2023 Nissan Patrol vs 2022

What's the difference?

The Patrol Warrior will launch later in 2023 and CarsGuide will be there to get to know it better and review it for you, before we can test it ourselves on and off the road.

The initial impressions of this prototype Patrol Warrior are good: some subtle cosmetic changes, but substantial differences where it counts such as the increased ground clearance and revised suspension. 

It’s also hard to ignore the great exhaust note through the side pipes. 

In a world where we’re all barrelling towards an EV future, it seems to make little sense to buy a petrol V8 4WD wagon. And yet this Patrol makes a lot of sense.

In fact, the more I drive the Patrol, the more I like it.

It’s a very decent all rounder: comfortable on road, very capable off-road and, while not as ultimately refined as some of its rivals, it’s still commendably quiet and nice to drive. 

The Patrol has consistently proven itself to be a solid tourer and as a tow vehicle it has few serious rivals in the realm of large 4WD wagons.

The standard features list is decent, that V8 engine is unreal – in a good way – and the Ti spec Patrol offers a nice mix of practical and premium. 

Sure, you have to prepare yourself for some substantial fuel bills, the interior is a 1970s throwback, it doesn’t have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and it doesn’t have an ANCAP safety rating but, for many fans of this model, those are small prices to pay for the overall V8 Patrol experience.

The Patrol Warrior does not look wildly different from the regular Patrol and that’s a good thing, because the changes are not cosmetic, they’re functional. 

Premcar is the Aussie engineering company that joined forces with Nissan to make the Navara Warrior and they’ve done it again here with the Patrol. Premcar told us the mission was to make this rugged SUV more capable, tougher and more adapted to Australian conditions. 

Really, the only cosmetic changes are the black mirror caps, black grille, fender skirts and the Warrior badge on the tailgate.

The wheel design for the 18-inch alloys is also a Premcar creation and they wear Yokohama all-terrain tyres, which you won’t find on the standard Patrol.

So what’s been done to make this a Patrol Warrior? 

First Premcar took the current generation Y62 Patrol in the Ti grade and lifted the suspension - it’s now 50mm higher. So, if the regular Patrol has a ground clearance of 273mm we’re now looking at about 323mm.

While they were down there Premcar installed a new hydraulic body motion control suspension - basically a sophisticated anti-roll system.

Look down the right-hand side and you’ll see dual tailpipes peeking out from under the car. That’s the bi-modal exhaust system Premcar has fitted allowing you to hear a louder, angrier note when you’re accelerating hard, but a softer less intrusive sound when cruising.

The tow-bar has been redesigned to accommodate a full-sized 18-inch alloy spare and there are two 3.5-tonne tow hooks at the rear.

Back around to the front and the bumper has been redesigned for better ground clearance and a red bash plate has been added underneath. 

I like the fact that none of this equipment has been picked out of a catalogue, it’s all been designed and made by Premcar just for the Patrol Warrior.

The dimensions for the Patrol Warrior are different to the regular Patrol. That 50mm lift gives a total height of 1990mm, it’s also 94mm longer at 5269mm end-to-end and 84mm wider for a width of 2079mm.

Those are estimates based on the dimensions of the current Patrol and stats the head of Premcar slipped my way. 

Inside, the cabin has had the wood trim from the dashboard and door trims replaced with black Alcantara, while a gloss black finish has been added to the centre console.

The rest is all current-gen Patrol and to be frank with that comes a fairly outdated cabin that’s in need of modernisation, which will come with the new-gen Patrol in the next few years. 

There’s no getting around its size – 5175mm long (with a 3075mm wheelbase), 1995mm wide, and 1940mm high – but the Patrol wears its considerable dimensions well.  

In terms of styling, it's had a mild redesign – the front grill looks good with the new NASA-style badge – and the air vents either side are sleeker than before – but this is a big unit and its blockiness may not be to everyone’s liking.

As always, I’m not your life coach so make up your own mind.

The Patrol Warrior is a large, eight-seater SUV and having lived with a regular Y62 Patrol with my family many times, nothing apart from Toyota’s LandCruiser comes close to offering the spaciousness of the vast cabin and warehouse-like cargo volume. 

The Patrol Warrior has grown longer, taller and wider. I’ve listed my estimates for the Patrol Warrior’s exterior dimensions in the Design section above, but the interior space remains the same.

Up front head-, leg- and elbow room is excellent with wide seats accommodate even me at 191cm. Second-row seats have plenty of legroom (for me) and even the third row doesn’t feel as cramped as most other SUVs that offer them.

With that third row in place the remaining boot space still has an impressive 467-litre cargo capacity and with them folded flat the space opens up to a cavernous 1413 litres.

Cabin storage is also outstanding with large door pockets, an enormous centre console box and cupholders for all three rows.

