Nissan Patrol 5,6 V8 Premium 4WD 7AT

Big and brash, Nissan's new flagship SUV leaves quite a substantial first impression

R1 229 000

I7,77 sec 298 kw/560 N.m 210 km/h F, in an ever-evolving automotive world, high-performance brands such as Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin place considerable value on incorporating their respective racing-honed pedigree into each new product, in the off-roading world a brand’s heritage plays the most signi cant role in appealing to adventure seekers.

That mantra certainly applies to Nissan. While the likes of Jeep and Land Rover have each been plying their trades for just a little longer (since 1945 and 1947, respectively), hugely signi cant models like the 17,28 L/100 km 343 g/km Toyota Land Cruiser and Nissan Patrol are both currently in their 67th year of production, and still going strong.

Eight years into its lifecycle and facelifted along the way, the Y62-generation Patrol arrives in South Africa in time to accept the baton from its endangered In niti QX80 cousin. Considering our market’s traditional fondness for the Nissan badge (and relative unfamiliarity with products from its luxury division), as well as the lower pricing associated with the “lesser” Nissan-built product, you’d assume the Patrol might enjoy a bit more market success than the lesser-spotted QX80.

Built on the same platform as the In niti we tested in our November 2015 issue, the “new” Patrol shares similarly substantial dimensions. That said, while the Nissan is wider than its cousin, there’s a welcome simplicity to the Patrol’s styling, certainly when compared with the ungainly QX80. Also helping the Nissan’s cause is shorter overhangs, front and rear, as well as the standard tment of some-