Review: 2024 Nissan Patrol Ti-L

Review: 2024 Nissan Patrol Ti-L

It's been over a decade since the Y62 arrived in Australia and in that time it has experienced several updates to retain its place high atop the Australian SUV market.

It has just received another update to bring its infotainment system up-to-date with the latest technology so we thought it would be a great time to revisit the Patrol for a current vehicle review.

We recently spent the weekend with the top-of-the-range Ti-L model. While we didn't have the opportunity to take it off-road, we spent plenty of time testing it out on the roads of Brisbane.

Initial Impressions

Outside

Despite enduring five years since the Patrol's last facelift, it's safe to say the exterior styling is still holding up well. The wide and gleaming front grille stretches across its face flanked by a bold chrome element featuring segmented headlights.

The Patrol has a sizable footprint that's only matched by the likes of the venerable 300 Series LandCruiser and a few of the American pickups.

Inside

Stepping inside, you enter a cabin that is as spacious as you'd expect, with seats that are nicely oversized and perfect for long drives.

It features plenty of soft touchpoints with both trims upholstered in leather accents across the seats, steering wheel and door trims. The broad centre console acts as a great armrest, while the improved design and layout of elements across the dashboard is a pleasant improvement from the outdated appearance of the earlier edition.

The instrument cluster remains relatively simple however, it's great to see a new high-resolution touchscreen to manage all your infotainment needs.

Driveability

Drivetrain

Moving this hefty SUV does take a bit of grunt, however, the 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine is more than capable of handling it.

We were pleasantly surprised by how well the 298kW of power and 560Nm of torque moved the Patrol off the line, while the seven-speed auto gearbox ensured a smooth ride throughout.

As expected, it does chew through a bit of juice at 14.4 litres per 100 kilometres but what else would you expect from a V8, really?

Ride

Ride comfort is impressive due to the independent coil spring suspension all around.

The Patrol tends to lumber around corners a bit, although Nissan's Hydraulic Body Motion Control system certainly helps to minimise this effect. The speed-sensitive power steering system assists here as well, while the big front and rear disc brakes provide plenty of stopping power for the big Patrol.

Towing

In the class that it competes, it's no surprise that the Patrol features a 3,500kg braked towing capacity - any less would be fatal to the model. Combining this with seating for seven occupants (eight in the Ti) and 140 litres of fuel tank capacity, the Patrol is an outstanding towing and touring vehicle for larger families.

Off-Road

All your off-road controls are easily accessible via the dial in the centre console with terrain modes. We didn't get to test them out but you've got Sand, Snow, and Rock modes on top of the regular 4H and 4L. For even more assistance, there's a rear diff lock, hill start assist, and hill descent control.

Off-road capability is bolstered by a wading depth of 700 millimetres and a departure angle of 26.3 degrees. Approach angles are different between the two grades with the top Ti-L trim that we drove featuring a 28-degree angle, while the entry-level Ti enjoying a solid 34.4 degrees.

Safety

The Patrol comes with all the standard safety features you'd expect of a vehicle of this calibre. As standard, you get front and side airbags for driver and passenger, as well as curtain airbags for all three rows.

You also get Nissan's range of "Intelligent" assistance technologies like adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane intervention and blindspot monitoring.

Tyre pressure monitoring is also convenient when airing up and down when swapping between the dirt and the bitumen. We also appreciate the digital rearview mirror as standard - perfect for when the boot is loaded to the ceiling with gear.

Liveability

Convenience

Nissan has done an exceptional job refining the Patrol to the point where its family-friendliness rivals its off-road capabilities.

It does a great job as a school taxi starting with features that cater to mum behind the wheel with the 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat (and 8-way for the passenger), remote keyless entry, and push-button start as standard. The eight-seat occupancy of the Ti model is obviously a big winner here too.

Ti-L Extras

The Ti-L is loaded up with a few more fancy features such as front seat heating and cooling functions, a power-adjustable steering wheel (both tilt and telescopic), a premium six-speaker audio system, a powered tailgate and a luxurious powered sunroof.

We also love that the driver's seat in the Ti-L had memory settings that also included your side mirror and steering column adjustments - perfect for switching between mum and dad from weekday to weekend!

Wireless Charging

The 15-watt wireless phone charging pocket is an interesting feature. Have you ever seen a vertically-appointed slot into which you lower your smartphone? It's pretty neat but not without a few curiousities.

On the one hand, it takes up little real estate and saves your phone from flying off into the black hole of your passenger seat footwell. On the other hand, it could be a trap for small jewellery items, plus, you're certainly not getting your phone in there if you have a sizable phone case. If that's the case for you, don't worry, you've still got USB-A and USB-C charging outlets in the front.

Infotainment

The locally designed and developed infotainment system has a sharp and quick 10.1-inch touchscreen with a satisfyingly intuitive infotainment system.

The new system has been designed by Australian automotive electronics company, Directed Technologies and comes with digital radio, satellite navigation and - for the off-road tourers - Hema Maps integration with a complimentary one-month subscription.

There's also the valuable addition of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that helps bring the Patrol into the current age of convenience.

Cool Box

We can't neglect to mention the Ti-L's cool box under the large, padded armrest of the centre console.

It's an impressively large space that would be perfect to keep road trip snacks chilled for the whole family. You'd have no trouble getting a six-pack of soft drinks cans in there with loads of leftover space for the lollies and choccy bars.

Pricing

With the latest model updates, Patrol prices have jumped up about $3,000 across the range. The entry-level Ti trim starts at $96,610 driveaway if you choose the Gun Metallic exterior colour option. The top-spec Ti-L trim starts at $111,864 driveaway for the same colour.

Spending around $800 more on either grade will get you the option of five other available colours, including the Brilliant Silver that we tested.

In terms of the interior, we like that you can choose between Black or Light Tan leather-accented seat trims for no extra cost regardless of trim.

A range of Nissan Genuine Accessories are available for the Patrol including a range of roof bars, towing components, and protective items. Or choose from one of the accessory packages and enjoy some savings.

Summary

Overall, the Patrol sits in an ideal position that's sure to appeal to a large subset of customers, just as it has done for generations. It sits at the peak of the 4x4 SUV mountain yet compared to it's biggest competitors, it represents much greater value.

We were impressed with it's high level of comfort and convenience, which is especially important for the number of kilometres these put on the bitumen taking on the day-to-day slog.

The recent updates are necessary to ensure the Patrol remains a strong competitor, with just the right amount of new tech to maintain its appeal outside of its 4x4 prowess - at least until the next generation Patrol arrives in a few years' time.

If you're in the market for a leading SUV, get in touch with the team at Motorama Nissan to book a test drive of the latest Patrol today.