Nissan Patrol here to stay

Diesel "classic" set to continue alongside new petrol Patrol indefinitely.

The Nissan Patrol heavy duty four-wheel-drive might be approaching its 18th birthday -- the equivalent of three lifetimes in the car world -- but the company insists it will remain on sale for at least another year.
 
Contrary to other reports, the classic "Y61" Nissan Patrol, introduced in 1997, is still in production in Japan alongside the newer "Y62" version, which was released globally in 2010 and in Australia in 2013.
 
The confusion arose when Nissan announced it was withdrawing the "Y61" Patrol from other overseas markets.
 
Nissan Australia fought to keep the classic "Y61" Patrol in production as there are still no plans to introduce a diesel version of the petrol-only "V62" Patrol, which is sold primarily in North America and the Middle East.
 
"The Y61 Patrol is here to stay, there is no date set to end production," says the new Nissan Australia boss, Richard Emery. "It's here for at least another year, if not longer."
 
Reports out of North America say Nissan is considering a Cummins diesel V8 for its US-only Titan pick-up.
 
This has led to speculation the same engine could be adopted for the newer "Y62" Patrol, however Nissan says there are still no firm plans to fit a diesel engine into the new generation vehicle.
 
Carsguide understands Nissan initially considered adapting a Renault-sourced 3.0-litre turbo diesel for the "Y62" Patrol, but those plans were put on the back burner.
 
In the meantime Nissan Australia will try to hang onto the classic "Y61" Patrol for as long as possible.
 
Despite the Patrol's popularity among hardcore four-wheel-drive enthusiasts the Toyota LandCruiser outsells it five-to-one and Mitsubishi's Pajero outsells it by three-to-one.
 
Nissan had a relatively good month for Patrol sales in May, with sales up slightly from 200 in the same month last year to 210 this year.
 
Patrol sales are being buoyed by drive-away deals: $58,600 on the basic DX and $62,800 on the better equipped ST model.
 
Part of the appeal is the Y61 Patrol's 3200kg towing capacity for manual models (although the auto is restricted to 2500kg) and 125 litre long range fuel tanks which can deliver about 1000km between refills in optimum driving conditions.
 
In the meantime, Mitsubishi is having a crack at the tow vehicle market with special deals on the Pajero starting at $54,990 drive-away for the basic model and $59,990 drive-away for the luxury version.
 
The Mitsubishi Pajero has a 3500kg towing capacity, a five-year warranty and cheaper capped-price servicing than the Nissan Patrol.
 
The only downside for Pajero is the 88-litre fuel tank, which means about 900km between refills in ideal driving conditions.
 
Mitsubishi says a new generation Pajero is still at least two years away and there are no plans to discontinue the current model.
 
Unlike Nissan, Mitsubishi says it will continue with a diesel version of the next generation Pajero.
 
Meanwhile reports out of Japan say there will also be a plug-in hybrid version of the next generation Pajero.