Patrol

whichcar.com.au | 12 AUG 2021 NISSAN PATROL CELEBRATES 70TH ANNIVERSARY

AUSTRALIAN PATROL DELIVERIES STARTED IN 1961.

JORDAN MULACH

THE NISSAN PATROL HAS

reached 70 years in production, with the Japanese manufacturer celebrating six generations of the off-roader which first arrived locally in 1961.

Launching in 1951 as Nissan's answer to the Willys Jeep, the Patrol has morphed over the years into the off-road focused wagon we now know. Gaining the comfort of coil springs in 1987 when the fourthgeneration GQ was launched, it earned 4x4 Australia's 4x4 of the Year award and making its way onto our list of top 10 4x4s.

While the GQ was the Patrol's coming of age in the Australian market, the GU saw further success after its debut in 1997, winning the 1997, 2001 and 2002 4x4 of the Year awards before ultimately going out of production after 19 years in 2016.

The Patrol's on-road success and sales were partially driven by its achievements off-road in competition, winning the Australian Off-Road Championship 4WD Production class a record 14 times at the hands of Les Siviour – taking out the overall Championship title in 1987 aboard a Nissan-backed GQ.

Nissan Australia's managing director Adam Paterson said the Patrol's strengths off-road have been a key factor in its popularity with local customers.

“The Patrol is an automotive legend that has always been at the forefront of its segment, by breaking new ground in comfort and convenience while improving its rugged off-road capabilities and durability with every generation,” said Paterson.

“And, as we celebrate the off-roader’s landmark 70th anniversary in 2021, it is fantastic

to look back at the collection of achievements and accolades that have recognised and rewarded the Patrol as being the best in its class.

“That it is winning awards today proves that the evolution of the Patrol through the five generations sold in Australia since 1961 has continued to meet the demands of its passionate and loyal customer base, while attracting new off-road enthusiasts and adventurous families.”

With the launch of the Y62 in 2010, Nissan switched to exclusively petrol power across the range, all examples now fitted with a 5.6-litre naturally aspirated V8 which develops 298kW and 560Nm in 2020-onwards update models.

Despite Patrol sales remaining consistent and recovering after a tough 2020 for the wider industry, it is trailing to the Toyota LandCruiser to the end of July 2021, having sold 1745 units year to date – while its Japanese rival has managed to sell 12,159 units, a factor in Nissan dropping out of the top 10 manufacturers last month. N

whichcar.com.au | 11 DEC 2021 2022 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER 300 SAHARA V NISSAN PATROL TI-L COMPARISON

IT’S A CLASH OF THE TITANS, AS NISSAN’S V8 PATROL TAKES ON TOYOTA’S NEW V6 LANDCRUISER.

MATT RAUDONIKIS

NISSAN PATROL AND TOYOTA

LandCruiser have been fierce rivals since both Japanese brands started building their own ‘Jeeps’ in the second half of the 1950s. Now, as they both mark 70 years of their respective nameplates, Toyota has graced us with an all-new LandCruiser in the form of the 300 Series – the first new Cruiser in more than 14 years.

It’s only fitting then that we pitch it up against its traditional foe in the current model Y62 Nissan Patrol. While the Cruiser might be new, the Patrol is more than 10 years old now and even though there has been a few facelifts and upgrades over that time, it’s still essentially the same package – and that’s a good thing.

What we have here is the top of the range Nissan Patrol Ti-L which sells for $93,365 and lines up against the similarly specified LandCruiser Sahara at $130,190. The Sahara used to be the top-spec model in the Cruiser range but now there are both the GR Sport and the Sahara ZX model above it topping out at $138,790.

LANDCRUISER 300 SAHARA POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE

All LandCruiser 300s are powered by a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel engine that makes 700Nm of torque and 227kW of power, so it has higher outputs than the old V8 diesel engine.

An interesting thing about the design of this engine is that it is a ‘Hot-V’ design. This means that the exhaust manifolds and the turbochargers are mounted in the V between the cylinder heads and the intake manifolds are on the outside of the engine. This helps to make the engine more compact and puts the turbochargers closer to the exhausts ports to reduce lag.

With all that heat now at the top of the engine, Toyota has had to do away with the top-mounted intercooler as used on previous LandCruisers and moved them up behind the grilles under the headlights. I say them, as there are two of them and they are now fluid-to-air design so they should be more efficient. Anyone travelling in regional areas will want a decent bullbar to protect the coolers from frontal impact. More often than not, it’s the corners of the front bumper that cop a ’roo and that’s exactly where the intercoolers are mounted, just like in the new Defender.

