Drove the behemoth, that is the Nissan Patrol yesterday. Long an off-road and road warrior, and competitor to the Toyota Land Cruiser. But the Patrol is attainable at a significant reduction in price, from a dealership in Fourways Crossing, called Mark White Nissan.

Nissan’s flagship 4×4 line-up is steeped in tradition and heritage, The Patrol continues its legacy as a hero of all terrain. The Patrol exhibits the best of what Nissan Intelligent Mobility has to offer with enhanced luxury tech features in addition to the striking new design. At the same time, the most desirable Patrol yet retains its exceptional off-road capabilities and class-leading power.

Styling.

Front and centre on the Patrol is Nissan’s V-motion grille, interpreted in a new way for SUVs. Along with the new boomerang-shaped LED headlights, the revised grille highlights the Patrol’s strong, angular front. This gives the SUV the portrayal of strength.

At the rear, the Patrol’s new taillights also sport the boomerang shape. They are integrated along with a large chrome nameplate and rear turn indicators, which were added for the first time on a Nissan vehicle.

Machine-cut 18” alloy wheels add a formidable presence, and help with the assured road feel, as well as the legendary off-road ability. Spacious and comfortable is an understatement, and premium look is paramount.

The class-leading interior space sports a 13-speaker Bose premium sound system, a multi-screen DVD entertainment system, 8” rear seat entertainment, independent wireless headphones and remote-enabled passenger vehicle infotainment. The new Nissan Patrol puts control at your fingertips with an 8” colour touch information screen, Bluetooth® hands free and audio streaming, climate control, Intelligent Key® with push button start and remote keyless entry – all helping you to get to your destination in a way that’s connected and effortless.

The drive is very quiet and free of road vibration.

Safety.

The Nissan Patrol comes with a raft of safety systems, equipped with Nissan Intelligent Mobility. It helps to make the driver feel confident in all conditions.

The new Patrol comes with Intelligent Emergency Braking with pedestrian detection and the Intelligent Forward Collision Warning system that warns the driver of risks that lie beyond the driver’s forward field of vision. The advanced radar system does not only sense the relative velocity and distance of a vehicle directly ahead, but also that of a vehicle travelling in front of the preceding one.

Also included is standard Intelligent Cruise Control and Intelligent Driver Alert, which analyses the driver steering behaviour to signal and alert if signs of drowsiness, or inattention are detected.

Responsive braking is provided by a 4-wheel disc brake system with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist. Also standard is 4-wheel limited-slip diff (LSD) and a Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system, which automatically prevents the vehicle from sliding sideways on slippery road surfaces when changing lanes or negotiating a curve

Engine.

The Nissan Patrol has a brute of a powerplant. Namely the 5.6L V8 engine which punches out 298kw and 560 Nm of torque. It drives great, smooth & effortless, and the 7-speed auto gearbox is sublime. We put the Patrol through it’s paces out on the Magalies road, and it did not disappoint.

I have always loved a big SUV and the Patrol certainly ticks that box. It is a worthy contender to the Land Cruiser and the Lexus RX, as well as the Land Rover equivalents. Mark White Nissan has one available with minimal mileage, and price will be negotiable. Contact them on 011 8401690.