By ALISTAIR KENNEDY, Marque Motoring
THE latest sixth generation Nissan Patrol has been here since late 2019 with a minor upgrade for the MY2022 version.
The Patrol is only available in two premium variants, the Ti and Ti-L, priced at $82,160 and $95,115 plus on-road costs, respectively.
Both are powered by the same 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine with seven-speed automatic transmission.
The ‘L’ in Ti-L stands for Luxury, with extra features including a powered sunroof; roof rails; powered tailgate; automatic headlight levelling; puddle illumination light; driver’s seat memory; three-zone air conditioning; heated/cooled front seats; rear-seat video screens; premium sound system; and front row centre console cool box.
Sidesteps are almost a must for a vehicle of this size especially for smaller passengers. Wheels are 18-inch all-terrain alloys.
The Patrol Ti is a 2-3-3 eight-seater while the Ti-L is a 2-3-2 seven-seater.
All seats are leather.
Access to the third row is made easier with the second-row seats able to fold and tumble forward.
With the third row of seat backs in place there is 467 litres of storage space, expandable to 1413 litres with the third-row folded flat.
It increases again to a van-sized 2632 litres with the middle row rolled forward against the backs of the front seats.
The front seats are large, supportive and very comfortable.
Both driver and front passenger get eight-way electric adjustment as well as heating and cooling.
The driver’s seat has a memory function.
There is a deep centre console cool box which can be accessed from either front or second-row seats.
The instrument cluster is clear and uncomplicated, while everything is easy to find and operate with minimal distraction.
Power for Patrol comes from a direct-injected, naturally aspirated V8 petrol engine that delivers 298 kW of power at 5800 rpm, and 560 Nm of peak torque 90 per cent of which is available from 1600 revs.
Power is put to ground through an advanced seven-speed automatic transmission and a sophisticated, electronically controlled, all mode 4×4 system with settings for Auto, 4H, 4L, diff lock and hill descent control.
The centre console mounted-control knob also incorporates Patrol’s terrain select system, featuring on road, snow, sand and rock settings for the serious off-road adventurer.
Standard safety features include six airbags with curtain bags covering all three seat rows;
Intelligent Around-View Monitor with Moving Object Detection; Hill Descent Control and Hill Start Assist; two IsoFix child restraint anchorage points; front and rear adjustable active headrests; Intelligent Cruise Control; Intelligent Forward Collision Warning; Lane Departure Warning; Intelligent Lane Intervention; Blind Spot Warning and Intervention.
There is also Intelligent Emergency Braking; Intelligent Forward Collision Warning; Rear Cross Traffic Alert; front and rear parking sensors; and tyre pressure monitoring.
Patrol’s infotainment system is showing its age.
There’s an 8-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation and traffic monitoring system but other features are limited and, unusually, there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility.
The audio system has CD/DVD, AM/FM radio (no DAB+), MP3 and USB / iPod connectivity with Bluetooth phone and audio streaming.
There are two USB ports and a 12V socket at the bottom of the front console and two USBs in the rear.
The Ti has a six-speaker audio system.
The Ti-L adds premium BOSE sound with 13 speakers as well as two second row seat 8-inch DVD screens with headphones and remote controls.
Getting into the Patrol involves a bit of a climb for the less agile with the combination of sidestep and grab handle coming into play.
The next chore is releasing the parking brake which, unfortunately, is of the old-fashioned foot-operated variety.
Despite its size the Patrol isn’t too difficult to drive around town with the cameras ensuring that awkward spots are handled.
On the open road it’s a smooth, composed ride and exceptional occupant comfort makes it an ideal long-distance cruiser.
The 140-litre fuel tank will stretch the distance covered but, with fuel prices soaring there will be a nasty shock at the bowser.
Consumption is listed at 14.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle, with an averaged 16.6 litres per 100km.
Patrol is the most luxurious and sophisticated Nissan offered in Australia and although it’s showing its age in many ways it provides a top-class drive on and off road and can double as either a luxury people mover or tow vehicle for pulling large boats or horse floats.
All Nissan models now come with the five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty with free roadside assistance during that same period.
