Nissan Patrol Warrior 2020 confirmed! Flagship SUV to get hardcore makeover

Nissan will apply the Warrior treatment to the Patrol, with the brand’s Australian chief confirming work on the project has begun.

Chuffed with the reception to the Navara N-Trek Warrior, Nissan boss Stephen Lester confirmed several new projects were now underway, with the incoming Patrol the next to receive the local suspension engineering work, though it’s not yet clear whether it will carry the Warrior badge, or get a new name.

“I certainly think the Patrol is one that makes a lot of sense,” Mr Lester said. “(The) Patrol is underway.”

Nissan had earlier confirmed that a Warrior transformation would only be carried out on the face-lifted Patrol, which was revealed in September ahead of a December on-sale date in Australia. 

That means a Warrior version would be unlikely to appear before 2020. When it does, it is expected the suspension work – which, like on the Navara N-Trek Warrior, will be carried out by Victoria’s Premcar – will focus on on-road comfort and towing, as well as off-road readiness. The vehicle’s 5.6-litre V8 (298kW/560Nm) isn’t expected to change.

“The Patrol is a statement vehicle. Whether you’re towing a horse float, a boat or a caravan, or whether you’re taking it off road, not only can it do it, but the car looks great on the road, too,” Mr Lester says. 

And the Warrior treatments are unlikely to stop there. With reception to the Navara N-Trek version “over the top”, Nissan is exploring new vehicles to give the local suspension work too, with Mr Lester confirming “a couple of projects” had begun, one of which is the new Patrol. 

“The reaction has been over the top. Now we’ve done all the testing on the final (Navara) product, and people are just flawed by how well it drives, how well it performs,” Mr Lester says.

“The noise and ride and handling is just spot on on. It really does all the things we really wanted and hoped it would do.

“The relationship we have with Premcar is really, really good, and they’re enthusiastic about other projects.”