Two off-road-focused variants are set to crown the new Nissan Patrol range in Australia, due to open for orders in its standard trim in 12 months’ time.
Family Cars
The 2027 Nissan Patrol four-wheel-drive will introduce a Pro-4X off-road variant in Australia alongside – or sometime after – the core line-up reaches showrooms in early 2027.
The Pro-4X grade is expected to form the basis of a new generation of the Patrol Warrior, a flagship off-road grade developed for Australia by Premcar, the Melbourne-based engineering firm formerly responsible for Ford Performance Vehicles.
Warrior deliveries are likely to commence sometime after Nissan's regular Y63-series Patrol range arrives in Australian showrooms in early 2027, following the opening of order books in late 2026.
The Pro-4X has been revealed for the US and Middle Eastern markets so far, but Nissan chief product specialist for full-size SUVs, Antonio Lopez, told Drive at the Tokyo motor show it will come to Australia.
“From 2026, it will become globally [available] as well in the GCC [Gulf states], and of course in the Australian market, the plan is to have [Pro-4X available],” he said.
Pro-4X additions include 20-inch black alloy wheels with Yokohama all-terrain tyres, a new lower front bumper with an improved approach angle, red recovery hooks, underbody protection plates, red Nissan badges, and a black interior finish with red accents.
Air suspension optional on other Patrol grades in the US is standard on the Pro-4X, capable of increasing ride height by 70mm compared to its baseline setting when off-road, or lowering the vehicle by 140mm for easier entry/exit or to reduce drag at higher speeds.
“That one is out of our [Nissan Japan head office’s] control, because it's a different company,” the Nissan product specialist said.
“But what is true is the demand of the customer for the Premcar, the Warrior vehicle, is really well received in the Australian market, not only for the Patrol, but as well with the Navaras.
“This vehicle is setting the base of the market in Australia. Obviously when the Y63 comes in, probably Premcar has appetite to convert the vehicles, and of course we know that Premcar are doing a magnificent job with Warrior, so it's going to happen.”
If the Navara ute is a guide, Premcar and Nissan Australia will use the new Pro-4X grade as a basis for the Australian-developed flagship 4WD, renaming it Patrol Pro-4X Warrior.
It would, in turn, give the flagship Patrol an equipment list to match its asking price, as the current Warrior is based on the entry-level Ti, not the luxury Ti-L that’s cheaper than it.
Arrival timing for the Warrior is yet to be confirmed, and there is no precedent in the Nissan range for a second, all-new generation of a Warrior model.
Warrior upgrades on the current Y62 Patrol V8 include a 50mm lift, 29mm from the suspension and 21mm from specific 18-inch wheels and Yokohama all-terrain tyres, plus a 40mm-wider track, wheel-arch flares, a red bash plate, and new bumpers.
It also scores reworked Hydraulic Body Motion Control suspension – which eschews anti-roll bars in favour of hydraulics at each corner of the car – plus new springs, recovery points, and a bi-modal side-exit sports exhaust.
The bi-modal exhaust has proven to be a particular highlight for unleashing the sound of the 298kW/560Nm 5.6-litre petrol V8, which for the new model will be replaced by a more powerful 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 that currently develops 317kW and 700Nm in Middle East-sold models.
Family Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