The 90-degree V6 engine is a smooth and torquey performer that feels to get on with the job much more swiftly than the old

1VD V8. It’s quiet and punchy and works seamlessly with the new 10-speed automatic, which is the only transmission offered in the 300. Previous testing has shown it to be a capable towing powertrain with a 3000kg dual-axle trailer hitched behind the Cruiser.

ON ROAD RIDE & HANDLING

The LC300 retains the same suspension format from previous LandCruiser models of an IFS and live rear axle, both riding on coil springs, but it has been heavily revised. There’s no fancy height adjustment or trickery to it, however the Sahara does have variable dampeners for comfort and sport settings.

In the traditional LandCruiser way, the suspension is soft and supple to deliver a smooth and comfortable ride, but it gets a bit wild and wallowy when pushed hard on tight roads or tracks. The sport setting on the dampeners does address this a bit, but it’s never as composed as the Patrol on such roads.

OFF ROAD

It wouldn’t be a LandCruiser if it didn’t excel off road and the LC300 has again raised the bar in this regard. Specifically in its electronics with the best calibrated traction control system we have ever driven. The L663 Defender has held that honour for the last 12 months or so but the LC3 has taken the title.

Once again, we were impressed by the calibration and fast-acting nature of the electronic traction control (ETC) and amazed by how smoothly and effectively the Crawl Control system operates.

The Cruiser smoothly and effortlessly crawled its way up our rutted hill climb on this test and has surprised us on some rocky climbs in other recent tests. Only the centre

differential is lockable, as the Sahara relies on its electronics and has pretty good wheel travel.

Only the GR Sport LC300 model is available with factory front and rear lockers.

CABIN & ACCOMMODATION

The inside of the 300 instantly feels like a LandCruiser so LC200 owners should be comfortable in there. It’s big and plush and should be perfectly suitable for long road trips with the family. The new dashboard has a massive configurable AV screen and the system now includes CarPlay and Android auto.

The centre stack is busy with buttons and they take a bit of getting familiar with. We found that in some light the silver buttons glare back in to the drivers or passengers face when you look at them.

The lower seating position in the 300 compared to the 200 is appreciated by taller folks, as it puts the driver in a better position and gives a better view of the surroundings through a lower window-line. Of course the seat can be raised if needed and the steering column is power adjustable for both reach and height.

Seats in this Sahara model are leather trimmed and power adjustable, and both the front and second row seats offer heating and cooling functions. Of the six LC300 grades only the GXL, VX and Sahara models are offered with third-row seating for two passengers. These seats now fold flat in to the floor as opposed to up to the sides like they did in the 200, and in this Sahara they fold electronically. The thirdrow seats are big enough for adults on short trips, if they can squeeze there way in to the back, but are best suited to smaller people.

With the third row up and in position, there is very little space left behind it for cargo and this is somewhere that the Patrol has a big advantage.

PRACTICALITIES

The fuel capacity has dropped from 138 litres in the LC200 to 110 in the 300, with 80 in the main tank and 30 litres in the sub-tank. It’s still substantial by modern standards, but every litre counts when you’re logging up the highway miles in a big wagon. It’s another area where the Nissan takes a win with its 140-litre tank.

The Sahara offers plenty of interior space for both passengers and cargo, although as mentioned, very little luggage space if you are using all the seats.

The Sahara wears 265/65R18 tyres which are becoming a more common size, so there should be plenty of options for more durable rubber than the standard highway tyres. Lower grades are fitted with 17s, so you should be able to opt to smaller wheels with taller sidewall tyres if desired, while the top of the range Sahara ZX wears 20-inch rims with low-profile tyres.

Toyota has a large range of genuine accessories for the 300, including the choice of steel or aluminium bullbars, nudge bars, an LED lightbar, roof racks, a Warn winch, underbody protection, rated front recovery points, a rear recovery hitch, and a raised

air-intake snorkel which is standard on the GX model. As with all LandCruisers in the past, the aftermarket will soon offer plenty of accessory options for your LC300 to tailor it in any direction you like.

With a 3500kg tow rating and 650kg of payload, the Cruiser is built to haul, but owners of heavily equipped 300s will still need to be wary of GVM.

