Nissan unveils Patrol with the heart of a GT-R
Twin-turbocharged power gives the Nissan Patrol grunt to take on Toyota’s LandCruiser – but there is a catch for Aussie customers.
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Nissan has unveiled a twin-turbocharged successor to the Patrol four-wheel-drive, replacing the current car’s V8 engine with a twin-turbo motor linked to the Nissan GT-R supercar.
Forget the muscular but thirsty 5.6-litre, 298kW V8 motor under the bonnet of the current Patrol.
The new model has a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 that makes 317kW and 700Nm – significantly more than its predecessor.
And more may be on the way when high-performance Nismo models arrive.
Company spokesman Antonio Lopez says the twin-turbo motor is from “the same family” as the Nissan GT-R.
“The GT-R is the grandfather,” he said.
“We can say this engine is the brother or sister of the new Z engine.
“We have things that are coming from the GT-R, including how we move oil from the turbocharger.”
Engineers called on lessons learned from harnessing G-forces in the track-bred Nissan GT-R to help the new engine survive wild driving in sand dunes.
Drive goes to all four wheels through an advanced nine-speed automatic transmission similar to that found in the Nissan Z Nismo sports car.
The new car represents an exciting moment for Aussie four-wheel-drive enthusiasts.
But they will need to be patient.
A spokeswoman for Nissan said the manufacturer will focus on left-hand-drive markets such as the US and Middle East when the car goes into production.
“The car will be available to order in Australia in late 2026,” she said.
“Right hand drive production will follow left-hand-drive. Australia is the first priority.
“As soon as it’s available in right-hand-drive we will launch it in Australia.”
It’s too early to confirm prices for the car in Australia.
But it’s clear the model is driving up-market, pushing drive-away prices closer to the $150,000 mark.
Lead designer Ken Lee says his team prioritised “both sophistication and toughness” for the car, which has Range Rover-like design elements and a truly plush cabin.
It even borrows Land Rover’s “clear sight” tech that allows drivers to place the car with confidence off-road.
Quilted leather seats with a new massage function promise to pamper occupants, while twin 14.3-inch displays stretch across a thoroughly modern dashboard.
Those screens are powered by Google, promising to deliver high-quality maps and apps that should make the car easier to live with.
A new smartphone app allows customers to remotely lock, unlock or start the car to cool its cabin on hot days.
Twin digital displays in the back seat of premium versions promise to keep passengers happy.
Other tech includes a 7-inch head-up display and what Nissan promises is the punchiest airconditioning system in any car this size.
The old car’s conventional gear lever has been replaced by a neat row of what Nissan describes as “piano key” touch buttons, along with shift paddles on the steering wheel.
Other advanced elements include a choice of six driving modes, along with adaptive suspension, and a “bigger than ever” cooling system that survived torture tests in the Middle East.
Facts and figures for Australian models have not been confirmed.
But Nissan says it will tow more than the 2000kg figure confirmed for the Middle East – it should be closer to the 8500lbs (3855kg) offered by the mechanically similar Infiniti QX80 in the US.
Originally published as Nissan unveils Patrol with the heart of a GT-R
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