Have we just seen our first look at Nissan’s next-generation Toyota LandCruiser rival?
Instagram users secret_car caught pictures of a camouflaged Patrol on the road in the Middle East, but it’s unclear if this is a new model or another facelift for the venerable Y62-generation car that was revealed in 2010.
Locally, there’s still more to come from the current V8-powered Patrol.
The off-road-oriented Patrol Warrior project between Premcar and Nissan Australia is still ongoing, with the finished product on track to hit showrooms later in 2023, and this is the first time we’ve seen what looks like a next-generation test mule on public roads.
What the mule represents is unclear.
Nissan offers a variety of special editions for the Patrol around the world, from the Nismo found in the Middle East to the Warrior to be offered Down Under, so it’s possible that this tester was just a confirmation car for another Patrol with a slightly different front end. over.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that there are similarities between the rough picture and the Patrol we know and love.
It’s not unusual for manufacturers to test new powertrains under modified versions of their existing vehicles.
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Current patrol -
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Ferrari front engine -
Ferrari, for example, is currently using a hacked Roma car to test its next-generation front-engined V12 supercar, while Nissan has been spied running what is believed to be a Z test mule under a rope-looking 370Z shell on the Nordschleife ahead of the former’s launch.
If this is the next-generation Patrol in sheep’s clothing, chances are Nissan will put the new twin-turbocharged V6 engine through its paces.
Reports from the United States from 2022 suggest the Armada, the American equivalent of our Patrol, will replace its naturally aspirated V8 engine for a smaller, more fuel-efficient six.
The move will bring it in line with the latest Toyota LandCruiser 300, along with American rivals such as the Ford Expedition and Toyota Sequoia.
Despite its advanced age, Peronda remains a strong seller. Nissan delivered 5724 in 2022, an increase of more than 70 percent over the previous year.
However, its late-life revival wasn’t enough to dislodge the LandCruiser. Toyota faces a supply shortage, but in 2022 it delivered 13,152 examples of the ‘King Off the Road’.
MORE: It’s all Nissan Patrol