out and there will be plenty more to disappear beyond the Patrol’s V8.
Whether the last V8-powered Patrol commands the same crazy asking prices seen for the V8 LandCruiser 200 Series in the used-car market remains to be seen.
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Keyword: Next Nissan Patrol to ditch V8