Nissan says the incoming Y63 Patrol will double-down on its off-road and towing capability as Japan recognises as “how important this segment has become” in Australia.
Patrol sales have been soaring in Australia (much like the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series), and the sales results haven’t gone unnoticed by Japan, with Nissan in Australia saying it’s able to voice its demands for the new model.
And the news is all good for Aussie drivers, with a vehicle that suits our “more rugged” use case, with the brand demanding “no softening of its capability”.
That’s the word from Nissan Australia’s Managing Director, Adam Paterson, who says the right people are noticing the Patrol’s popularity in our market.
“Our share of global volume has increased as our volume has increased. If you look at our year-to-date volume of Patrol, we’ve more than doubled – in a year that we’re tight on supply we’ve also doubled our Patrol volume,” he says.
“The region has realised how important this segment has become in Australia.”
One critical change will reportedly the shelving of the Patrol’s 5.6-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine – currently good for 298kW and 560Nm – in favour of a smaller twin-turbo V6 engine, which is expected to continue sipping petrol rather than diesel.
The reports suggest the new Y63 Nissan Patrol will pair the new 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 with a new nine-speed torque-converter automatic transmission and a permanent all-wheel-drive system.
If you’re thinking that sounds like a downgrade, think again. Ford’s new 3.5-litre twin-turbo EcoBoost petrol V6 (fitted to the F-150 pick-up truck) outputting 298kW of power and 678Nm of torque – numbers that dwarf the current Patrol on torque.
The move would also mirror that made by Toyota’s LC300, which ditched its own diesel V8 in favour of a 3.3-litre twin-turbo-diesel V6, which produces 227kW and 700Nm.
The new model is expected to arrive towards the end of 2023 or in early 2024, and will reflect a major investment from Nissan in a model that will act as its flagship vehicle.
“The Patrol is one of the most important vehicles within Nissan from a profit standpoint. That means it gets the attention it deserves, when it comes to R and D budget,” Mr Paterson says.
Nissan in Australia has already inserted itself in the development conversation, with Mr Paterson suggesting the new model will focus on capability to match Australian requirements.
“We’re the only major right-hand-drive market, and the investment to make these vehicles right-hand-drive was specifically done for Australia, and it’s not a small investment,” he says.
“What we’re advocating for is that the use case here is more rugged, and people are spending a lot money after the fact (to personalise vehicles), so when it comes to Patrol specifically, anything that’s done to the platform going forward can’t soften its capability.
“It needs to be as capable as it is today, if not more so, because that’s what our customers want.”
Keyword: Tonnes of towing and tougher off road: How Australia is shaping the all-new Nissan Y63 Patrol