Hype for the next-generation Nissan Patrol refuses to abate, and in America the fires are being stoked by the imminent reveal of its sibling from luxury brand Infiniti.
Much like Lexus for Toyota, Nissan has Infiniti to make the ‘more premium’ versions of its models and – though the brand didn’t find favour in Australia – Americans are keen on the luxury Nissan brand.
The QX80 is the model Infiniti builds on the Patrol’s foundations, and a new concept heralding the next generation is expected to be revealed by June this year according to CarBuzz. That means the Patrol isn’t far behind.
The above digital render by artists at the Russian outlet Kolesa.ru shows us what the next-gen sibling to the Patrol could look like, using the brand’s design cues, though the Patrol will likely have a significantly different face, albeit likely with some similar DNA.
For Australia, the QX80 isn’t the key part of this development – the Infiniti brand left our shores years ago after poor sales – but it does mean the production version of the Patrol can’t be too far away.
It comes just after CarsGuide was sent photos of Nissan’s disguised test mule for the next-gen Y63 Patrol, wearing previous-gen Y62 bodywork, under engineering assessment in Dubai.
So far, technical details of the Y63 Patrol are slim, but expect the current 298kW/560Nm 5.6-litre V8 to be swapped out for a smaller twin-turbo V6, before the brand eventually (inevitably) electrifies the Patrol, potentially tapping its e-Power system.
Nissan Vice President of Powertrain and EV Engineering, Shunichi Inamijima said last year that e-Power is already proven to work in 4WD settings.
“It’s not appropriate to talk about the future product plan, but for a 4WD application, we have already applied e-Power technology to X-Trail, so you can confirm its performance,” Inamijima said.
“But I can say that the technology itself is applicable to larger SUVs or commercial applications, and technical development is going on.”
Keyword: Patrol buddies? This could be the 2024 Nissan Patrol's luxury twin as the Toyota LandCruiser rival's reveal approaches