Some will be surprised to hear that the sixth-generation Nissan Patrol was introduced more than 13 years ago. Codenamed “Y62,” the SUV received its first facelift in mid-2014 before going under the knife once again in 2019. While a performance Nismo derivative has been around for many years, it’s only now that the body-on-frame SUV is getting a tougher all-terrain version. It’s called the “Warrior” and made its debut this week in Australia.
Joining the Navara Warrior in the Land Down Under, the jacked-up Patrol gets plastic body cladding around the wheel arches. It sits 50 millimeters (nearly two inches) higher than the regular variant on unique 18-inch two-tone wheels wrapped around in Yokohama Geolander A/T tires. The new Patrol Warrior gets a side-exit exhaust and an assortment of glossy black accents to replace the chrome trim.
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With the Warrior lineup, Nissan wants to simulate Ford’s Raptor portfolio, but there’s sadly no extra power. The naturally aspirated 5.6-liter V8 engine still makes 400 hp (298 kilowatts) and 413 pound-feet (560 Newton-meters) of torque like the regular AU-spec Patrol. The aforementioned Nismo available in the Middle East has 428 hp on tap.
Another disappointment is on the inside where the Patrol Warrior retains the old dashboard design even though the second facelift launched four years ago in other markets brought the dual-screen layout. In the United States, the mechanically related second-generation Armada got a more modern dashboard for the 2021 model year. There are some tweaks inside as the wood accents have made way for piano black and Alcantara but nothing to write home about.
There are more changes than meets the eye, but Nissan isn’t willing to talk shop for now. The Patrol Warrior is scheduled to go on sale in Australia late this year. Like the regular model, it’s assembled in Japan, but then it’s shipped to Melbourne where Premcar modifies it to Warrior spec. It’s the same story with the Navara Warrior.
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