As the Patrol Warrior is based on the current-gen Patrol there’s a lack of modern convenience such as USB ports (there’s only one) and no wireless phone charging.  Three-zone climate control with directional air vents will keep those in the second row comfortable during long hot or cold journeys. 

The interior certainly feels comfortable, spacious and real-life friendly, even if it all feels like it’s been brought here from the 1970s via a time-machine.

Upfront, there’s an abundance of glossy woodgrain-look panelling and expanses of soft-touch surfaces, and it all has the feel of a throwback to the disco era, but I reckon it all comes together; it’s a nice premium space with plenty of practicality about it. 

There are a heap of the usual storage spaces for driver and front passenger – glove box, cup holders, bottle holders in the doors etc – but there are also a few concealed spaces (with pop-up lids) for keys, phone and your bits and pieces.

The 8.0-inch touchscreen is too small and it tends to be a bit muddy looking when you're viewing the reversing camera image or while you're trying to operate apps on that screen. 

As mentioned, there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto – which is a real letdown in this day and age – and I struggled a bit with Bluetooth connectivity with my phone, but that might just be me, luddite that I am.

The centre console is a confusion of buttons, dials and knobs – and if you haven’t spent much time in a Patrol then it's not quite clear what you should be pressing or twirling to operate things, but if you’re familiar with a Patrol’s in-cabin machinations then it’s easy enough to navigate your way around the controls.

Second-row passengers get very comfortable seats, as well as two USB charge points, and temperature and fan controls in the back of the centre console. Those in this row also have sneaky access to the back of the centre console. 

There are cup holders in the fold-down armrest, and map pockets in the seat backs and bottle holders in the doors. 

The second-row seats have a top tether point and an ISOFIX point on both of the outer seats.

The third-row seats are flat and hard compared to the other seats and, in terms of space, are really only for kids, or adults for very brief stints.

All three rows get aircon – there are roof-mounted vents – and there are a few handy storage spaces in the third row, but no cup-holders. 

The third row has one top tether anchorage point. 

The rear boot area has cargo tie-down points and a 12V socket, as well as tyre-changing tools under the floor. The full-sized spare tyre is underslung at the rear.

The Patrol has a great reputation as a touring vehicle and in terms of packability, nothing has changed. 

Cargo space in the boot is 467.7 litres in the boot (with second and third row upright), 1413.4 litres (with third row folded flat); and 2623.2 litres (with second and third rows folded flat). That’s plenty of useable room but those seats don’t fold flat or entirely out of the way, so practical packing space is impacted.

Our test vehicle, the Ti, is the entry-level variant in a two-Patrol range. This eight-seater has a manufacturer suggested retail price of $82,160 (plus on-road costs), but our Patrol also had metallic paint, which adds $650 to the price, bringing this vehicle’s ‘price as tested’ to $82,810. That price-tag is climbing up there, but the Patrol packs a fair amount of standard features into the mix and it’s still good value for money when compared to a rival like the 300 Series Toyota LandCruiser.

The Patrol’s standard features list is as large as the Patrol itself and includes an 8.0-inch multimedia display with sat nav, Bluetooth for hands-free phone use, power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, side steps, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

It does not have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but it does have a CD player. Peculiar and disappointing.

Driver-assist tech includes AEB, forward collision warning, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, blind spot warning, as well as a bunch of stuff that’s handy for 4WDing such as an off-road monitor, tyre pressure monitoring system, and a fair bit more.

Nothing has changed here - that’s what I was told by the boss of Premcar who carried out the modifications that transformed the Patrol into the Patrol Warrior.

That means no changes to the 5.6-litre petrol V8 engine which makes 298kW and 560Nm, apart from the NASCAR-like sound it has when it's screaming through the bi-modal side exhaust. It’s a superb naturally aspirated engine that feels colossally strong but lazy until you punch it and it wakes with a roar.

The Patrol Warrior isn’t a race car and that engine is perfectly suited to crawling down rocky mountain sides and wriggling through the mud and sand with the help of an incredibly adept four-wheel drive system with low-range gearing. 

A seven-speed automatic transmission feels like it’s missing an eighth cog but the ratios are spaced for a good combination of low-speed driving and highway blasts.

Braked towing capacity remains the same at 3500kg, however the GVM has increased slightly.

The Patrol Warrior doesn’t come with a diesel alternative. If you are looking for diesel power, then the Toyota LandCruiser could be for you.

The Patrol has a 5.6-litre petrol V8, which produces 298kW at 5800rpm and 560Nm at 4000rpm, and it has a seven-speed automatic transmission, a full-time 4WD system, selectable off-road modes (sand, snow, rock), and a rear diff lock.

