- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 7 seats
- Engine
4.8i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
185kW, 420Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 16.4L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4XD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Thoroughly modern Patrol
For: Extra urge from new engine, smooth gearbox, high equipment levels, good off-road ability.
Against: Massive bulk, high fuel consumption, garish decals.
How it rates: 4 stars (out of 5).
With sales of light off-roaders such as the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester continuing to boom, it is sometimes easy to forget that larger and more traditional off-roaders are out there.
Full-sized 4x4 wagons such as the Toyota LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol continue to be a popular choice, despite the inevitable erosion of their sales base by newcomers from manufacturers as diverse as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, and escalating prices brought about by a weakening of the Australian dollar against the yen.
For many buyers it seems that big is better, and not many passenger vehicles are as large as the Patrol. Five metres long, weighing in at 2.4 tonnes and with the ability to seat seven passengers, this is the supertanker of the suburbs.
In that regard, it pretty much matches the LandCruiser for bulk, a move made by Nissan with the launch of the current GQ Patrol a few years ago. Now Nissan's battle-wagon has received its first major update and – you guessed it – extra size plays a big part in the revamp.
It isn't the actual vehicle that has grown, but the engine. The Patrol's previous 4.5-litre six-cylinder powerplant has been replaced with a 4.8-litre unit, and if there is a larger-capacity six-cylinder available anywhere in the world, we haven't heard of it.
Interestingly, the new engine is about brains as much as brawn, because in place of archaic pushrod operation for the old 4.5's overhead valves, this one gets a thoroughly modern set-up of twin overhead camshafts, four valves per-cylinder and even variable valve timing.
The technology upgrade doesn't end there, either, because there's a new five-speed automatic transmission with a separate Tiptronic-style gate for manual gearchanges. Linked to a proper 4WD system with low-range ratios, this is looking like one high-tech truck.
The new engine and gearbox combination are available in the mid-range ST model Patrol, or the more upmarket Ti tested here. The ST is available for $52,740 as a five-speed manual, or a couple of thousand dollars more for the auto.
The auto-only Ti is a much more expensive proposition at $70,740, and that's despite being almost mechanically identical, give or take the Ti's standard alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes and a differential lock. It also gets leather seats, climate control air-conditioning and an in-dash six-stacker CD player befitting its status as Nissan's most expensive vehicle.
Get a great deal today
Interested in this car? Provide your details and we'll connect you to a member of the Drive team.
The bigger powerplant does a good job of moving the Patrol's vast bulk, with performance being noticeably better than the somewhat sluggish old engine.
Power and torque outputs are now 185kW and 420Nm, and it is all developed low in the rev range, which is just as well, because this is no sports car.
The extra urge makes accelerating from rest or picking up speed on the move much easier, but the other good news is that despite being a slow-revver the engine is smooth and reasonably quiet and the new transmission matches it perfectly with seamless shifts and well-executed downchanges.
Nothing comes for free, and the penalty is that this large-capacity engine fitted to a very heavy vehicle inevitably leads to a rather massive fuel consumption.
Don't expect to use less than 20 litres per hundred kilometres around town, or around 16L/100km on the highway. This is not an environmentally sound vehicle, and watching the fuel gauge dip as the 131-litre fuel tanks drain is not for the faint-hearted.
Neither is manoeuvring the Patrol in city traffic, where it will inevitably spend much of its time. It has a turning circle of more than 12 metres, is about the same length as a standard parking bay and you can forget about squeezing through narrow gaps.
All the same, it is a comfortable cruiser on the highway with a soft but well-damped ride and low levels of tyre and wind noise.
Pushing the Patrol hard into tight corners is not a good idea given that the wide but baggy tyres lose their grip early at the front, and reining in more than two tonnes is not everybody's idea of fun.
Where the Patrol comes into its own is off-road, because few vehicles can match its go-anywhere ability. Live axles front and rear give good articulation, there is loads of ground clearance and the torque of the big engine, coupled to low-range ratios can, for once, make molehills out of mountains.
Comfort levels are high, thanks to generously proportioned seats, a good view over the long bonnet and solid armrests to plant the elbows. There's a splash of woodgrain trim to relieve the otherwise grey-coloured interior, but the new orange back-lit instruments look a bit cheap and nasty. The same goes for the huge "4800 twincam 24 valve" decals on the Ti's flanks, which seem unnecessary given the masses of chrome and bulging wheel arches make it a vehicle unlikely to go unnoticed.
But if it is space for a large family that is needed, not much other than an MPV is going to match the Patrol's carrying ability. True, the rear-most seat in the luggage area is difficult to access and a lack of legroom make it good only for small children, but the middle row has ample head and leg space plus width enough for three adults.
All this applies to the previous Patrol as well and, as ever, it is debatable whether such a behemoth is appropriate family transport. The main point, though, is that if this is the type of vehicle chosen, the much nicer, smoother and more powerful engine plus the excellent transmission make the latest Patrol a much better thing.
All the details
Price: $70,740 (automatic).
Engine: 4.8-litre, DOHC, 24-valve six-cylinder; 185kW at 4800rpm and 420Nm at 3600rpm.
Transmission: Five-speed auto. Rear- and all-wheel-drive.
Steering: Rack-and-pinion, 3.8 turns lock-to-lock. Turning circle 12.5m.
Brakes: Ventilated discs front, discs rear. ABS standard.
Suspension: Front - Live axle with coil springs and stabiliser bar. Rear - Live axle with coil springs and stabiliser bar.
Wheels/tyres: 16 x 8.0-inch alloy wheels, tyres 275/70.
How big? Length 4930mm, width 1930mm, height 1855mm, wheelbase 2970mm.
How heavy? 2394kg (manual).
How thirsty? 18.2L/100km. Fuel tanks 131 litres.
Rivals
Toyota LandCruiser GXL (petrol auto) – $59,670
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited – $66,525
Mercedes-Benz ML320 – $68,900
BMW X5 3.0i (auto) – $82,350
Range Rover 4.0S – $85,937
Prices correct at publication date.