NISSAN PATROL TI-L POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE

Like the LandCruiser, the Patrol is only offered with a single powertrain but unlike the Toyota, its engine is petrol fuelled, not diesel. Plus it’s a V8 and a fine one at that. The 5.6-litres of double overhead cam V8 pumping out 298 of the sweetest kiloWatts and 560Nm of stonking torque is backed by a 7-speed auto and an on demand four-wheel drive system with high and low range.

Sure, the Australian 4x4 market is predominantly diesel-fuelled, but anyone who has ever driven one of these V8 Patrols will soon be weighing up the pros and cons of each fuel. The naturally-aspirated petrol V8 engine might not have the torque of a diesel but it has enough, and it certainly trumps most if not all diesels in power.

This characteristic gives the Patrol a more sporty feel to it, which allies perfectly with its more dynamic chassis when compared to the LandCruiser. The 7-speed automatic gives little to complain about other than our usual gripe with the way Nissan calibrates it’s autos to be so reluctant to let you manually shift down when off road.

The real con of this powertrain is fuel economy and that’s something you will get with any petrol when compared to an equivalent diesel. While it was a closer fuel misers fight against the TDV8 LC200, the improved efficiency of he 300’s V6 engine widens the gap. On test, it was 12.1L/100km from the Toyota to 17L/100km from the Nissan. That was a week of commuting and two days at the off-road proving ground, but the gap would narrow with more open highway miles on the vehicles.

ON ROAD RIDE & HANDLING

The Patrol uses independent suspension both front and rear and while this might scare many an offroad enthusiast away, it shouldn’t. On road, it offers superior ride and handling with better control over bumps and through corners, be the road surface gravel or sealed. The LandCruiser can’t get near a Patrol in terms of dynamics.

One of the key features that makes the Y62 handle to well is the Hydraulic Body Motion (HBMC) system that is standard on both Patrol models. Like Toyota’s e-KDSS, HBMC controls the amount of body roll depending on the speed of the vehicle and the terrain. But unlike e-KDSS, HBMC replaces the anti-roll bars and their action is done by the hydraulics.

HBMC works very well with the fully independent suspension allowing the big heavy Patrol to corner relatively flat on road while ‘releasing’ the wheels from the chassis to give more travel when off road. The only real disadvantage we see with HBMC is that it can hamper

owners looking for bigger than normal suspension lifts.

OFF ROAD

The Nissan loses some ground to the Toyota when you get off track, but not nearly as much as some would think. It has more ground clearance than the Cruiser and maintains that clearance well. The LC300 scraped its front end when descending our rutted hill, while the Patrol had no such issue. Nor did it have any issue climbing the hill, despite not having the rear wheel travel of the Cruiser and older electronics.

The Patrol’s ETC does get the job done, even if it’s not as refined as that in the Cruiser. It’s helped by a rear LSD which is also lockable when the going gets tough. While the Patrol doesn’t have anything like crawl control or fancy drive modes, it doesn’t need them either.

CABIN & ACCOMMODATION

First impressions on jumping out of the Cruiser and in to the Patrol are that it is bigger and much simpler. And when I say simpler, I say it as a positive, not a negative. Yes, the Y62’s dash is showing its age, the chintzy chrome and faux woodgrain trim is tacky, the AV screen is smaller than the Cruiser and it doesn’t even have apple CarPlay, but as soon as you sit behind the wheel you know where everything is and how it operates. It’s not an interior that you have to ‘learn’ like so many of the more modern and more complex vehicles. The foot-release park brake is something from another era.

The Patrol interior does miss out on a few luxuries that the LandCruiser has as well: only the front seats are heated and cooled and power operated, the climate control is three-zone as opposed to four, and the rear entertainment system isn’t quite as complex, but it isn’t missing anything you really need. The Ti-L Patrol gets a power sunroof while the Sahara doesn’t, but then, the Cruiser gets a chilled centre console.

Where it does make up ground is in space and specifically behind the third-row seats. The Patrol is 185cm longer than the LC300 and it looks as though that’s all behind the third-row seats. We reckon there’s space enough for a 40L Engel behind there, while there’s barely any space behind the Cruiser’s third row for a couple of bags of ice. This difference also equates to the cargo space when the third-row seats are stowed away.

The Patrol can also be had as an eight-seater in Ti trim while this Ti-L is only offered with seven seats due to weight limits.

PRACTICALITIES

The Patrol rolls on 265/70R18 tyres, so a bit taller than the standard tyres on the Cruiser and we’ve seen plenty of them rolling on 35s and bigger with relative ease.

