NISSAN Patrol Review

We’re well tucked in the ample seats and the terrain underneath can get quite hysterical at times, but the Nissan Patrol makes it easy to forget that we’re inside an offroad vehicle. This chapter is the one where the Patrol has come the longest way compared to its previous generation.

As you sit in the car, there’s so much room all around you that you almost feel you’re having an outdoors experience. Of course, as you move from the front seats to the second and third rows, there’s less space, but even those sitting in the back won’t have anything to complain about.

This is probably why Nissan didn’t bother to allow the second row of seats to slide backward and forward. Speaking of seats, these are kind to the different parts of your body and we’d give them 8.5 points out of ten for comfort. And you can fold those in the back without too much effort, one hand is enough.

All the aforementioned space makes you fully aware of the car’s size this gives you a feeling of protection. While this is true no matter of your seat number, the driver and the front passengers get the best out of it.

We’re looking at the world outside through a raked windshield that seems short in comparison with the generous dashboard and all this brings the “tank driving” cliché to mind.

The engineers that worked on reducing the noise, vibration and harshness level of the Patrol must’ve been paid rather well, as the only thing that bothers you is a slight wind noise coming due to the sheer frontal surface of the car.

And the Patrol has an ace up its fender, its practicality. When you want to stow something inside the Patrol, you feel like a hitchhiker who wants to set camp on a huge piece of Swiss cheese. There are compartment everywhere, from the cavernous door pockets to the cool hidden inside the front center armrest. The latter can hold a six back, so it gets a big thumbs up.

Body and Chassis

The Nissan Patrol retains the ladder chassis construction, which favors offroad performance and durability over anything else. Nissan has increased the Patrol's size and has strengthened the structure. As a result, the new model offers twice the lateral rigidity of the previous generation.

However, since no special attention was paid to the weight factor, the generation change has also brought a premium on the scale. While the old (Y61) Patrol tipped the scales at 5,452 LBS (2,473 KG), the new (Y62) model weighs 6,160 LBS (2,800 KG).

Powertrain

For the Patrol, Nissan allows you to choose between a 5.6-liter V8 and a... 5.6-liter V8. There’s no confusion here: the first engine is borrowed from the previous generation of the car, while the latter is a heavily refreshed unit.

The previous’ Patrol’s powerplant has been kept is use thanks to its outstanding reliability, despite its fuel consumption and specific power, which aren’t exactly flattering. This churns out 317 HP and a 385 LB-FT (522 NM) of torque.

As for the new unit of the Patrol, this uses the 5.6-liters of displacement to produce 400 hp at 5,800 rpm and a peak torque of 413 LB-FT (550 NM) at 4,000 RPM, as well as showing superior efficiency. To achieve this, the V8 turns to technical solutions such as direct injection and variable valve timing (VVEL or variable valve event and lift).

While the 317 HP V8 is confined to a five-speed automatic transmission, the fresh 400 HP unit is mated to an automatic gearbox that offers two extra ratios.

Further down the power line, we find a transfer case, a lockable center differential, as well as a helical limited slip differential at the back.

Road Connection

While the old Patrol used a live axle at the back, the new Y62 generation comes with all-round independent suspension, offering a longer wheel travel. This also meant that the ground clearance of the rear diff was raised by 1.97 inches (50 mm).

The Patrol now features a Hydraulic Body Motion Control (HBMC) system that varies the oil pressure in the dampers. This adapts to the driving conditions, minimizing body roll on the road, while keeping the wheels on the ground, as well as offering more freedom when required during offroad driving.

Stopping Power

Nissan has redesigned the braking system of the Patrol, gifting this with a new brake booster, as well as hefty 14-inch rotors with four-piston calipers for the front axle.

While Nissan's ambitions to turn the Patrol into a threat for the Range Rover are... ambitious, this upmarket target does mean that the vehicle has plenty to offer as far as this chapter is concerned.

This shows even before you wake the Nissan Patrol to life, thanks to its keyless entry and engine start. The list of convenience features found on the Patrol also includes items such as the power tailgate.

The sheer size of the thing means that you'll desperately want the all-round camera system, but as you get going, you may notice that the climate control system features curtain-like ventilation around the windows. It's curious then how a system that offers the aforementioned world-first feature only comes with two zones. However, the driver and the front passenger can also adjust the temperature via their climate-controlled seats.

The driver is treated with respect, thanks to a leather-finished, multifunctional steering wheel, whose column can be power adjusted on two axis.

When it comes to infotainment, the Nissan Patrol's dashboard houses an 8-inch touch screen that serves a HDD-based navigation system. The rear passengers haven't been forgotten either. They can receive two seven-inch TFT displays, included in the Rear Seat Entertainment System.