The V8 has plenty of grunt, the auto is mostly cluey and, all in all, the Patrol is a great driving vehicle.

The Patrol Warrior’s fuel consumption remains the same as the regular Patrol - 14.4L/100km. That’s a best case scenario, you’ll most likely be fully laden or towing and that’ll send the consumption much higher.

Official fuel consumption is 14.4L/100km on a combined cycle. 

Our driver-info dash display was showing 19.2L/100km, but we recorded actual fuel consumption, fill to fill, of 22.9L/100km, but we did a lot of low-range 4WDing … and I may have been going pretty heavy with my right foot through some of the mudholes we encountered – for research purpose, of course.

The Patrol has a 140-litre fuel tank, so going by that on-test fuel-consumption figure you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 560km on a full tank – and that’s factoring in a safe-distance buffer of 50km. 

Nissan gave us a prototype Patrol Warrior to drive on a test track in Queensland. There was a section which replicated Australian surfaced roads and another area contained an off-road course.

Having not driven the Patrol Warrior any further than 40km on and off the tarmac around that closed circuit it’d be pretty silly of me to make any final conclusions about whether the Patrol Warrior’s ride, handling and whether the off-road ability has been bettered compared to the Patrol it’s based on.

I can say that the sound from the bi-modal exhaust is epic. I can also tell you that the driving position is commanding with excellent visibility and that the steering is light.

Having driven the Patrol before I found the steering tuned for comfort rather than high speed accuracy, but until I drive the Warrior version on the public roads for more than half-an-hour I can’t say if the same goes here, but I see no reason why it should be any different.

Road noise is quite low, even from the Yokohama all-terrain rubber.

And of course that 5.6-litre petrol V8 feels wonderfully torquey - as mentioned in the Engine section the engine remains unchanged from the regular Patrol.

I put the Patrol Warrior through the test track’s pretty mild off-road section. There were narrow points between trees, ruts, rocky terrain and a few little hills. I don’t even think the Patrol Warrior realised it was off-road most of that time - it just glided through it all.

I did have to lock the diff at one point to get over a crest, but with the amount of ground clearance and excellent four-wheel drive system the Patrol Warrior didn’t come anywhere near to being challenged. We’ll challenge it properly once we have the Patrol Warrior in our garage and the same goes for towing and on-road performance.

All I can say right now is that on first impressions the Patrol Warrior is comfortable, capable and sounds epic.

If you’re unfamiliar with large 4WD wagons then you’d be forgiven for assuming that driving the Patrol might feel like driving a 2715kg couch on wheels along the road.

Well, it doesn’t.

Sure, this is a big vehicle with a turning circle of 12.5m, but the steering remains adequately precise, albeit quite light in hand, with a noticeable looseness to it – perhaps exhibiting a bit too much play to it, for my liking. 

But while steering is not quite as on-point as I might like it, the rest of the package is impressive. The big petrol V8 is unreal: there’s so much grunt on tap – making for a lively on-road drive – and all the while the rumble of that 5.6-litre donk, especially under right-right-foot pressure, delivers a welcome soundtrack to your day.

Throttle response is sharp as long as you’re energetic with it, and the auto transmission is generally pretty cluey; it can get caught out up hills, holding higher gears for too long, but otherwise it's okay.

The Patrol’s suspension is mostly well sorted out – it’s quite firm actually. It has independent suspension – double wishbones and coil springs at every corner – as well as the Patrol’s Hydraulic Body Motion Control system, a network of hydraulic cylinders cross-linked between wheels, which works like a swaybar/swaybar disconnect. It automatically tightens up on road to keep the Patrol more controlled on firmer surfaces, such as blacktop, and then it loosens up, allowing for more flex in the suspension, when you’re 4WDing – but more about that later.

It’s also quiet inside with any noise from the outside kept to a low-level background hum.

The Patrol is not perfect on-road, but it is very comfortable and exhibits high levels of performance and refinement.

Any concerns you think you may have about it – it’s big, it's cumbersome, it drinks a lot of petrol – I reckon those will rapidly be dispelled when you get a chance to drive it, because once you experience the Patrol’s big torquey V8, you'll forget all of those things. And they’re non-issues anyway, once you become more familiar with driving this large SUV.

The Patrol does not have an ANCAP safety rating because it has not been tested.

The Ti’s safety gear includes AEB, front and side-impact airbags for driver and front passenger and curtain airbags for all three rows, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning and blind-spot monitoring.

Nissan’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty still holds for the Patrol Warrior, servicing should remain unchanged as well with recommended intervals being 12 months and 10,000km. 

The Patrol has a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and five years of roadside assistance.

Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 10,000 kilometres, whichever occurs soonest. 

Capped price servicing covers the first six scheduled services, costing $393, $502, $483, $791, $425 and $622 a pop.