The Patrol goes a long way back. You can think of it as the Nissan equivalent to the Toyota Land Cruiser. Marketed as the Armada in the United States, the no-nonsense sport utility vehicle is up for a redesign sometime later this year for 2024.
In anticipation of the grand unveiling, pixel artist Halo oto rendered the newcomer with influences from the Infiniti QX Monograph for the rear end. The front is more speculative than plausible, for all the prototypes that have been caught on camera by the carparazzi so far were heavily camouflaged.
Even so, there’s no denying the Y63 will feature evolutionary design cues. The concept that previews the next QX80 is a clear indication that Nissan isn’t going too wild from the standpoint of exterior styling. Shown to North American dealers in August 2023, the next-generation Armada reportedly has a bit of Range Rover to it as well.
You can further expect a nicer interior as well, plus Google-powered Android Automotive infotainment. Speaking of which, the perennial best-selling Rouge is also getting Android Automotive touchscreen infotainment for 2024.
Similar to the outgoing Y62, the next-generation Armada is gifted with three-row seating. The biggest difference over its long-running predecessor (2016 to 2023 for model years 2017 through 2023) comes in the form of a twin-turbocharged V6 with more oomph than the naturally-aspirated V8 known as the VK56VD.
Photo: Halo oto on YouTube
The 90-degree V8 is a direct-injected engine with 5,552 cubes to its name, an aluminum-alloy V8 with Variable Valve Event & Lift for improved fuel economy and performance. It’s not exactly frugal, though, because the 2023 model year Armada weighs 5,651 pounds (2,563 kilograms) from the outset. It takes 6.875 quarts of oil, makes 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet (560 Nm), and returns up to miles per gallon (14.7 liters per 100 kilometers) on the EPA’s combined test cycle.
Obviously enough, the switch to a force-fed sixer is meant to improve the Japanese automaker’s fleet-average fuel economy. Toyota did a similar thing to the Tundra, whereas Ram will discontinue both the 5.7-liter HEMI and 6.2-liter Hellcat engines in the 1500 for the 3.0-liter Hurricane.
Although its displacement is a mystery at press time, the Armada’s V6 allegedly produces 424 horsepower on full song. That’s 24 ponies better than the soon-to-be-discontinued V8 in the Y62, but do bear in mind that a turbocharged engine with a lower displacement works a little harder than a free-breathing lump with a larger displacement.
The Y63’s direct competition for the US market includes the Sequoia, which comes exclusively as a hybrid. Outside of the United States, the 300-series Land Cruiser would compete with the all-new Patrol. Not available in the US, the 300-series Land Cruiser is joined at the hip to the Lexus LX 600, which packs 409 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 479 pound-feet (650 Nm) at 2,000 to 3,600 rpm.
In regard to pricing, there’s no denying that Nissan will use this ground-up redesign to charge a few more bucks for the Armada. The 2023 model carries a sticker price of $50,700 (excluding the destination charge) for the S trim level with rear-wheel drive. The QX80 is $74,150 for the 2024 model year, with the all-new generation due to arrive in showrooms in 2024 as a 2025 model.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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