The aftermarket has been slow to develop gear for the Y62 over the years due to the relatively low numbers of them sold, so it can be limiting when doing a build. This is especially so if you have a latest update and the old front bars don’t fit, but you can pretty well get all you need for a serious touring build for one now.

The Ti-L’s payload is 639kg and all Patrols are rated to tow 3500kg.

VERDICT

When you look at the sales numbers between the LandCruiser and

Patrol over the past five years, you might think this is a one-horse race. Yes, the LC200 outsold the Y62 around five-to-one, but this has more to do with Australian drivers’ preference for diesel engines than anything else.

The Patrol has had a resurgence in popularity, certainly since Nissan Australia repositioned its price and range to bring both variants of Patrol in at less than $100K and introduced a few model upgrades and a major facelift.

Then again, as folks looked at real-world fuel consumption figures of the V8 diesel LandCruiser and found it wasn’t as efficient as it should be, and it started to have problems with the DPF system along with other Toyota diesel models. The simplicity of a naturally aspirated petrol V8 really started to have more appeal to more buyers. Add in the cost saving on initial purchase price and the Patrol started to look real enticing.

With the introduction of the LC300 and its V6 diesel and 10-speed transmission, we expect to see LandCruiser fuel numbers drop considerably once owners get in to them and start doing some real-world touring, but the new engine is every bit as complex, if not more so than the old V8. And the price of LandCruiser has gone up considerably with the new model. An LC200 Sahara was $123,500 not that long ago.

If you’re a diehard LandCruiser diesel fan then there will be no choice. The LC300 is a better driving vehicle than the 200, has more equipment, more features, improved torque over the V8, and it still feels very much like a LandCruiser to ride and drive in. Toyota has stuck to and refined its sales winning formula for the 300 and once supply issues are sorted, you’ll see them running off the showroom floor.

But if the added cost and the lack of a V8 engine has you shying away from the new Cruiser and considering a Patrol, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the $36.5K saving on the purchase price, impressed by the on-road performance, and happy with the simple nature of the big Nissan.

The Patrol’s potent V8 engine and responsive chassis give it a sporting character, while the LC300 sticks to its heavier feeling, more floating dynamic that feels more tourer than sports wagon. Yes, the Patrol misses out on some tech and features, but it still has everything you need (except maybe Apple CarPlay) and while it uses more fuel, that $36K saving on price buys a lot of petrol or could give you a full vehicle fit-out at your favourite accessories store.

While both of these vehicles are suffering from supply issues as this is written, it would be a fully kitted Patrol in my driveway for my $135K if I had it. N

exhaustnotes.com.au | 8 SEP 2021 2021 NISSAN PATROL TI-L (CAR REVIEW)

RYAN GILROY

THE NISSAN PATROL. A legendary name in the Australian 4×4 scene, with the GQ and GU era models among the most favoured cars to hit the tracks in. It’s all change in 2021 though, with the latest version of the current Y62 offering scoring a much needed facelift.

First launched in 2013, the Y62 Patrol now takes on a more European feel to its styling, along with some new technology. It looks classy, and yet still feels more than capable to tackle the rough stuff.

Spacious and practical for family life, it offers great power and acceleration from the high revving 5.6-litre quad cam V8. Some 298kW and 560Nm are enough to take this massive car from 0-100km/h in just over 8.0 seconds. It’s paired to a 7-speed auto.

Fuel economy is where it falls over though, but only in traffic. Consumption in stop/start slow moving situations is hideous like 20.0-litres/100km kind of ugly, but out on the open road we actually managed to sneak under Nissan’s claimed 14.4-litres/100km.

The large amount of torque comes into its own when pulling something behind it, with a maximum braked towing capacity of 3,500kg. The Patrol redlines at 7000rpm and sounds just as good as it looks. It has a 140-litre tank, that could get pricey to fill though.

It’s packed with standard features like satellite navigation, electric front seats, blind spot warning, around view monitor and autonomous emergency braking. You’ll also find intelligent forward collision warning and leather accented seats.

And while the infotainment system offers a fairly decent amount of technology, including Bluetooth, there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, making it feel genuinely dated. The second row scores entertainment screens too.

A driver memory function offers not only seat configuration, but side mirrors and steering column position are also saved. Those front seats we mentioned are heated and vented, and there’s a wickedly good 13-speaker Bose premium sound system.

PROS

Loads of room Ride quality, both on and off road 7-speed auto

CONS

Poor suburban fuel efficiency Price Far too much woodgrain inside

A sunroof and roof rails also feature on the outside. Interior head and leg room is exceptional, particularly in row two. Even with the front seats back as far as they could go, middle row passengers still had plenty of space.

