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NISSAN Patrol Review

OUR TEST CAR: 2013 NISSAN Patrol Y62 5.6l V8 321 HP Automatic

 
NISSAN Patrol - Page - 1
When you say "Nissan Patrol" the idea of rugged terrain immediately comes to mind. Nevertheless, Nissan has figured out that most of the people who buy a Patrol spend a shy 15 percent of the driving time offroad.

They tattooed this on the palms of engineers and designers before assigning them with the task to give us a seventh generation of the Patrol. And since Nissan went back to the drawing board for this one, they used the same approach when it came to sales.

The Patrol would be withdrawn from certain markets where Nissan's SUV range could make due without it. Thus, the new Patrol is only offered in those parts of the world that really need such a rugged car. We're referring to places such as the Middle East, Australia and Russia.

However, the Patrol did make its way into US showrooms, but not as a Nissan. Since this new platform was available, Nissan wrapped it in Infiniti clothes. Thus, the new Infiniti XQ56 is based on the Patrol instead of its predecessor's Nissan Armada base.

Speaking of forerunners, the Patrol you're looking at is the sixth generation of this Nissan offroader. The Nissan Patrol started out in life as a Japanese acceptance of the name "Jeep", in a similar fashion to its main competitor, the Toyota Land Cruiser. The two even share their inception time frame - the early fifties.

Another similarity with the Toyota Land Cruiser is the fact that both cars are no strangers to wearing the United Nations uniform.

Like the original Jeep and the Land Cruiser, the Patrol quickly moved from serving the military to also catering to the needs of the civilian population. Over the years, the Patrol's reputation as a landscape taming machine grew and so did its popularity.

The best example that illustrates how much the Patrol drivers loved their cars comes from the Middle East. The infamous dunes there required comprehensive modifications for the offroading competitions and this led to extreme results. For example, there were Patrols that could make a Ferrari or a Lamborghini cry during a drag race.

As we were walking towards our test car, we could see Nissan's efforts to make the Patrol more civilian. While the old model had rough edges that made it look out of place in an urban parking lot such as the one we're in now, the fresh Patrol has no problem fitting in. And the aforementioned efforts to make the car more pleasant during daily use become even more obvious once you (literally) climb aboard.

These were the thoughts that ran through our minds as we entered the boulevard, joining a sea of morning commuters. Judging by their "Monday morning" expressions, they didn't seem to care about our quest to find the Patrol's true face.

If it seems to you that the Nissan Patrol has overfed itself during the development process, you are right. The Patrol wasn’t exactly the kind of car that needed to boost its size, but it did. The length is up 3.5 inches (90 mm) to 202 inches (5,140 mm), while the width has increased by 6.2 inches (156 mm) to 78.5 inches (1,995 mm). In addition, the Patrol is a tall guy, standing at 76.4 inches (1,940 mm), which means it’s 3.2 inch (81 mm) higher than its predecessor.

Speaking of the previous Nissan Patrol, a car that had a rugged appeal to its design, which has now been left behind. The new Patrol replaces this with a more tame approach, all in a quest to leave the utilitarian image behind and sustain the upmarket move planned for this generation.

Alas, this is a double-edged blade. Yes, as you approach the car, you no longer have the feeling that you need a map and a pair of hiking boots. The Patrol now blends in among other cars in traffic more easily.

However, this also mean that, as far as appearances are concerned, the size is the only thing that impresses, because it doesn’t pack any memorable details.

There one exception though and this is the front grille. The strong lines not only give the impression of brute force, but also connect the Patrol to its family tree. We have to admit that its high positioning also helps it draw attention. For opulent size's sake, the hood level of the Patrol is higher than a supercar’s roof line!

The Middle East influences may have lead us to believe this, but we felt the Patrol has a warm look in its headlights - when you’re staring at it, it feels like you’re looking at a tame animal, such as a camel. Nevertheless, while we couldn’t blame a camel for not having LED daylights, we don’t understand why such a feature is missing on the Patrol.

