Nissan Patrol 2004 Review

What we liked
>> The look of the new interior
>> Rugged simplicity
>> Bullet-proof feel

Not so much
>> Tacked-on styling changes
>> Part-time 4WD is old-fashioned in an '05 wagon
>> Lack of traction enhancements

OVERVIEW
It's highly likely that if Nissan had been better managed in the 1980s and '90s –- as Toyota was –- we'd already have a new generation Patrol. When the current GU model was launched in late 1997 it was the best the cash-strapped company could do. The new bodywork was a re-skin, mounted on essentially the same chassis and running gear as the GQ's.

When you consider that the 1988 GQ was itself a 1980 MQ with a coil-spring chassis and flared mudguards –- even the windscreens were interchangeable –- and the current 4.2-litre diesel dates back to 1988 it's obvious that the Patrol's development has been severely undernourished over the past 20 years.

Another cost-conscious example was the introduction of a five-speed 'tiptronic' style auto with the 4.8-litre engine in 2001 –- the box came from the company's Z-cars and meant that the petrol Patrol lost its advantageous transmission-mounted handbrake.

FEATURES
The 2005 Nissan Patrol is a 2004 model with exterior panel and trim changes, fatter rubber and a restyled interior. The only significant mechanical change is a slight increase in power for the ZD30 3.0-litre diesel and a torque boost for the same engine when coupled to a manual transmission.

Nissan Australia's market research indicated that Patrol buyers wanted the vehicle's traditional ruggedness preserved, but would be happy to see improved comfort and a better quality interior layout. Hence the 2005 upgrade.

Nissan is gambling that the changes will be enough for the Patrol to hold station against the competition and its own new 2005 4WD wagons: the seven-seat Murano and the eight-seat Pathfinder.

The styling changes ape the Land Cruiser's flared wheel arch shapes and adoption of the chromed 4WD 'family' grille makes the Patrol resemble a Navara front-on. When the '05 Pathie hits the roads with its similar grille the model confusion will increase.

COMFORT
Interior upgrades include new upholstery options, including leather for the Ti. The interior has undergone the greatest change, with an entirely new dashboard and instrument cluster styled off the more-modern X-Trail and 350Z models. The seats have also been repadded and there's a new range of upholstery. Air-conditioning and power windows are standard, and redesigned sills allow greater access to the vehicle.

SAFETY
The Patrol isn't exactly the 4WD market's leading light in terms of primary or secondary safety. For a start it's a part-time 4WD machine, which means that it's rear-wheel-drive only in most on-road conditions. Some experienced 4WD operators know how to operate the part-time 4WD system on slippery roads without risking mechanical damage, but most 4WDrivers don't.

ABS braking, surely the greatest primary safety feature in a heavy towing vehicle, isn't available on the DX base model. However, Nissan has raised the secondary safety bar a tad with a standard driver's side airbag and $700 optional passenger airbag on the DX.

The seven-seat ST spec' level has been the big-numbers Patrol variant, but it doesn't come with standard ABS –- that's a two-grand upgrade to the new ST-S level –- but it does now have two airbags. To get side airbags in your Patrol you have to choose the Ti model, a cool $77,690 purchase.

MECHANICAL
The only mechanical upgrade for 2005 is a 3kW lift in power for the popular ZD30 3.0-litre, turbo-intercooled diesel. ZD30 engines bolted to five-speed mechanical transmissions have maximum torque of 380 Nm -- a lift over the previous 354 Nm peak -- but those engines with auto boxes are limited to the previous peak.

The new fender flares house wider rubber: 275/65R17s on all STs and above. We think it's a mistake to remove the 16-inch wheel option from the popular ST spec' level, because bush-tolerant replacement 17-inch rubber is still as scarce as bilbies in the Outback.

The only 16-inch wheel model is the DX, which runs standard on 7.50R16 eight-ply rubber when purchased with a manual box, or on 235/80R16s with the auto. An optional 8JJ16 wide wheel pack for DX manuals and autos is shod with 265/70R16s and comes with black wheel arch flares.

A downside of the DX wide-wheel kit is that nearly all DXs on order are white, giving the wide wheel version a distinct 'Panda' look –- great for Collingwood supporters or those who want to add stick-on 'Zebra' striping.

Nissan's model mix is 75 per cent ZD30 diesel, so it's not surprising to see a torque boost for '05 Patrols, to keep the diesel four up with the competition. However, this engine has had many in-service problems, from fuel pumps to turbo failures and we'd like to have seen some reassuring facts from Nissan's engineering team about reliability concerns.

In the launch presentations and in the company's press kit the tone favoured the 'rugged and reliable' 4.2-litre diesel over the 3.0-litre for heavy towing. So, why is the 17-year-old TD42 six-cylinder diesel sold at a $7000 price penalty over the electronically-sophisticated ZD30 engine?

COMPETITORS
The obvious competitors for the Patrol 4.2 and 4.8 heavy towing models are the 100 Series Land Cruiser and the Land Rover Discovery –- all with 3500kg towing ratings. Both the 'Cruiser and the '05 Disco outspec' the Patrol, which will continue to rely on pricing to give it a marketing edge.

For serious off-roaders the Patrol's ruggedness and simplicity will continue to attract buyers in '05, but the lack of full-time or selectable 4WD and electronic traction aids that are standard in most of its competition will, we predict, erode the Patrol's share.

As a people mover the Patrol is well past its use-by date. The basic ergonomics of its old body shell can't compete with newer designs, or even with its own forthcoming Pathfinder and Murano.

The longer Nissan allows the Patrol to lag behind its competitors the more difficult it will be to catch up. The Patrol GQ outsold the LandCruiser 80 Series in 1988-90 because it was a better vehicle than the Toyota, but that situation hasn't been repeated since. Alongside the Land Cruiser 100 Series the Patrol looks and feels old.

We can't see many people lining up to buy the $77,490 Ti, when for $3000 more they can buy a larger Sahara V8 that handles and rides much better than the Patrol, delivers more frugal economy and comes with full-time 4WD, traction control and vehicle stability control.

ON THE ROAD
We test drove the new Patrol very briefly at a one-day launch function outside Melbourne. From that exercise we came away with the impression that the dynamics of the new vehicle are little changed from previous GUs. In fact the fatter rubber, if anything, made the '05 model more skittish on gravel 'marbles'.

We can't say we noticed any great improvement from the seating updates and the previous ergonomics haven't changed. On lumpy bitumen the '05 Patrol bump steered at both ends, as it's always done, but was predictable. Ride quality is still firm and handling is flat at normal 4WD driving speeds.

Try upping the velocity around tight corners and the big Patrol understeers in protest. That's not what it's meant to do. Where the Patrol shines is on long hauls and when the bitumen ends.

Potholed dirt roads don't faze the Patrol, which soaks up big holes and ruts in grand style.

It's the same story in true off-road situations where the combination of good ground clearance, excellent wheel travel and a powerful limited-slip rear differential work optimally to keep the Patrol moving in situations where only the rugged make progress.