Nissan marked 73 years of the Patrol in September by unveiling the all-new Y63 in Abu Dhabi. Image: Nissan
With its global premiere having taken place exactly one month ago today, 3 October, the Y63 Nissan Patrol officially became the seventh generation in the nameplate’s storied 73-year history.
The first completely new Patrol in 14 years, the Y63 not only debuted a new platform but also reverted back to six cylinders exclusively for the first time since the end of the Y61 in 2022.
Officially the oldest nameplate in Nissan’s product range following the end of the Bluebird in 2007, the Patrol’s world’s debut on 25 September 1951 saw it arriving less than a month after the Toyota Jeep BJ that went on to become its arch-rival, the Land Cruiser.
One of the few models to be sold as a Nissan in certain markets despite the Datsun name still being prominent, an estimated two million Patrols have reportedly sold since 1951 with all but the original having had production runs of more than a decade.
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A model that has achieved cult status in Australia and the Middle East – hence the reason for the Y63’s unveiling in Abu Dhabi – The Citizen rewinds the clock to where it all began.
Showcased as another take on the Willy’s Jeep similar to the BJ, the original Patrol debuted as a Japanese market exclusive with a canvas roof and two doors.
Later available as a station wagon devised for the Japanese army, the 4W60 also utilised a six-cylinder petrol engine similar to the BJ, but with a displacement of 3.7-litres rather than 3.4-litres and with a claimed power output of 55 kW.
Paired with a four-speed manual gearbox with drive going to all four wheels, the 4W60 achieved notoriety soon after its launch for being the first vehicle to scale Mount Fuji.
Updated in 1955 to become the 4W61, which saw power increase to 68 kW and then later to 77 kW thanks to a bigger 4.0-litre unit, the original lived on until 1960 at which point it had finally adopted the Patrol name, changed internal moniker twice and produced 92 kW.
The first Patrol to be exported to among others, Australia and the United States, the 60-Series retained the same bodystyle as its predecessor, but with significant re-engineering underneath its skin for harsher terrains.
Still powered by the 4W60’s 4.0-litre engine, which would produce as much as 107 kW, the 60-Series heralded the introduction of a low-range transfer case, proper doors, as many as three windscreen wipers and either a three-speed or later four-speed manual ‘box.
Significantly, it became the first vehicle to cross the Simpson Desert in Australia in 1962, while also being approved for assembly in India in 1969 as a military vehicle called the Jonga.
Lasting until 1980, the 60-Series would signal the end of the primitive-looking Patrol as from later in the year, substantial advances would be introduced in much more modern variants.
Split over two models, the 160 introduced a radically different appearance, as well as numerous Patrol firsts.
Offered as either a short or long wheelbase with three doors, new additions included a long wheelbase with five doors, air-conditioning, power steering, plusher interior trim, a low-range transfer case and a limited slip differential.
More significant was the first-time availability of a diesel engine, with or without turbocharging, an automatic gearbox and in some markets, a four-cylinder petrol engine as an alternative to the ageing 4.0-litre straight-six.
Sold in South Africa as the Nissan Safari, the 160 ended production in 1986, but not before producing a spin-off called the 260.
Three years before, the 160 had entered production at the new Barcelona Plant in Spain as the first Nissan to be assembled in Europe.
Powered by a unique selection of petrol and diesel engines, the ending of the 160 led to the creation of the 260 that would become the Patrol for the Old Continent.
Sold with three or five doors, but only with the manual ‘box, the 260 made its own bit of history by becoming the first diesel vehicle to finish inside the top 10 in the Dakar Rally.
Based on the three-door, the green, yellow and white Fanta Limon-sponsored Patrol finished ninth overall in 1987 crewed by Miguel Prieto and Ramón Termens.
Powered by a 2.8-litre turbodiesel that made 107 kW, vehicle #211 returned to action in 2016 after a two-year restoration period to its original Dakar competition form.
By the end of production in 2002, a total of 196 000 160/260 Patrols were made, with the plant going on to produce the Terrano II, the Navara and its ill-fated twin, the Mercedes-Benz X-Class, before being sold in 2022 and subsequently bought by Chery earlier this year.