The Patrol is certainly an audiophile, packing a 13-speaker Bose audio system with two subwoofers, as well as a 9.3 GB HDD that's ready to memorize your tunes. In addition, the Nissan Patrol shows that it's up to speed with many of the latest developments in terms of active safety, as we've seen in the "Safety" chapter.

If you want to navigate your way through the Patrol range, we'd advise you to stay away from the lowest equipment level. Aside from the obvious shortcomings of such a choice, this also means that you'll miss the hydraulic body control system, which makes quite a difference on the road.

Protection. This is what comes to mind when viewing the world from behind the massive dashboard of the Nissan Patrol. The windshield’s raked nature makes it seem short, which boosts the feeling of safety.

This is also true for those sitting in the second or third row of seats, but thanks to different reasons. You really couldn't feel any other way than protected when there's a ton of space between you and the edges of the car.

The dream can be quickly shattered by the handling though. There's a label on the sun visor that lets you know you'll get into trouble if you ignore the height of the Patrol when cornering. Even though we feel our upper lip stiffening as we read, it would probably be best to also have a second label that should warn driver about the mass of the thing.

Driving the Nissan Patrol on the road may convince you that you can plow through just about anything. However, you'll get constant reminders that things are only under control only as long as you keep the speed down.

When it comes to active safety features, Nissan has gifted the Patrol with quite a bit of equipment. First of all, there's active cruise control and Intelligent Brake Assist, which can decelerate the car on its own should the driver fail to react, reducing the impact speed. Since the Patrol can be fitted with laser technology, it also offers Forward Collision Warning, which sends visual and audible alerts to the driver when the system detects an imminent danger.

Blind Spot Monitoring is accompanied by Blind Spot Intervention, which canKeep the vehicle on its lane. In the same manner, Lane Departure Warning is doubled by Lane Departure Prevention, a system that can apply the brakes in order to prevent the car from crossing the line.

If you do end up in the unfortunate situation of having to rely on the Nissan Patrol's passive safety features, you'll be treated with six airbags, as well as with active head restraints.

So far, neither the Nissan Patrol, nor its Infiniti sister model, the QX56, have been tested by any official safety body.

The Patrol may have been the first vehicle to cross Australia's Simpson Desert in the 60s', but nowadays offroading abilities come second to overall comfort, even in a car like this.

Nissan got the picture - Never in the Patrol's six-decade history had a generation change brought so many changes as the current one. Apart from the rugged terrain capacities, all the aspects of the car were chiseled.

In order to adapt to the customer's needs even further, Nissan decided to only offer the new Patrol on the markets where the demand for such cars is hefty.

The carmaker's comprehensive list of SUVs meant that the Patrol's withdrawal from certain markets, such as Europe, wouldn't leave a void.

We drove the Nissan Patrol in what is perhaps its favorite playground, Dubai. Here the vehicle makes perfect sense. All you have to do is opt for a high specification, as the equipment grades also affect the powertrain and suspension, changing the car altogether.

Nissan went the extra mile and moved the Patrol upmarket. The success of the move depends on how you look at the car. The vehicle still doesn't give you the impression of established luxury, but having a Patrol with so many new advanced features brings quite a lot of benefits.

The best part of the Patrol is still represented by its passion for rough terrain. The vehicle is just as rugged and, thanks to the extra technology, driving it over frightening areas is easy. The Patrol may have entered the new age of motoring with its ladder chassis in place, but you can now control it with two fingers.

At the other end of our approval scale, we find the Nissan Patrol's weight. No efforts were made to make the vehicle lighter and you can feel this. The area where you'll least notice this drawback is offroading, where the extremely capable chassis and new AWD system make the inertia of the thing irrelevant.

The restraints brought by the mass can become bothering, especially on the open road. And this also brings the Patrol a monumental thirst. Buy one and the petrol station owners will fall in love with you. The new Nissan Patrol also loses its diesel option, so there's absolutely no way of avoiding the pump. Of course, this is all a big joke in the Middle East, where you bring the tank with the change you got after buying a sandwich.

The ugly side of the Patrol is obviously the styling. The design may have evolved, but we still wouldn't call it "inspirational". In fact, Mary, one of our guest editors, wants to share her opinion on the Nissan Patrol's looks.

When it comes to the competition, there aren't any objective reasons for choosing between this and a Toyota Land Cruiser, aside from the Nissan's lack of a diesel.

The Nissan Patrol is still an offroader, but now it tolerates the asphalt world much better than before.