The rear row (aka row three) seating isn’t horrible, but caters mostly to kids or smaller humans. With that third row dropped down, boot space is decent, at 468-litres. Drop row two and that balloons to 1,413-litres.

The rear glass can be opened separately from the tailgate as well, giving you the ability to access the boot space, without disturbing the cargo you already have onboard.

It’s hard not to talk about the big Nissan SUV without mentioning its LandCruiser 200 Series Sahara rival though.

And while the Toyota might be the better vehicle, or at least the most popular, it has some issues in terms of availability (you can’t buy one, and they don’t make them anymore for starters), and the price is higher than the Nissan.

Even at north of $102,000 drive away for the Ti-L variant of the 2021 Nissan Patrol, it’s still cheaper than the LandCruiser range-topper. Mind you, it can get ugly if you run amok adding options, just like the 200 Series. Both of them have dated interiors too.

Nissan’s largest SUV also comes in just two specifications, the entry level Ti, which offers 8-seats, and the top spec Ti-L, a seven seater. What sets the latter apart is 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, tail lights and daytime running lights, and adaptive cruise control.

It also grabs proximity key entry and push-button start, privacy glass, roof rails and a power tailgate. Inside, there are leather seats, power seat adjustment for driver and front passenger with memory, and heated and cooled seats in the first row.

Tri-zone automatic climate control, a digital rear view mirror, sunroof, satellite navigation and entertainment screens for second row passengers also feature, along with a 20-litre refrigerated centre console box.

There are six colours to choose from, including Moonstone White (as tested), Gun Metallic, Brilliant Silver, Black Obsidian, and Hermosa Blue.

On the road, and off, it’s very capable all round, and while it seems crazy to take such a luxury vehicle and get it dirty on purpose, it will handle anything you throw at it. A locking rear diff and excellent high and low range ensure it can tackle tough terrain with ease.

You will also find four different drive modes (Sand, Snow, Rocks, Road), with each changing the handling characteristics of the car, with

REVIEW OVERVIEW

7.5

TOTAL

7.5

DRIVING EXPERIENCE

8.0

EXTERIOR STYLING

7.5

INTERIOR LOOK AND FEEL

7.0

TECHNOLOGY AND CONNECTIVITY

8.0

FAMILY FRIENDLINESS

7.0

VALUE FOR MONEY

notable suspensions adjustments and engine response alterations.

On the black stuff, the 7-speed automatic comes into its own, with the Nissan Patrol Ti-L delivering a quiet, comfortable driving experience. You could be forgiven for forgetting there’s a 5.6-litre V8 under the hood.

Overall, the 2021 Nissan Patrol could be described as the complete package, a rough and tough off-roader, with the style and comfort of a high end luxury car, and all with an aggressive high revving V8 under bonnet. N

drive.com.au | 31 JULY 2021 70 YEARS OF NISSAN PATROL

A SHORT HISTORY OF NISSAN'S ICONIC OFF-ROADER.

ROB MARGEIT

NOT TOO MANY AUTOMOTIVE

nameplates can boast a heritage spanning 70 years and eight decades. But, the Nissan Patrol joins some exalted company this year, chalking up 70 years of continuous production.

Interestingly, while the list of longest-running nameplates features some well-known favourites, including the Chevrolet Corvette (1953), Toyota LandCruiser (1951), Volkswagen Transporter (1950), Ford F-Series (1948) and the grand-daddy of them all, the Chevrolet Suburban (1935), the Patrol is noticeable by its absence, despite sharing a birth year with its Toyota arch-rival.

Possibly, that’s down to the first Nissan to wear the ‘Patrol’ nameplate didn’t appear until 1958. Prior to 1958, the Patrol was simply referred to as the 4W Series.

Our own history with the Patrol stretches back to the second-gen, the 60 Series, Australia one of the first export nations to receive the tough-as-nails off-roader in 1960. It’s been a constant on our roads ever since, with Nissan selling some 238,000 Patrols locally over five successive generations.

To mark the 70-year history of its popular four-wheel-drive, Nissan Australia released a short video highlighting the generations and achievements that have made the Patrol such an enduring icon.

From the original Nissan Jeep, to today’s facelifted Y62 series, the pictorial history of the Patrol captures an enduring legacy.

1951-59 4W SERIES

The first generation of Nissan’s four-wheel drive launched in 1951. Available exclusively in Japan, the 4W60 was powered by Nissan’s NAK 3.7-litre straight six lifted straight out of the Nissan 290 bus.

