The Nissan Patrol Warrior Has Me Wondering Why Anyone Wants A Land Cruiser - The Autopian (2024)

The Nissan Patrol is a proud beast. Today’s models offer excellent off-road capability combined with great comfort and a touch of luxury. There’s just one problem—the Toyota Land Cruiser does that too, with a bigger name to boot. Except, having driven the Patrol, I’m not sure why anyone’s looking the Toyota’s way at all.

I was lucky enough to get behind the wheel of the very special Nissan Patrol Warrior. It’s an Australian market exclusive, fettled for off-road performance by the skilled hands at Premcar. It takes the already-impressive Patrol and turns it up to eleven, with chunky tires, badass looks, and a throaty exhaust note to match.

I’m a fan of all off-roaders, large and small. Few, though, captured my attention quite like the Patrol Warrior this past week—both on-road and off. Come along for the ride – we’re getting muddy!

What It’s Got

The V8 is one of the most beloved engine configurations. We’re seeing them disappear from manufacturer lineups left, right, and center as the world shies away from large-displacement engines. Still, Nissan has kept the mighty V8 in the Patrol longer than most. As an enthusiast, let me tell you unequivocally. This is a goodthing.

You climb up into the Patrol Warrior, and sit yourself in the large, commanding driver’s seat. Foot on the brake, you punch the starter button. The engine sparks to life with a throaty roar and burble that wouldn’t be out of place in a modern muscle car.

You sit high in the Patrol, even more so given the Warrior’s charming modifications (which we’ll touch on in a moment). It might weigh 6358 pounds, but its heft pairs beautifully with 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. Combined with its warlike soundtrack, it gives you the distinct impression that you’re piloting the Devil’s own battering ram.

Of course, the regular Nissan Patrol comes with the same V8. It’s all the other gear that makes the Warrior special. Commissioned by Nissan to make the mightiest off-road Patrol yet, Premcar looked at what owners and the aftermarket were doing to improve the platform and built their own version backed by the soft cosseting blanket of a factory warranty.

The first thing that catches your eye is the wheel and tire package. You get big-ass 34.4-inch Yokohama Geolandar tires mounted on exclusive 18-inch rims. They’re there to help you roll over obstacles with impunity—so big that you don’t even sweat the small stuff. As you might imagine, fitting these was no mean feat. To that end, Premcar re-engineered the whole suspension system to suit. The Warrior has new front springs, new multi-rate rear springs, new bump stops, and a revised Hydraulic Body Motion Control system to keep it all in check. Oh, and Premcar threw on fender flares to match.

The bespoke suspension package gives the Patrol Warrior a hefty 2″ lift as well as a 1.57-inch increase in track width. Ground clearance is boosted to a total of 12.7 inches. The total package gives the off-roader a 40-degree approach angle and an impressive 23.3-degree departure angle with a towbar fitted. It achieves a breakover angle of 24.4 degrees.

There are obvious tells that this is a special vehicle. Like the giant “WARRIOR” bash plate installed to protect the engine bay, and the badging and decals on the side of the vehicle. But one change will draw you more attention than any other. It’s the thunderous custom exhaust.

Nissan’s VK56VD is a potent engine on its own, but it’s the Premcar exhaust that really lets it sound off with impunity. It barks and rumbles in a way that’s reminiscent of some of the greats. It’s clean, but fierce, like the tone you get from a classic Maserati Quattroporte. You can even get it with side pipes if you’re so inclined. You need not fear the pitchforks and torches of your neighbors, though. It’s bi-modal and happily quiets down when you’re not giving it the beans.

What happened is quite simple. Premcar took the Nissan Patrol Ti, and then basically did what so many owners do. It threw on a rad lift kit, big rubber, and some serious underbody protection. Then they chucked on a loud-but-tasteful exhaust and did all the work to a factory-quality specification. The result is a bigger, badder patrol that has the brawn to back up its bite.

