There are two ways to look at a model that's been in production for a dozen years: too good to change, or too successful to even bother changing.
The massively popular Nissan Patrol was a mix of both actually, but even fans with Patrol body art can't argue that Toyota's Land Cruiser has moved the game on. Cue Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn and his new Patrol, launched in Dubai at a glitzy affair with a valet parking packed with two-digit number plates.
And Ghosn made no secret of the fact that this new version of the iconic SUV was an attempt at regaining ground lost to Toyota. Despite being around for more than half a century, and being as close to local hearts as the Arabian horse, Nissan, as Ghosn admits, now has only 10 per cent of the SUV market. Its rival has 80 per cent. And Nissan has left no stone unturned this time around.
"Yes, it is an expensive car. We've spent $500 million on its development. We've made it more comfortable, more luxurious, sophisticated and supple, yet it's stronger than before," said Ghosn. "And it's completely adapted to the region."
In fact, more than 40 engineers from Japan spent 13,265 hours testing the new Patrol's performance and durability in the region's trying conditions.
The ‘Hero of All Terrain', as Nissan has dubbed it, gets a new platform, a design overhaul, an interior that oozes luxury, a new V8 engine, a seven-speed automatic transmission and a new four-wheel drive system.
The top spec model boasts 400bhp thanks to the 5.6-litre V8 lump that's also good for 560Nm of torque. The interior gets generous doses of wood, leather and aluminium. With wider and plusher seats, the new Patrol has 100mm more legroom for second row passengers and roomier third row seats as well. Although comfort and luxury were in focus, Nissan did not overlook the Patrol's essential characteristic; being an extremely capable all-terrain vehicle. The new hydraulic body motion control system keeps the car flatter and steadier while changing lanes and cornering, and a lot more stable on rugged and sandy terrain.
An all-new four-wheel independent suspension set-up replaces the earlier rigid axle setup. The all mode 4x4 system allows the driver to switch between four drive modes at the flick of a switch; sand, on-road, snow and rock. Add to this the hill start assist and hill descent control and the Patrol becomes a worthy competitor to the Land Cruiser.
Safety features abound in the new model, including lane departure warning and prevention, intelligent cruise control, distance control assist, forward collision warning, vehicle dynamic control, helical brake limited slip differential and mechanical differential lock. The intelligent brake assist sensor measures the distance from the car in front, and warns the driver. In exceptional cases, it even applies the brakes automatically. So it's not entirely without reason that Ghosn said, "No matter how bad you drive, this car will make you look like a champion."
We're sure the UAE's stuntmen whose favoured method of driving is tilted on two wheels will still find a way to take part in their favourite pastime, though.
Anyway, if you can't wait to get your hands on the new Patrol, well, you'll have to, because it goes on sale at the end of March. Available in LE and SE versions, the Patrol will be priced between Dh179,500 and Dh260,000.