The profile of the Nissan Patrol brings a mix between the ride height, which could make a Mercedes G63 AMG look shy, and the rest of the lines, which aim to conceal the size of the thing. The best example is the windshield, which is much less steep that you’d expect for such a rugged car.

The rear end uses all sorts of tricks that aim to make the Nissan Patrol appealing to customers looking for more than just offroading. It looks like a carpenter was called in to take care of the old Y61 Patrol’s lines.

The features are still bold, but the edges are now smooth. For example, the tailgate has a few convex-concave shapes, while the taillights use LED technology.

Make no mistake though, the Patrol still has a beard - Its rear apron is adorned with a tow hook that’s always present, even in the showroom. And below the bumper, we find the spare wheel, reminding us of the car’s utilitarian side.

Entering the Nissan Patrol is a special experience, as there’s a strong contrast between the ingress, which requires a bit of force due to the height and the rather cozy atmosphere you find inside.

While the Patrol’s main competitor, the Toyota Land Cruiser, comes with an edgier interior design, here the approach is warmer.

You feel that this is a place for the entire family. The shapes are rounded and, even though this is not the most sophisticated cabin, the styling is relaxing. You can clearly see that the designers had the Middle East in mind when they penned the interior. There are multiple clues for this, such as the trim arcades on the dashboard.

When you enter the car, you have the impression that you could very well park a Nissan Micra inside the Patrol. It’s no wonder then that the vehicle can swallow up to eight passengers, together with 19.4 cubic feet (550 liters) of luggage.

However, the standard Patrol configuration brings a seven-seat layout, but nobody says you have to fill the cabin with humans. If you want, you can fold the second and third row of seats and you’ll be offered no less than 110 cubic feet (3,107 liters) of boot capacity. Nissan’s Patrol tops the Land Cruiser in terms of cabin space.

As a driver, you are treated with everything you need in order to navigate this ample ship. The best example comes from the dashboard instruments, which, in the traditional Nissan/ Infiniti way, are large and extremely easy to read, be it day or night.

There’s quite a lot of switchgear, but the ergonomics are good, with the only exception being the buttons on the lower left side of the dash. These amusingly share the same issue with their homologue set of buttons in the Toyota Land Cruiser, being out of your attention’s reach.

When it comes to the perception of quality, this depends on the equipment level chosen. Be generous when ordering the Patrol and the car will offer materials that you’ll have no problem touching or looking at. The entry-level trim is also decent, but nothing more.

Whenever a bear escapes inside the city, the citizens and the authorities are alerted and do everything that stands in their power to capture the animal. Strangely, none of this happened while we were abusing the city roads in our Nissan Patrol test car.

It's not the length or the width, but the height of the Patrol that makes you feel out of place when driving it through the city. However this also comes with the benefit of a ride height that can overcome absolutely any obstacle that a city would ever have to throw at you.

Fortunately, while you do feel a bit strange when navigating the city's waters in such a massive four-wheeled creation, the Patrol's rather bland styling offers you more privacy than you'd expect.

The ever-changing urban traffic makes you fully aware of the Patrol's mass. While this brings a rather unpleasant feeling at first, you can easily change your perspective. Especially if you've got a family, you'll feel pleased when you hear the massive door shutting and you know that, from that moment on, your loved ones are protected.

Even if you opt for the lesser powertrain and your car is motivated by the old Patrol's petrol V8 and five-speed automatic, you'll handle the city just fine. There's plenty of torque to pull away instantly and the five-speed auto manages to handle shifts smoothly enough.

When you park a Nissan Patrol, you don't pay attention to the kerb, the kerb pays attention to you. Unfortunately, the city is populated with much more than just kerbs, so you need to have your car gifted with the Around View Monitor, a four-camera system. Once you have this, the parking maneuvers themselves aren't too much of a hassle, but finding a spot can be.

