SPY PICS: 2024 Nissan Patrol

Is this the next-generation Nissan Patrol?

A heavily camouflaged extra-large SUV looking a lot like a new Nissan Patrol has been spotted in the Middle East and posted to the car_secrets Instagram page.

While Nissan will not officially comment on the videos and images, it’s clear the Japanese car-maker is hiding something.

If this disguised pre-production prototype is indeed a test mule for the new-generation Y63 Nissan Patrol, it suggests the brand is on track with development and testing ahead of the new model’s global reveal.

That’s expected to take place later this year, following reports from the US that Nissan dealers have been told they’ll see a V6-powered Nissan Armada (a Patrol with different badges) later in 2023.

It’s possible that the vehicle in these images is a facelifted version of the current Patrol, but it’s more likely a full model change will accompany the introduction of a new, more efficient twin-turbo petrol V6 to replace the current Y62 Patrol’s gas-guzzling 5.6-litre petrol V8.

In a similar move to its arch-rival, the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, the 4.5-litre diesel V8 in which was replaced by a more powerful and efficient 3.3-litre diesel V6, the next Patrol is widely expected to undergo a similar powertrain downsizing to meet tightening global emissions regulations – even if its key markets including the Middle East, Russia and Australia aren’t exactly at the forefront of CO2 mandates.

It’s not yet clear what six-cylinder engine the next Patrol will get, but it’s expected to deliver more power and torque than the current V8’s 298kW and 560Nm.

As the only direct rival to the Toyota LandCruiser – at least until the battery-powered Kia EV9 provides a left-field option later this year – the Nissan Patrol is currently attracting record sales in Australia as supplies free up and buyers snap up what is likely to be the last V8-powered Patrol, well, ever.

If it’s indeed an all-new Y63 test mule pictured here, the next Patrol will have a similar shape and proportions to the current model, lending weight to rumours that it will be a significantly overhauled vehicle based on the same ladder frame, or at least a modified version of it.

This strategy has worked effectively for the Japanese brand’s other high-profile models, including the latest Nissan Z sports car, which retains the underpinnings of its 370Z predecessor albeit with considerable suspension modifications and a striking new design. Like the Z, the new Patrol may also adopt a retro design.

Our sources say a new Patrol is unlikely to arrive in Australia before 2024 and, before then, Nissan Australia will unleash its locally-developed Y62 Patrol Warrior flagship, which is set to deliver hardcore off-road capability and a factory-backed warranty – just like the sold-out Navara Warrior dual-cab 4x4 ute.

Stay tuned for more details.

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