Introduced as an even more dramatic change from the 160/260, the Y60 headed the arrival of the Land Cruiser 80-series by almost a year by becoming the most luxurious Patrol up to this point.
Simplified to offer a three-door short wheelbase, a five-door long wheelbase and a two-door bakkie, the Y60 introduced firsts such as automatically locking wheel hubs, electric windows and mirrors, a locking rear differential, ABS and a driver’s airbag.
Sold with coil springs in some markets, the Y60 derived motivated from Nissan’s then-new 4.2-litre TB42 petrol engine that finally replaced the dated 4.0-litre.
On the diesel side, the equally new 4.2-litre TD42 made its unveiling as an alternative to the 2.8 RD28 that has been carried over from the 160/260. Transmissions now consisted of a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.
Towards the end of its lifecycle, the Y60 formed part of the so-called Button Plan aimed at rationalising the automotive industry in Australia.
Signed by Ford, Holden, Toyota and Nissan, the result was the short-lived Ford Maverick that lasted from 1988 to 1994.
The longest lasting version ever, the Y61 would signal more firsts, but also lasts for the Patrol.
The generation that saw the Patrol become a mainstay of the Middle East, the Y61 officially waved farewell to the short wheelbase three-door, the bakkie and the turbodiesel engine that at its peak, had been producing 118 kW in both TD42 and 3.0-litre ZD30 guises.
Prolonged due to continuing demand, the Y61 became famous for its ease of tuning, especially the 4.8-litre straight-six petrol, which had the reported capability of producing more than 746 kW when paired to an aftermarket supercharger.
Facelifted twice, including the roll-out of numerous special editions in Australia and the Middle East, the Y61 eventually bowed out in 2022, along with the straight-six engine that had powered the Patrol from 1951.
Sold alongside the Y61 as a more upscale model in certain markets, the Y62 welcomed the first-ever V-angle engine with either six or eight cylinders.
The last iteration to have a manual gearbox, the introduction of specifically the V8 originated from the Patrol having been selected as the base for upscale brand Infiniti’s QX that had been modelled on the unrelated first generation Armada.
Producing 298kW/560Nm, the 5.6-litre VK56 ‘engine came paired with an equally new seven-speed automatic gearbox, while the 4.0-litre V6 retained the five-speed automatic or the mentioned six-speed manual.
As it was never developed for it, the Y62 did without a diesel engine.
Facelifted in 2014 and 2019 respectively, the final rework brought not only a refreshed exterior but also a new infotainment system for the Middle East and by extension, a performance Nismo model.
Unveiled in 2021 as the most powerful Patrol up to that point, the Nismo produced the same 560 Nm as the regular V8 models, but with a power hike to 320 kW.
In addition to the QX, the Y62 became the base for the second generation Armada in 2016 as the Patrol name had ceased usage in 1969.
A ground-up new model said to have undergone 100 000 km of multi-terrain testing and extreme desert driving equal to one-and-a-half years, the Y63 has officially been described as the most technically advanced Patrol ever made.
Equipped with a nameplate first air suspension, Head-Up Display and ambient lighting, it also debuts a biometric climate control system that scans individual body temperature before automatically adjusting the air conditioning.
Signalling the biggest change though is a return to six-cylinder power exclusively, albeit with first-time turbocharging in combination with a petrol engine.
Developed from the same VH family as the GT-R, the twin-turbo 3.5-litre VH35DDTT V6 produces 317kW/700Nm and is linked to a new nine-speed automatic gearbox.
Replacing the 4.0-litre V6 is the normally aspirated 3.8 derived from the North American Frontier rated at 236kW/387Nm. As with the Y62, the Y63 lacks a diesel engine as it was never developed for it.
Already on sale in the Middle East and in North America again as the Armada, the Y63 Patrol will only head to the right-hand-drive market in 2026 with Australia again being the key right-hooking nation.
For the time being though, it remains “under evaluation” for South Africa.
Additional information from nissanmotornews.com, nissannewsglobal.com and practicalmotoring.com.au.
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