Nissan Serena Reviews

Will the long-lived Nissan Y62 Patrol V8 continue on sale after the all-new Y63 Patrol V6 launches? Due in Australia by early 2027, there has been some speculation that the next-gen model’s jump in technology, sophistication, complexity and – in all likelihood – price might see the current version continue as an entry-level ST-L grade underneath.

The Australian new car landscape is getting reformed in front of our eyes. July sales figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), showed the cars and brands Aussies are loving and the ones we are falling out of love with.

Nissan has been without an electric vehicle (EV) in its local line-up ever since stock of the outgoing Leaf hatchback dried up, but that’s soon set to change. Five years after it was initially revealed, the Nissan Ariya electric SUV will launch in Australia this September. Orders are now open at Nissan dealers.

Solid state batteries, the 'holy grail' of EV tech, continues to hit hurdles.

The next-generation Navara is shaping up as being the most important new-vehicle release for Nissan Australia this decade. Expected to be unveiled globally next year, ahead of an on-sale date by early 2027, the fourth-generation ute (which may be codenamed D24) and the tenth in a continuing series that started in 1955, will have the future of the brand as a major player riding on its broad shoulders. According to Nissan Oceania Vice President and Managing Director, Andrew Humberstone, the next Navara must hit the ground running in Australia in a way that the current D23 Navara has not been able to in the 11 years-plus that it has been on sale here, or otherwise the alternative would be unthinkable.

The long-promised electric revolution appears to have been pushed back, at least for a couple more years, with established brands and Chinese newcomers alike doubling down on big ICE-powered SUVs and utes – some without any electrification at all.

The head of Nissan in Australia has revealed he would buy the latest version of the ageing Y62 Patrol now rather than wait for its Y63 replacement to arrive late next year, because there will not be another one like it.Nissan Oceania Vice President and Managing Director, Andrew Humberstone, believes that, as the last of the affordable V8 SUVs on the market, putting one away for a rainy day may end up being a prudent investment.“Personally, selfishly, this is the car to buy, now,” he said.“That’s the one I would keep and not sell, because I think residual values are going to go through the roof, because I think that’s what people are going to want… if I was into any sort of boating, or any sort of camping or any sort of boating.”Humberstone may have a point, with Patrol sales down only 4.2 per cent year-to-date in Australia, compared to nearly 38 per cent for the much-newer (and V6 twin-turbo-only) Toyota LandCruiser 300, in an Upper Large SUV segment that has stumbled 27 per cent.While the international car-industry veteran is quick to point out the advances that the upcoming all-new Y63 Patrol with its twin-turbo V6 will have over its 15-year-old Y62 predecessor, he admits that the V8 will be missed.“The Y63 is an amazing vehicle,” he explained. “But I’m old-school still. I have to manage my conscious with one electric car and then one V8, and then I can say I’m neutral, I’m doing my bit for the environment in that way.”So, why is Nissan even releasing an updated old Patrol when a new one is already on sale in other parts of the world, including in the Middle East and in North America (as the Nissan Armada)?Humberstone revealed the facelift coming out at this time was always part of a larger plan, to maximise its appeal and give consumers both existing and new-to-the-series a reason to revisit the Y62 in 2025… especially now that Toyota does not offer a V8-powered LandCruiser as an alternative.“It was a little bit more strategic, because at the end of the day, we were aware of our Y63, we were aware of the kind of demand that would generate, and we wanted to optimise on the specification,” he said.Furthermore, Nissan timed the MY25 Patrol launch very carefully, so there is still up to 18 months before the Y63 Patrol – which has yet to be produced in right-hand-drive guise – arrives in Australia, making the purchase now and then again for another one from 2027 justifiable in the minds of consumers as well as commercially prudent for the carmaker.“On the run out of the V8, we were aware of what the competitors were doing,” Humberstone said. “We had a pretty good idea of what was happening with the V8 space in the V8 market.“So, we knew we'd have a window of opportunity, and we wanted to optimise on the (partly redesigned for MY25) dash, and the technology on the vehicle as best as we could.”Nissan’s big step up in ownership, that includes the availability of a conditional 10-year/300,000km warranty and lower-priced servicing, as well as having an in-house finance arm to facilitate the buying process, have also played a part in the MY25 Patrol strategy.“So, building up the spec, arguably giving the best product, or the best version of the Patrol V8 at the end of its life cycle is…strategic,” Humberstone added.

Nissan will develop a fleet of new ladder-frame SUVs to take on everything from the Ford Everest to the Toyota LandCruiser Prado, according to new reports out of the USA.In fact, the brand is working on a plan that will use an American factory to tap into the tough off-roader market, according to US site Automotive News.According to the site, the brand will manufacture two "flagship" SUVs in the USA rather than Japan – presumably the Nissan Armada and Infiniti QX80 – but will also develop two new ute-based SUVs.Ute-based means they will use a ladder-frame chassis as an underpinning, much like the Ford Everest and Toyota LandCruiser Prado.One vehicle is suggested to be the SUV version of the recently revealed Nissan Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid ute, which was revealed at the 2025 Shanghai Motor Show in April.That plug-in powerhouse develops a substantial 300kW and 800Nm from its 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and a single electric motor.The second model remains something of a mystery, but is expected to be another ladder-frame SUV, powered by either Nissan's e-Power hybrid tech, or a PHEV system. It would potentially sit above the Frontier-Navara-based model, giving the brand three models that step from, in Toyota parlance, Fortuner, Prado and LC300.While Nissan is yet to officially confirm the plans, a person with knowledge of the plan told Automotive News that the brands is developing a “comprehensive body-on-frame product strategy” for the US plant.Further, a Nissan representative told the site that it is “actively exploring” ways to develop body-on-frame vehicles.The news fits neatly with the word earlier this year that the Xterra is at the top of the brand's product wish list, with one of the brand's most senior executives pushing for a "functional and affordable" ute-based SUV that would take on the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.Chairman of Nissan Americas, Christian Meunier, said he recognised buyers want "a return to authenticity and simplicity, not having all the gizmos and gadgets" in a ute-based SUV.Asked what white space Nissan has in its American lineup, the executive told Automotive News that "if I could bring a car tomorrow, it would be the Xterra", referencing the Navara-based SUV that was discontinued in 2015 before being reborn in the Middle East in 2021."This is a white space because many competitors target the higher end of the adventure market. People desire a sense of freedom," he said."There‘s a return to authenticity and simplicity, not having all the gizmos and gadgets. People want a comfortable, functional and affordable vehicle."

Taiwanese cars built in Japan? Foxconn eyes off historic Nissan factory as potential joint-venture.

Nissan has introduced a more affordable hybrid entry offering in Australia, with a new Qashqai electrified variant sneaking in under the $50K mark. The 2026 Nissan Qashqai can now be had as a Ti e-Power, a roughly middle-of-the-range variant.