We've just parked and we're going for a quick tour of the supermarket, in order to get ourselves the necessary kit for the upcoming desert trip. As we return, the power tailgate and the high loading area make placing the bags inside the boot a joke. We hit the road and all we want to see around us at the destination is sand.

We've been driving alongside the camels for about ten minutes now and neither one of them seems to be bothered by the V8's mumbling. Camel roads are always the easy way to tackle the desert, but the Patrol is demanding us to seize the girly behavior and let it show the dust who's biting who.

They use Patrols to give tourists the desert adventure of their lives, so we'll give it a shot. Despite lacking any knowledge of the area, we veer left and head for a place that seems to provide some nice trampolines. Good, here we can test the 11.1 inches (283 mm) ground clearance.

We choose "Sand" from the new four-mode driving mode selector, we send the ESP to sleep and up we go. The V8 engine pulls like crazy, it doesn't need too much space to gift the car with enough momentum for a frightening jump.

With a huge sand trail in the air behind us, we take off. It doesn't take too long before a rather violent landing, but the Patrol likes it, it's clapping its hands. The car does a brilliant job at tackling the rugged terrain and it also makes offroading seem easy.

The Nissan Patrol can take a lot of abuse without even letting you know about this. It's certainly got a place on the podium of cars that seem indestructible.

Were a Range Rover's suspension will crash over large irregularities, the Patrol just swallows the problems underneath it. And here comes the inevitable comparison with the Toyota Land Cruiser. Out in the wild, it's very hard to think of a place where one could go and the other couldn't follow.

With the exception of a few popped bottles that managed to spread terror in the vast boot, everything is just fine after our desert wondering session, so it's time to hit the asphalt.

We first drove the entry level-powered Patrol, which means that we got the old model's 5,552 cc petrol V8. The 321 HP and 389 LB-FT (527 NM) of torque proved to be enough for any kind of maneuvers. The engine is flexible and does a good job at carrying this mammoth around, even at higher speeds.

There's also an evolution of the 5.6-liter engine, which comes with variable valve timing and direct injection. This delivers 400 HP and 406 LB-FT (550 NM). Apart from the extra kick, the new powerplant also shows a quicker in-gear response.

While the older V8 is enough for any driving situation, we can't say the same about its five-speed automatic. The shifts are not quite as smooth as those of the seven-speed auto belonging to the new V8, but they're comfortable enough. The problem is that once you're out on the open road, you really feel the need for some extra gears.

The Nissan Patrol comes with a 37-gallon (140 liter) tank and believe us, it needs every drop in there. During our drive, the vehicle averaged under 8 MPG (over 30 liters per 100 km). Despite the extra oomph, the new V8 proved less thirsty, but don't expect the autonomy to increase all that much. Of course, if this is what you're after, you can always turn to the diesel engine, but there's just one detail you need to know. In order to opt for the oil burner, you'll have to go to Australia, where the previous-generation Patrol is still on sale, using a three-liter diesel.

Nevertheless, it is important to mention that not one word of the paragraph above matters in the Nissan Patrol's main market, the Middle East.

We've been on the road for quite a few hours now and the Nissan Patrol manages to keep its initial impressions. The ride is comfortable and the handling is decent, albeit only just. As for the brakes, these are able to keep the 6,170 LBS (2.8 tons) of the vehicle in check.

Stay away from the lowest trim level, as this doesn't come with the hydraulic body control system. In this form, with each damper left on its own, there's plenty of roll, pitch and dive. These not only ruin the handling, but will also make your passengers sick after the first series of bends.

The speedometer isn't shy at all and the only thing that's coming from the outside is a slight wind noise. Apart from that, the vast cabin is well-insulated, providing a pleasant journey for the passengers.
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autoevolution May 2013
66
History
7
Exterior
5
Interior
6
In the city
4
Open road
7
Comfort
8
Tech facts
7
Gadgets
8
Safety
8
Conclusion
6
78user rating 48 votes
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