Twin-turbo V6 next Nissan Patrol spied for the first time

Potentially on-track to debut in the early stages of next year, in spite of an official date still being unknown, the production version of the all-new Nissan Patrol has been spied testing in the metal for the first time in North America.

Goodbye V8

Previewed by upscale brand Infiniti’s QX Monograph at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August, the internally named Y63 Patrol is expected to differ by way of a Nissan specific frontal design as well as subtle changes at the rear and possibly inside.

ALSO READ: Concept Infiniti QX Monograph debuts as hint of new Nissan Patrol

Replacing the current Y62 that debuted in 2010, the Y63, which has been in reported development since 2019, will reserve its biggest change for underneath its bonnet, where the current VK56 5.6-litre V8 engine will make way for a twin-turbocharged V6 similar to that of its arch rival, the Toyota Land Cruiser 300.

In confirming the twin-blown V6, rumoured to be a 3.5-litre unit, Nissan’s Head of Product Strategy and Planning, Ivan Espinosa, said any likely backlash at the Patrol reverting back to six-cylinders for the first time since the Y61 as its flagship engine, will be unfounded once buyers get behind the wheel.

“I think the customers, the moment they drive a twin-turbo V6, they discover a new universe. The capability, the performance, the acceleration, the power delivery—the customer will smile, I’m sure of it. It will outshine the V8 in all those metrics,” Australia’s drive.com.au quoted Espinosa as saying on the sidelines of the Tokyo Mobility Show last week.

No EV and no diesel

Admitting that the Y62, sold with a different interior as the Nissan Armada in the United States since 2020, had become outdated in spite of undergoing a number of facelifts since its world reveal, Espinosa said the Y63 will stay true to the Patrol’s heritage of being a proper off-roader, before remarking it will be “much better” than the Land Cruiser 300.

“The dynamic performance is very well executed on the road when you’re driving at high speed, the response, the chassis, the dynamics, the steering have also been greatly improved,” he said.

Confirming the Y63 prevailing without a diesel engine similar to the Y62 that never featured an oil-burner as a result of not having been developed for one, Espinosa said while electrification is being looked into in the form of hybrid or full EV, at present, no immediate plans are in place as a result of the Patrol’s intended use over harsh terrain and for towing.

“One thing is the timing. If you tow, which they are made for, and on a very hot day you reach one mile per kilowatt-hour [of energy consumed]. If you have a 120-130-kWh battery, in terms of range, what is it?

“You own a boat and you want to go to the lake for the day. It’s 80 km, you will never take a risk to try to go home on the same charge because you don’t know. The problem is at the lake you don’t have a fast charger,” Espinosa continued.

“So that’s why to me… what’s the timing of full electrification for those people? Maybe not yet. Does it mean it will never happen? Probably not. But it’s not the right thing for today”.

Spied looking menacing

Based on the single image taken by the cluby63australia Instagram page, the Y63 has retained the dual headlight design from the QX Monograph as well as the side vents, which could be reserved solely for the production model that will morph into the fourth generation QX without the Monograph suffix.

Besides the Armada, the Middle East specification Y62 received a bespoke interior at the Patrol’s most recent update in 2019, neither the Australian nor the South African-bound models had access to.

While no interior images of the QX Monograph was divulged, a complete redesign, likely to bear a resemblance to the X-Trail if indeed the case, is expected, with Espinosa at hinting a “big improvement in technology” to be on the cards.

More soon

As it stands, no further details surrounding the Y63 Patrol are known, but expect more to become apparent in the form of leaks or even official teasers within the coming months.

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