You might expect, too, that all these off-road upgrades come at a penalty. That’s not the case. Premcar was sure to design the Warrior carefully to preserve its payload and tow ratings, even redesigning the tow bar to leave room for a full-size spare tire. That’s no mean feat for 34.4-inch rubber!

The vehicle was given an official upgrade to Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM), giving it a total payload of 1,622 pounds, 105 pounds greater than the Patrol Ti. That’s important for an eight-seater. As for towing, it’ll haul 7700 pounds with a braked trailer, though that’s downgraded to just 1653 pounds for an unbraked trailer.

What It’s Like

To give you my true feelings on the Patrol Warrior requires some context. Jumping back to 2023, I drove the all-new 300 Series Toyota Land Cruiser last year. I was duly impressed. It was comfortable, the tech was good, and it handled a nice little beach drive without complaint. But it was also fridge white with a drivetrain that was fit for purpose. It was a great vehicle, but one lacking in any sort of flair.

Back to 2024. I pick up the keys to the Nissan Patrol Warrior. It burbles into life, I idle it out of the carpark and on towards the highway. I lean into the throttle, just past that magic threshold, and boom. The exhaust opens up, the V8 snarls, and suddenly I’m hauling serious ass.

If you have no interest in V8 theatrics, this means nothing to you. But as an enthusiast, as someone who enjoys driving? That engine, that exhaust is everything. It was perfectly civilized when necessary, but that grunt is intoxicating. It’s the secret tangy sauce that the Patrol has and the Land Cruiser just doesn’t.

I spent a few days getting comfortable with the vehicle, or uncomfortable in certain cases. The Patrol suffers from one main drawback. It’s kind of gigantic. This is true of most of its rivals, of course—but the additional height and track width do make rather a handful in a tight inner-city world. If you live in the suburbs or a rural area, this will not phase you. If you work downtown and park in a multi-story lot, consider something smaller.

Outside of parking snafus, though, I found it comfortable and smooth on road, even with the chunky all-terrain tires. What I was really interested to find out, though, was how this thing performed on chunkier terrain.

To put it to the test, I headed out to some trails I hadn’t seen in the better part of a decade. I wound up tackling deep ruts, rocky descents, and even a few light mudbaths. I was careful not to attempt anything too questionable, given I had to hand the vehicle back in one piece. Fundamentally, though, I needed to know what this thing was like in its true habitat.

The Warrior impressed me, no word of a lie. On its own, the Y62 Nissan Patrol is a perfectly adept off-road platform. With full-time four-wheel-drive, all the usual computer gizmos, and good suspension, it’ll paw its way along the rough stuff quite surely. The Warrior, though, just ups the game all around. The added lift lets you tackle bigger ruts and steeper approaches without a care in the world. The big rubber is also gorgeous for blasting over badly potholed trails. I took some friends out, and we got waylaid on a dirt road peppered with basketball-sized potholes. The Warrior blasted over them without a second thought.

These big modern 4x4s can make you feel like an adept off-roader from the drop. They have so much grip, power, and control that once-challenging trails become easy. You’ve also got the benefit of computers watching out for you when it comes to locking the brakes or sliding in undesirable directions. I’ve wheeled all-analog four-wheel-drives and had a ball doing it, but vehicles like the Patrol flatter my skills on another level. I haven’t been out on the trail in years, but I was able to tackle chunky descents and tricky rutted paths quite easily. Nor did softer surfaces give me any problems, even with the occasional judicious use of the horsepower.

I mostly kept to the simpler trails for the sake of returning the vehicle in good shape, but I’m certain this thing is even more rewarding on the harder stuff. I’d particularly enjoy trying one out in wetter, muddier conditions, or at a rapid pace in the sand. I also didn’t have cause to use the hill descent control or do much in low range, but all the hardware is there if you find the need to use it.

