Our Special Correspondent from UAE, who drives a last-gen Nissan Patrol, has a lot of things to say about the new version. Read on to know his thoughts
On September 3rd, Nissan unveiled the eagerly anticipated next-gen Patrol, leaving me somewhat surprised for both positive and negative reasons. In this article, I will explore the Y63 generation of this Japanese icon, covering all aspects of my thoughts and impressions.
Specifications
Before delving into other details, I must share the significant news that none of the engines from the previous generation Patrol will be carried forward to the new model. Instead, this vehicle will feature two entirely new engines under its hood, both of which will be mated to a 9-speed torque converter automatic that traces its design roots to the 9G-Tronic unit from Mercedes-Benz.
| Engine | 3.8 Naturally Aspirated V6 | 3.5 Twin Turbo V6 |
| Power | 316 BHP | 425 BHP |
| Torque | 386 Nm | 700 Nm |
While I do appreciate Nissan for bringing in a twin-turbo V6 that has a lot more torque compared to the outgoing V8-powered Y62 Patrol (700 Nm vs 560 Nm), I have been taken aback by Nissan’s decision to downsize the base engine. While some may argue that the new engine has about 46 BHP more than the old 4.0 V6 engine, people forget that the old engine had more torque than the new one. The lack of torque in a big vehicle like this does concern me. Not sure how this engine would fare in the real world.
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Pricing
Before I comment on the pricing, let me show you all a table with the variant-wise pricing of the new vehicle in UAE.
| Variant | 3.8 V6 | 3.5 Twin Turbo V6 |
| XE / LE T1 | 239,900 AED | 292,900 AED |
| SE T2 / LE T2 | 258,900 AED | 314,900 AED |
| Titanium | 289,900 AED | 339,900 AED |
| Titanium+ | – | 349,900 AED |
| Platinum | 317,900 AED | 379,900 AED |
One look at the prices and it is easy to understand that Nissan this time doesn’t intend to undercut the Toyota Land Cruiser in terms of pricing but instead intends to go head-on in most cases. While earlier the difference between the 4.0 V6 and the 5.6 V8 was around 25,000 AED to 30,000 AED for the same variant, the delta this time between the base 3.8 V6 and the twin-turbo V6 has widened to 62,000 AED in the top-spec Platinum trim. When compared to the outgoing car, the 3.8 V6 variants are nearly 30,000 AED to 55,000 AED more expensive than the 4.0 V6 variants of the previous generation. While the Twin Turbo V6 variants are nearly 60,000 to 75,000 AED more than the outgoing model’s variants powered by the 5.6 V8.
Exterior & Interior
The Nissan Patrol has now grown significantly when it comes to the size, while official data is yet to be released it seems as if the new generation car is now on par with the Ford Expedition and the GMC Yukon in terms of size. To me the new design language looks a bit confusing – from certain angles, it looks to have a boxy shape while trying to retain the curvaceous design elements from the previous generation. Also, the vertically stacked tail lamps make it look more like a Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon than a Nissan Patrol.
The interior is one area I will give full credit to Nissan. They have really upped the game in terms of interiors and the feature set that they will be offering. Also, by offering a panoramic sunroof, they seem to be gunning for the Land Cruiser 300 which makes do with just a single-pane sunroof. Another important highlight is that the top-spec variants will not get some additional good to have features such as a heads-up display, infrared cooling, air purifier etc. What’s interesting to note is that Nissan has done away with Bose for the sound system and instead has gone for a Klipsch setup with 13 speakers.
My Closing thoughts
Well, I am not too excited about the advent of theY63 Nissan Patrol, although I will drive it before I can come to a concrete conclusion about the vehicle. But for now, the design looks a bit confusing, the engine seems to be a downgrade for the lower variants, and the price seems to be way too much for a Patrol. The current prices actually don’t make much sense to me because the Patrol has always been about value for money compared to its competition. I won’t be surprised if some discounts are offered on the new model by the end of next year. Let’s see.
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