For those who question the relevance of large, full-size SUV wagons like the Nissan Patrol, the counterpoint is Australia's booming caravan industry.
Australians are choosing to holiday at home and the waiting list for delivery of new caravans routinely stretches to months. With its towing capacity of 3200kgs (manual) or 2500kgs (auto), the Patrol excels at towing vans, horse floats, large boats etc.
For large families and those who tackle adventurous weekends, the Patrol's seven-seat capacity, voluminous luggage capacity and comprehensive off-road ability also score big points.
What You Get
Car Showroom tested a Ti Patrol powered by Nissan's 4-cylinder 3.0-litre turbo-diesel. The Ti is Patrol's range-topper and is priced at $68,690 for the five-speed manual or (as tested by us) $71,690 for the five-speed automatic.
The specification list is comprehensive including nice leather for all seven seats (driver gets electronic height and lumbar adjustment), wood grain trim highlights, six-stack CD audio with steering wheel controls, 17-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, satellite navigation and a reversing camera.
What you also get is Patrol's reputation for toughness and go-anywhere ability. The big Nissan hasn't scooped all those awards from the specialist 4WD media around the world for being a Nancy-Boy!
Aided by its standard meaty Bridgestone Dueler All-Terrain tyres, this 5050mm-long, 2477kg behemoth can climb 39-degree gradients and wade through 700mm of water unchallenged. For ski enthusiasts, even prolonged overnight parking in sub-zero temperatures is no problem as the ZD turbo-diesel engine has its own heat switch so it can be warmed before you turn the starter key.
Under The Hood
The combined Nissan-Renault alliance includes in its resume a history of diesel engine engineering that goes back decades and includes passenger cars, light commercials and heavy trucks. Patrol gains the ZD 3.0-litre four cylinder turbo-diesel which is a common-rail, DOHC design.
Maximum power is 118kW at 3600 rpm and peak torque is 354Nm at 2,000 rpm. Curiously, in manual form, maximum power is delivered 200rpm lower at 3400 rpm and the peak torque is increased to 380Nm. While eclipsed by Pajero's 3.2-litre turbo-diesel (146kW/441Nm), Nissan's 3.0-litre is still ample for the Patrol.
With fuel economy as low as 10.9 l/100kms (manual), the Patrol offers an enormous range between refills of its 125-litre fuel tanks (95-litre main and 30-litre sub-tank).
The Interior
It's big, very big - in fact the Car Showroom juniors and our female drivers were glad of the Ti's black-finished alloy side steps to climb inside.
Once inside, the leather seats are nicely done, rear seat legroom is good although the third row seats aren't enormous and definitely not for adults undertaking long journeys. The Car Showroom juniors in the second row seats liked the individual trays with in-built cup holders which fold from the rear of the front seats
The electronic adjustment of the drivers seat is good but the four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel only adjusts for height, not reach which slightly compromised the driving position. However all-round visibility is surprisingly good and first-time SUV buyers should not be deterred by the Patrol's size.
Instrumentation is simple and easy to read with audio and climate controls on the large center console. The sound system is a six-stack CD in Ti models.
Exterior & Styling
The basic architecture of the Patrol has been around for a while. Relatively high-waisted, it's pretty much all straight lines save for the pronounced curves around the wheel-arch extensions.
Our Ti model featured chrome around the honeycomb front grille and was fitted with the optional chrome airbag-compatible bull-bar in place of the normal front bumper. The large, rectangular headlights complete a masculine look.
The rear, with the externally-mounted spare wheel, continues the traditional Patrol 60:40 split 'Barn Door' opening which provides a low lip for cargo loading.
On The Road
Like the LandCruiser and Pajero, the Patrol is a compromise between off-road ability and on-road refinement. With its long travel coil springs (3-link fronts/ 5-link rears) and deep-treaded tyres on 17-inch wheels, the Patrol is biased towards towing and off-road work so the on-road ride and refinement is not as supple as say Nissan's 'soft-road' X-TRAIL or Murano models.
Around town, the 12.5 metre turning circle requires consideration when entering tight city carparks and turns in those carparks are accompanied by noticeable squeeling from the deep tyre treads.
Nissan's reversing camera on the Ti certainly helped and we liked the lines on the screen marked with distances to help reverse into parking spots.
Acceleration is brisk enough with the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel and five-speed automatic transmission nicely matched.
Off-road is where the Patrol is held in high esteem and even though the Ti model is the luxury variant, it's no pansy with low-range, a limited-slip differential, automatic free-wheeling hubs and ground clearance of 210mm.
Challenges
Nissan's satellite navigation system is driven by a remote control like your TV set. We test numerous cars here at Car Showroom and operate lots of navigation systems but we must admit the Patrol had us bamboozled until we consulted the owners' manual.
Verdict
In its latest guise, the Patrol builds on the reputation of earlier models. For towing, large families or weekend recreationalists like snow skiers, this is a vehicle purpose-built for you.
For Nissan, the unique conditions of Australia and the Middle East provide the major markets for Patrol. Seriously tough and capable of going just about anywhere, the Patrol is right at home here.
And for those who don't need that towing strength or ultimate off-road capability, Nissan's X-TRAIL, Pathfinder, Murano - or even the Dualis - offer viable alternatives.
The Competition
LandCruiser and Pajero go head-to-head with Patrol. We'd score the 'Cruiser a bit ahead on refinement, but you'll need some extra coin to match the Ti's specifications and the engine choice is limited to V8s.
Thumbs-up:
As tough as they come; great for towing; superb off-road
Thumbs-down:
Short on refinement; cumbersome in tight city environments