The unit made 56kW and delivered drive via a four-speed manual transmission to a part-time fourwheel-drive system. The slotted grille featured a Nissan badge. In 1958, the updated 4W65 arrived and with it a new nameplate, the model the first to feature the Patrol name, festooned proudly on its front guards.

1959-1980 G60 SERIES

The first Patrol to arrive in Australia, badged as the Datsun Patrol, soon gained legendary status when the Sprigg family drove one across the Simpson Desert, completing the first crossing of that treacherous stretch in a motor vehicle. The family took 12 days to cross the sandy expanse, their G60 Patrol averaging just 5km/h for the trip.

With its reputation as a rugged and capable off-roader assured, the G60 Patrol – available in as a soft-top, cab-chassis and or wagon

– enjoyed only minor updates over its 20-year lifespan.

1980-87 MQ SERIES

The MQ Series only enjoyed short life cycle compared with its G60 predecessor, but it brought a new philosophy to the Datsun-cumNissan Patrol. Channelling the growing trend for recreational off-roading, the MQ Patrol offered a more refined experience, as well as new variants including, for the first time, a seven-seat wagon, setting the template for Patrols to come.

Power came via either a 2.8-litre petrol engine or a 3.3-litre six-cylinder diesel, while those plumping for the top-of-the-range Deluxe Wagon could option, for the first time, a three-speed automatic transmission.

The MQ Series also ushered in the era of the turbo-diesel, with Nissan’s 3.2-litre SD33T unit making 81kW and 255Nm available as an option for the first time.

1987-97 GQ SERIES

Plenty of work went into the Patrol’s suspension setup for its fourth generation, now featuring coil springs all ’round, offering not just improved comfort on the road, but also better handling on the rough stuff, reflecting the nascent but growing trend of four-wheel-drives to serve double-duty as an everyday family hauler.

New engines boosted the Patrol’s arsenal, including a new 4.2-litre sixcylinder petrol, while transmission choices included a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. A 3.0-litre petrol six joined the line-up in 1990 while 1995 saw the introduction of a 2.8-litre turbo diesel.

Body styles included a short wheelbase, long wheelbase wagon, cab-chassis ute and pick-up truck.

1997-2016 GU SERIES

The Patrol hit its straps locally with the launch of the GU Series, selling over 10,000 annually between 19982000, helping to make Australia the largest market in the world for the workhorse off-roader.

Improvements to the suspension set up, chassis and drivetrain combinations further enhanced the Patrol’s duality as a comfortable daily with serious off-road capabilities.

Engine choices included a 2.8-litre turbo diesel six, improved with the addition of fuel injection and an intercooler, while a big-block 4.2-litre atmo six cylinder petrol continued to do the heavy lifting.

In 1999 an all-new 3.0-litre turbo four joined the line-up, while the petrol six cylinder grew in capacity, now displacing 4.8 litres and good for 185kW and 420Nm, cementing the Patrol’s status as the most powerful four-wheel-drive in its class.

2014+ Y62 SERIES

There was a Patrol crossover period when the new Y62 generation arrived in 2014, Nissan Australia continuing to offer the GU Series through to 2016.

The Y62 Patrol changed the landscape for the nameplate yet again. Available only as a wagon, and powered exclusively by a powerful (298kW and 560Nm) 5.6-litre petrol V8, the Y62 became the most refined Patrol to date.

New technologies included a world-first digital Intelligent Rear View Mirror while underneath, the Patrol scored a fully independent suspension set up married to a Hydraulic Body Motion Control System.

A 2020 facelift brought new exterior elements while safety technology was bolstered with the addition of Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility suite.

MOTORSPORT PATROLS

While the Patrol proved its off-road credentials early on, it was on the world motorsport stage where Nissan’s off-roader really proved its mettle.

In 1987, the striking Fanta-Limon liveried short wheelbase Patrol took on the gruelling Paris-Dakar rally, finishing the 13,000km test of endurance in ninth place overall and winning the diesel class.

In Australia, the Patrol enjoyed great success in the Australasian Safari Rally, collecting victories in 1992, 1993, 1995 and again in 2003.

But for true competitive longevity, look no further than the Australian Off Road Championship where for a period of 15 straight years, nothing could touch the Nissan Patrol, collecting 15 consecutive titles in the Unmodified Class between 1983-98. Remarkably, Les Siviour, the Griffith rice farmer, won 14 of those 15 titles. N