Y63 Nissan Patrol could arrive up to six months early

The campaign has started to bring the new Y63 Nissan Patrol to Australia up to six months sooner than its late 2026 official launch date.

But local Patrol fans chomping at the bit to get their hands on the handsome new twin-turbo petrol V6 off0rader better hope potential buyers in other countries aren’t so enthusiastic.

Basically, demand in the left-hand-drive Middle East and North American markets – where the Patrol will be sold as the Armada – will play a pivotal role in the launch timing here.

“I am putting my hand up straight away [to get Y63 sooner],” confirmed Nissan Australia chief Andrew Humberstone.

“If there is any way, we are ready. It doesn’t mean it will happen, but I am certainly volunteering.”

Right now, Humberstone stressed, the chances of an earlier local launch are far from guaranteed because of the reception Y63 has received overseas.

“There is massive demand for the new Patrol in the Middle East and a long waiting list, in the USA a long waiting list.

“They are very profitable markets. But the question now is ‘does that [demand] taper?’

“What happens now in the US with supply and tariffs? If that changes maybe they turn around to me and said ‘we can accelerate’ and I’ve said ‘yes, ready to take’.

“But there are so many moving parts to be honest with you, we are saying we are agile enough and we are ready.”

Humberstone said a pull forward could be weeks or months but not pull forward into 2025.

“You are talking no more than six months,” he confirmed.

The Y63 will come to market not only with a downsized and more powerful 317kW/700Nm engine than its 5.6-litre V8 Y62 predecessor, but also a nine-speed auto and permanent 4x4.

The Patrol is one of four all-new and seven updated models Nissan promised (in September 2024) to have on-sale in Australia by March 2027, when the current Nissan global ARC business plan concludes.

The other new models are the Ariya and new-generation Leaf EVs as well as the Navara ute.

Three of the seven updates have already been launched – X-Trail, Juke and Qashqai.

Humberstone indicated the Patrol wasn’t the only new model he was pushing to get to Australia sooner.

“We are trying like hell to accelerate some of them, to bring them forward,” he said.

“But that’s all about what’s going on at the moment, what’s going to happen with tariffs what’s going to happen with exchange rates?

“We have very clear plan in terms of the ARC and the timelines around that. But we are also looking at local dynamics and saying ‘what is urgent for us?’

“For example, where are they going to sit with regulations around emissions, what are going to do with ADR [Australian Design Rules], what’s going to happen with the elections coming up … what’s going to happen with US tariffs?

“We need agility and flexibility.”

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au