Reviewed by Karl Peskett.
It was a trip to the airport that really put things into perspective. The mission? Eight people, plus luggage, and all in comfort. Six adults, two kids and plenty of bags.
It’s a task that only a handful of cars can tackle. Thankfully, this week’s test car, the Nissan Patrol, was up to the challenge.
There’s only one way to describe this car – humongous. If your garage isn’t huge, then don’t even consider it. But if you have the room to park one, then there’s plenty to recommend it. And a few things that may make you think twice.
Let’s start with the bad – it doesn’t come in diesel. Now, when there’s the Toyota LandCruiser available in a diesel, this is a massive oversight by Nissan. But the company won’t be concerned, the Patrol sells in huge numbers in the US and the Middle East, both of which don’t use diesel and where petrol is quite cheap.
You see, under the bonnet is a 5.6-litre V8 that makes 298kW and 560Nm, and it is absolutely beautiful. It makes that traditional timbre V8s are renowned for, and it is silken when revving. Couple that with a very smooth seven-speed automatic and you wonder what the issue is.
It’s certainly not the acceleration, because the V8 gets this 2.8-tonne behemoth to 100kmh in around seven seconds. And it’s not the throttle response, because it’s as sharp as a sports car.
Rather, it’s the fuel consumption. A petrol, naturally aspirated V8 motivating a car of this size has its work cut out for it, and while the engine is clearly up to the task, it needs to convert a lot of fuel to get movement. As a result, the average consumption we had throughout the week was 16.9L/100km. And then we went off-road, and it climbed into the late 20s.
This can only end badly, with a visit to the servo every 10 minutes, right? Well, the fuel tank is 140 litres, so you can actually stretch it out to once a week. But when you go to fill up, you realise that it requires 98RON. Yep, 140 litres of premium is going to sting.
So, let’s get onto the good – the interior. Open the door and you’re greeted with a wide dash, which curved woodgrain trim, a large centre stack with touchscreen and wide centre console.
The build quality is quite good, and has improved since the last Patrol we drove, which creaked a lot around some of the switchgear. This one was solid and the ruched leather on the door cards fits well with the luxury styling Nissan is going for.
The connectivity is fine – there’s Bluetooth and USB connections – and the climate control works beautifully.
The large lidded cubby-hole which acts as the armrest can be opened from the front, and cleverly from the back as well, allowing second-row passengers to access the storage space.
Speaking of the second row, the legroom is absolutely huge, and the seats are flat and wide enough to carry three large adults across the row. The front seats are also quite flat, and while very soft and comfortable, they’re not quite shaped enough to prevent you sliding around.
But the third row is the real trick. The Land Rover Discovery has been the benchmark for full-size rear seats for off-road vehicles, and after having tested the Patrol, we can confirm that the Discovery continues to be.
Sure, there’s enough room for a couple of adults or one adult and two kids (yes, there are three seatbelts available in the last row) but the legroom availed in the Disco is deeper and longer. As a result, the Patrol is adequate and enough for short trips around – certainly it’s better than the LandCruiser – but the Disco is the one you’ll want if you need to put a couple of adults in the back.
The Patrol does claw back some points for its room behind the back seat, though. It’s able to store luggage or shopping with the third row in place, and is the standard for overall space. Like we said, the Patrol is huge.
It is also brilliant off-road, too. The track we used was a mixture of rock and sand, and few dips in and something was clear: the Patrol allows the car’s weight to do most of the work, instead of using stability control. It uses physical grip, rather than relying on the brakes, which keeps them cool enough to rely on whenever you need them. Overheat them by using them too much and it can create big fade issues – something you don’t want on-road.
There’s a low-range transfer case, which is simple to activate – just push the button – but we’re not sure in what situation you’d really need it, thanks to the 5.6-litre V8’s wickedly quick throttle response. In fact, having it in low range could actually be a hindrance in some situations.
One area the Patrol does struggle with, though, is its approach and departure angles. On standard wheels and tyres, it tends to come a little too close to rocks for comfort, and on one section we managed a few scrapes under the rear bumper where the climbing nose forced the back end down quite quickly, removing some of the white duco. Sorry Nissan.
But we finished the track without issue, and came away impressed with its dual-purpose ability. It can head off-road when you need to, or it can carry plenty of people when required.
It’s big, well-built, comfortable and drives quite well. But you’re going to need deep pockets each time you visit the bowser, which is why the diesel LandCruiser outsells the Patrol easily. If you’re not worried about fuel consumption, the Patrol may be for you. But for most people, it’s the Cruiser that will be the more affordable option long term.