I’d love to own one of these so I could thrash it on the rough stuff with abandon. As our day in the bush was ending, we came across a short, steep climb with deep ruts in slick mud. At over a foot deep in places, we’d have wanted to dodge around them to make it up the hump without disaster. I suspect that 400 horsepower and a good bit of welly would have flung us up it with the right line. Sadly, though, I wasn’t convinced I was the one who could do it without potentially putting the Patrol on its side. Nissan wouldn’t have appreciated that, so I decided to lean towards discretion and find another path out. Put that on me, for I’m sure the Warrior was up to the task.

Equipment

I’ve told you all about the driving experience because that’s what really lit me up. But we should talk about equipment, too. The Patrol Warrior is well-equipped, but not thebestequipped. Premcar and Nissan elected to focus on off-road performance more than outright luxury, so the Warrior is based on the Patrol Ti, not the Ti-L.

That means you miss out on a few features you might have expected to find in such a halo vehicle. You don’t get a powered tailgate, a sunroof, or heated and ventilated seats. The latter was particularly surprising and somewhat missed in the chilly Australian winter.

There are good reasons behind this, of course. Premcar noted that the Ti-L starts off taller than the Ti, so after the big lift, it would have been impractically tall for getting into parking lots. As it stands, the Warrior is 78.34 inches, or 1990 mm high—just under 2 meters. The roof rails of the Ti-L would put it over the line and make it harder to use in the real world. It’s also heavy enough already without adding more equipment.

Since it’s based on the Australian market Patrol, it doesn’t have the updated interior seen in the US-market Nissan Armada. However, it has had some upgrades, most notably to the center-dash infotainment system. It has a 10.1-inch display with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and it works admirably well. For the price, anything less would be a bit of a disappointment. You also get a well-designed wireless phone charger, and the reversing camera is also a lovely high-resolution unit. You’ll find this extra useful given the sheer size of the vehicle.

Emotional Response

Do you like big, giant trucks that are fast and go “GRRRRRAHHHH!” when you hit the pedal? Do you like enormous comfy chairs and a seating position that lords over petty traffic? Do you have seven friends and want to take them all with you on the trail? Then you’d probably like the Patrol Warrior.

I won’t lie to you. This truck caused me all kinds of problems this week. I had a hell of a time parking it downtown as I went about my business. It’s simply not suited to city life. And that didn’t change my opinion of it one bit. This thing is awesome.

The Toyota Land Cruiser is still the default big four-wheel-drive in Australia. It’s more beloved than most of our national sporting heroes and two out of three Hemsworth brothers. And yet, if I had to drop the cash tomorrow… the call would be easy. I wouldn’t spend $140,000 to wait six months for a 300 Series Land Cruiser. I’d spend less than $120,000 and drive away in a 400-horsepower Nissan Patrol Warrior with the V8 gargling its heart out as I tore onto the highway.

That’s not to say the Warrior is for everyone. If you want more luxury and are less fussed about going off-road, the Patrol Ti-L makes more sense. It’s also a thirsty, thirsty beast. Nissan quotes the same combined 16 mpg (14.4 L/100km) fuel economy for the regular Patrol Ti and the Warrior alike. Realistically, though, the big wheel and tire package alone have to ding that to some degree. I did a lot of city and off-road driving, and I saw 13 mpg (18.2 L/100 km) in practice. Just make sure you’ve got the budget to feed this thing if you do decide to pull the trigger. Especially since it runs on 95 RON—roughly equivalent to 91 octane gas in the US.

Ultimately, though? The Nissan Patrol Warrior was built to a simple rule. Take the excellent Nissan Patrol Ti, and make it even better off-road. Giving it a beautiful singing voice was just the icing on the cake. I loved it, and the only thing I’m sad about is that it won’t be around for long. So be swift, and flee to your Nissan dealer if you still want one. For you see, the next Nissan Patrol is just around the corner…

Image credits: Lewin Day, Nissan/Premcar