2025 Nissan Patrol: The most Australian full-sized 4x4 wagon ever?

Nissan’s next-generation Patrol is edging closer to production, with late-stage prototypes now spotted testing in extreme climate conditions such as the United Arab Emirates.

Yet, despite its Japanese parentage and global market focus, the all-new Y63 will have more Australian input than any previous version in the series’ 72-year run, due to ever-growing demand for the existing model.

Speaking to CarsGuide at the launch of the Y62 Patrol Warrior in Tasmania in late September, Nissan Australia Managing Director, Adam Paterson, reiterated Australia’s growing importance and the effect that is having shaping the coming Y63.

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“As Nissan global develops new product, they work with key markets for that vehicle, for their requirements,” he said.

“(With) the success and growth of our Patrol volume – last year just over 5400 units, and this year we’re already just shy of 4400 with four months to go as far as retail is concerned.

“So, our volumes are growing substantially, and you would imagine that gives us a little bit more of a sa­y or input at the table as far as requirements for future product development.”

The extent of Nissan Australia’s input is, predictably, still a closely-guarded secret.

However, the unexpected success of Victorian vehicle engineers Premcar’s off-road focused modifications to two series of Navara utes since 2019, as well as the positive impact of similar changes to the recently-released Y62 Patrol Warrior, suggests that infusing the Y63 Patrol with less overt luxury and more of the tough, go-anywhere capability is probably a good place to start.

“What’s clear for us specifically for this program is that Australians use Patrol to enjoy off-road, right,” Paterson said.

“And it’s not just a large SUV that is used for regular family commuting and chores. So, for us, and – again this is what we’re trying to do with the Warrior program – is to continue to ensure that the vehicle remains true to its DNA and is off-road capable.”

With so few full-sized body-on-frame 4WD wagons currently on offer – the best-selling Toyota LandCruiser series being the only other one of any meaningful volume – even a small amount of local influence would make the next Patrol the most Australian vehicle of its type on the market.

Aided substantially by the COVID-19 pandemic’s global travel limitations, along with insufficient supply of vehicles to meet soaring consumer demand for 4X4 SUVs, means the Y62 has been a late bloomer.

Unveiled internationally in early 2010 and released in Australia in February 2013, it was not until after 2020 that it achieved a high level of sales.

They even matched the halcyon days of the earlier Y61 range of the 2000s – and these were predominantly diesel-powered and far-more affordable than the premium V8 petrol-powered luxury Y62.

That said, Paterson made it clear that Nissan does not intend to stray too far from the existing and established luxury formula that has so belatedly worked so well for the current-shape Patrol, as well as its North American Armada-badged offshoot.

“Patrol and the platform mates that also shares this globally means it is a very successful product in the Middle East, its platform partner in the US is also a very successful product as far as the Armada is concerned,” he explained.

“So, when the company develops the platform generally, it needs to meet a number of requirements of different markets.

“While we may have seen for Australians what seems a departure from Y61 when we moved to Y62, because we went petrol versus primarily diesel offerings before that and there were more luxury features offered in the vehicle than before, as we have seen, those have been very well accepted and almost a requirement for our market as well.”