There’s been a bit of noise made about the new Next-Gen Nissan Patrol that was recently unveiled in Abu Dhabi. Gone is the VK-V8. The new guy is longer and wider than the Y62. It has a buttload more tech onboard. It still has a bunch of tough points. People have been talking a lot about the potential driving experience and listing all the brochure’s features in excruciating detail.
Basically, everything you’d expect from motoring journos when a new car is released but isn’t due to arrive until late 2026 at the earliest. However, one thing we noticed isn’t talked a lot about is the off-road capability of the Y63. It’s got some pretty big shoes to fill, frankly.
Now it’s fair to say that talking about hard-track-readiness isn’t easy without actually taking a vehicle off-road. However, as you may have realised, we here at Unsealed 4X4 have done a lot of wheeling over the years and there are certain things you can tell about how a vehicle will behave just by looking at the pics and specs; and just as importantly, how much of a PITA it will be to modify. And as with pretty much every four-wheel drive ever made, there’s good news and not-so-good news about the new Nissan Patrol.
The engine
I’m actually not as worried about this one as others have been. While the VK56 5.6L V8 of the Y62 is nothing short of a gorgeous, albeit somewhat thirsty, engine, the new V6 twin-turbs stacks up well. While the V8 had a very respectable 298kW/560NM on tap, the 3.5L V6TT tweaks it up with 317kW/700NM. The latter figure no doubt helped by the 9-speed auto, which replaces the outgoing 7-speed. Also, the US market gets 335kW – bo! Nissan also claims a 24% reduction in fuel economy on the new Next Gen Patrol. But let’s just wait until we’ve all taken one for a squirt up the beach before we get too excited about that.
The V6 is also, and perhaps most importantly, from the VR series of engines that debuted back in `07 with the R35 Skyline GTR. Why is that important? Well, it means that tuning and proven power gains are a well-trodden path. So getting significant and reliable figures that are a fair chunk higher than the factory numbers should be a no-brainer.
Sidenote: worked GTRs sound sexy. Sure, V8s sound killer, but if you’ve ever been to the drags and a modded GTR has shown up, then you know what we’re talking about. Having that sound come out of a Patrol would make you believe that everything is right with the world.
The tech
Look, we could fill your day by listing all the tech features with the new Nissan Patrol. It’s got an infotainment unit measured in feet rather than inches; it has body temperature sensing climate control; it has branded-motif puddle lights, and it’s even got a robotic butler that tells you that you’re looking handsome and asks if you’ve been working out (probably). But who cares?! It’s a new car and we’re neck-deep in the digital age. This thing is going to cost six figures; it should have those things; it’s not a 79 LandCruiser.
Will this tech help when trying to traverse a boulder field? Look, probably. The six drive modes include Rock, Sand, and Mud, and they are pretty well-established these days. They work excellently and, with modern traction control, make you feel like a much better driver than you would be in an MQ Patrol over the same obstacles (I don’t care who you are, the MQ will always be cooler, though).
I will point out that the eight million onboard cameras and “invisible bonnet” feature that allows you to see where your front tyres are will make wheel placement an inch-perfect affair for tricky sections of track. In fact, if the aftermarket could come up with something similar for my old 40-Series, I’d really appreciate it.
The frame + suspension
I have to give Nissan full credit here for sticking with a ladder-frame chassis for the new Next-Gen Patrol. While unibodies are becoming ubiquitous, it’s great to see some manufacturers still favouring the strength and simplicity of a body-on-chassis set-up. It also translates better for both towing and off-road driving. Things like sliders, recovery points, towbars (it’s expected to maintain the 3500kg tow rating) and bullbars work so much easier (and arguably better) when they’re transmitting their forces through a pair of frame rails. It’s a keep-it-heavy-duty overengineering mindset, and in a world of “make it smaller, more fuel efficient and to hell with the 4WDer!” it’s nice to still feel seen.
Also, a ladder frame makes attaining a GVM increase a bunch easier, which is only a good thing.
The suspension is now air-based, replacing the Hydraulic Body Motion Control of the Y62, which seemed to be a love-it-or-hate-it affair. The bags can increase ride height 70mm (just shy of 3in in the old coin) when wheeling or drop it 140mm when cruising on the highway or picking your nan up for her birthday.
How does this translate for off-road peeps?
Actually, the new Next-Gen Nissan Patrol translates pretty well. The wheel arches are nice and large. Stock 22in rims suggests that a slightly smaller rim with a larger tyre will fit nicely, and longer bags aren’t anything new. A 2-3in lift should be easily attainable, and no doubt every shock manufacturer worth their salt will have something available about three seconds after launch.
The rear diff is also fitted with a locker, so full points here to Nissan as well. As long as they don’t do something stupid like switch off the traction control when the locker is engaged (yes, it’s been done before), then the Y63 should be pretty darn capable.
First glance modability
As with every new vehicle since the `90s, there’s a sea of plastic bumpers and superfluous panels that will need to be cut, reshaped or deleted altogether before any bar work can be fitted. But that’s par for the course, nearly every new vehicle is the same with few exceptions.
We’ve already covered the engine power-ups, and after that, there’s really nothing obvious stopping the usual racks, drawers, 12V gear, decent shocks, and rubber being fitted. The ladder frame suggests a diff-drop shouldn’t be too hard for larger lifts and big rubber, and the 35mm more length and width over the Y62 just means you can cram more camping gear in the cargo area.
Unless something glaringly obvious becomes apparent on a test drive of this new Nissan Patrol, I can’t see too many issues with turning a Y63 into a Cape-eating weapon.
Y63 vs 300LC
Ah yes, the big one. Is the new Next-Gen Nissan Patrol going to stack up against the LandCruiser? As a lifelong `Yota nerd, I’m going to have to say: very well, I’m afraid. By the time of release, the new Patrol will be five years newer, have a bunch more refinements, have a heap more power, and, dare I say, look cooler.
V6 turbo diesel vs V6 twin-turbo petrol is an interesting consideration, but there’s very little separating them these days. Where diesels ruled the roost in terms of towing and fuel-efficiency for 4X4s not so long ago, that gap has closed remarkably and modern petrols outshine them in more and more areas. We all still have our preference, but objectively, there’s no clear winner between the two – and that GTR sound…
Anyone have a bit over a hundred grand to lend us?
Diesel please!!!!