2023 Nissan Patrol Warrior imagined
The hardcore off-road version of the Nissan Patrol has been pushed back to 2023. Here’s what we know so far, and our guess at what it might look like.
The Nissan Patrol Warrior has been delayed until 2023 while the company works overtime to fulfil existing backorders for the regular Nissan Patrol range.
The current-generation Y62 Nissan Patrol has already eclipsed its sales record before the year is out – despite numerous interruptions to production during the global pandemic – and the waiting list still stretches up to six months.
With that in mind, Drive understands the Nissan Patrol Warrior is still a work in progress, even though Nissan dealers have been teased with images of what the vehicle might look like.
While the final appearance remains under wraps, Drive’s artist impression (created by Theophilus Chin) is an image inspired by the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior's bumper and grille, fender flares and wheels.
There are few details thus far about the 2023 Nissan Patrol Warrior, but Drive understands it will share many of the same traits as the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior: better ground clearance, a wider track, off-road wheels and tyres, fender flares, heavy-duty tow points, and a winch-compatible bullbar, with an embedded LED light strip.
When asked about details and timing for the Nissan Patrol Warrior – and if the model was guaranteed to be sold locally or at risk of not being introduced – the boss of Nissan Australia Adam Paterson told Drive in a recent interview: “We can’t make an announcement that it’s guaranteed yet, but we’re still working to make it available for the market.”
Speaking about the Warrior upgrades to the Navara and Patrol in general, the Nissan Australia executive said: “What the team tried to do is deliver what they felt was the ideal mix of enhancements, based on what customers are doing to the product themselves, and obviously deliver a price point as well.”
It is unclear if the 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine in the Nissan Patrol will get a power bump, but an exhaust upgrade could be on the cards.
However, there will be some limitations.
When asked if the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior might receive a power upgrade with the next update, Mr Paterson said it would be “fantastic to have everything, put a huge motor in it and do this and do that.”
“That would be great,” said Mr Paterson, “but that’s not necessarily what the market demands to make the business case happen.”