Overview

FIFTEEN years ago, none of us had heard of COVID-19. Artificial Intelligence was still a footnote from The Imitation Game, and Eminem was charting alongside Rihanna with Love the Way You Lie (shudder). It’s fair to say a lot has changed.

But not the Nissan Patrol. Well, not really.

At its core the Y62-series still holds close to the recipe that saw it launch against a massively popular Toyota LandCruiser – a V8 petrol engine, seven-speed automatic transmission, clever Hydraulic Body Motion Control suspension, oh, and a what-were-they-thinking list price of $115,000 plus on-road costs.

Thankfully, that last part changed rather quickly…

What took a lot longer was bringing the Patrol’s human-machine interface, infotainment array, and instrumentation into the modern age.

Nissan made a half-baked attempt at installing a new headunit in the Patrol last year, but in truth it was no better than a DIYer could do with an over-the-counter Aerpro kit from their local auto shop.

Which brings us neatly to the present day – and some 12-18 months before the aged Patrol is (finally) replaced with an all-new successor.

Four years (!) after the rest of the world adopted the Nissan-sourced 12.3-inch ‘big screen’ and revised centre stack it’s now Australia’s turn.

The ‘new’ array brings with it wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, wireless device charger, and built-in satellite navigation, and is accompanied by a larger 7.0-inch driver display screen featuring highlights such as an Off-Road Monitor system and related Intelligent Around-View Monitor with Moving Object Detection.

Nissan has also given the upholstery a plusher look, while at the same time returning the premium 13-speaker Bose sound system to the Ti-L, along with a “digital high-definition” rear-view mirror display, and a chilled centre console bin.

Warrior fans need not feel left out, as the flagship model gains those features and blackened side steps.

Mechanically, the Patrol remains just as before; and for its age, the driveline is a ripper. Plenty of grunt, buttery smooth, and with a drinking problem akin to that uncle we don’t discuss…

Pricing starts at $90,600 plus on-road costs for the entry Ti grade with the mid-tier Ti-L now pegged at $102,100 + ORC. The Premcar-fettled, off-road-oriented Patrol Warrior costs $105,520 + ORC, or just $140 more than it did last year.

Nissan now offers the Patrol with an unbeatable 10-year/300,000km warranty backdated to include all new vehicles purchased after 1 January 2021.

Available to private and commercial buyers, the comprehensive aftersales package includes roadside assistance and five years of flat-price servicing, which in the case of the Patrol costs $499 at each check-up.

Driving Impressions

It’s fair to say the feel at the ‘wheel of the trusty Patrol has changed little. To be even fairer, it didn’t need to. Despite its age the Patrol is still a calm, capable, and capacious four-wheel drive offering that feels absolutely rock solid on (and off) Australian roads.

If a revisit to the Y62 flight deck has taught us anything it’s that the Y63 has big shoes to fill.

So, what of the changes in play. Well, it’s certainly fair to say they’re overdue, and equally fair to call them worthwhile. In fact, if we’d purchased a MY24 Patrol with its Directed Technologies headunit we might be a little cheesed off about now.

In addressing that criticism, Nissan Oceania managing director Andrew Humberstone told GoAuto that bringing a late-life technology update to the Patrol is no different to any other minor model-year facelift.

“As you get to the end of a model’s lifecycle, you have to justify its pricing, (and to do that) you have to increase specification,” he explained.

“We have to manage the exit of the (Patrol) product, and introducing new technology is one way we can keep people interested.

“As you said, this vehicle wasn’t designed yesterday. So, from that point of view, we’ve got to keep it exciting for the Australian market.”

But back to the headline act…

For starters, the system is placed high on the centre stack allowing an ease-of-use factor its predecessor didn’t. It allows the air vents to do their job unimpeded and presents as a clean and far-more-factory-like alternative to the outgoing unit.

Making the system even better is the fact it can be controlled by touch, by console-mounted rotary dial, or by the steering wheel controls. The top-of-dash position also allows one’s vision to remain up level with the road – a point we feel makes the latest upgrade far safer.

Finger friendly landing squares and a logical menu system are certain to appeal to buyers upgrading from an older Patrol – or perhaps to those now keen on securing a V8-powered model before they’re a thing of the past.

As was the case with Toyota’s V8-powered 200-Series LandCruiser, Nissan thinks the 5.6-litre Patrol will draw its own share of latecomers into dealerships, suggesting buyers will purchase a Y62 “for keeps” in case the idea of a twin-turbocharged V6 is a bridge too far.

“It is really a compelling choice,” said Nissan Australia general manager of product marketing Warwick Daly.

“If you go back two years ago, someone who had bought a car in 2015 or even 2018 or 2019 might not have had such a compelling reason to repurchase … with this there is. It’s a fundamental difference.

“I think there are buyers who are looking for that (the V8 engine), the capability and the presence this car has, and there is certainly a growing demand for the current Patrol even as it gets towards the end of its production run.”

As recently highlighted by GoAuto, the popularity of the Y62-series Nissan Patrol has seen significant growth since 2017, rising from just 916 annual sales to 8293 at the end of 2024.

Let’s see if the latest round of changes is sufficient to drive that number higher again come the end of 2025.