2022 Nissan Patrol (Armada) Ti: Brains and Brawn, for a Price

2022 Nissan Patrol (Armada) Ti Review

There is something magnificent about a huge SUV that guzzles dinosaur juice like a drag queen at an open bar. Nissan’s Patrol is sold in other markets, mainly as a lefthand drive, and in the USA as the Armada. It is rather like a galleon to drive too, so it is strangely appropriate.

As newer models become more and more fuel efficient, 5.6L V8’s are becoming as rare as rocking horse poo. A recent $2.30 a litre petrol means your 140L tank is going to cost a princely $322aud to fill.

If that doesn’t force an attack of the vapours, read on.

Nissan Patrol got an overhaul a few years ago, and a minor touch up very recently, not that you’d notice the latter.

The front end’s Mack-Truck-Esque feel adds a touch of verisimilitude to the rugged reputation of Patrol and its forebears. Like the main opposition, Toyota’s all-new Landcruiser 300, Patrol is designed as a go-anywhere SUV capable of towing a small moon.

When loading the old girl up for the annual road trip, there are a bunch of considerations. First, the Patrol weighs in at 2715kg, so with a GVM of 3500kg, you’re limited to around 750kg of load. If you’re going to hook up the chuck wagon, it is limited to 3500kg for a GCM of a huge 7000kg.

Much has been made recently of OAPs hooking up caravans the size of Poland, loaded to the gunnels with lace doilies, solid oak settees, and cabinets of chachkis. The grossly overlimit trailers are jackknifing all over the place, putting all and sundry at risk of hideous disfigurement.

This Week: 2022 Nissan Patrol (Armada) Ti: FULL REVIEW

Help Support Gay Car Boys Subscribe to our Youtube Channel 

ABOVE: 2022 Nissan Patrol (Armada) Ti

Inside:

There is a touch of Gent’s club, with wood and leather, but combined in such as way as to feel durable and long-lasting.

The Ti has 8 seats while the Ti-L gets 7.

Access, with 273mm of ground clearance, needs the side steps if you’re not going to ruin a heel.

There is a plethora of cup and bottle accommodation, with 4 and 8 respectively. 2^nd row peeps feel limo-like in their spacious digs, but those in the 3^rd row are not going to feel quite as well accommodated.

There is a sense of quiet contemplation, even in the front. The cabin is nary bothered by random external interludes, be it sound or poorly kept tarmac.

Instruments and switches are a little ye olde worlde, and, since Australia didn’t get the updated left-hand-drive interior fitments, the function is also a little last decade.

There is no digital dash or HUD, and the tiny MFD lcd screen between the driver dials doesn’t provide a digital speed readout. Also on the list of omissions are Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and DAB+ radio.

Putting that aside for a moment, the fact that Nissan Patrol is up to 50k cheaper than the Toyota, gives some cause for thought.

The Drive:

Patrol’s 5.6L V8 is a mountain of a thing, but the heft means the acceleration feels less urgent than it otherwise might. But, be warned. Sticking the loafer to the floor makes the economy rocket into the stratosphere. Even with a gentle touch, and a lot of highway travel, the claimed 14.4L/100k was a mere dream. We got down to 16.9L after several hundred clicks, but were that to be city-only duty, I fear you might need the Sultan of Brunei on speed dial.

We didn’t tow, because that’s just not our thing. I loaded the boys in and headed out of town, and even though the base model misses a bit of the nice stiff, all seemed impressed.

Steering is light, and steering is hydraulic so the lane departure is limited to braking the opposite wheel to the one crossing the line. There is blind spot monitoring which is handy on a vehicle taking up most of the lane.

The subtle throb of the V8 rises to a pleasing crescendo with very little prompting. The 7 speed automatic is smooth, and under normal circumstances, has changes that are imperceptible. The only drive mode for road use, is Road. The rest has an off-roading bent.

You can lock the rear diff and switch between 4 high and 4 low. You can also select Snow, Sand, or Rock, and leave the automatic function to sort out the tough stuff for you. Again, it lacks some of the sophistication of Landcruiser’s programming.

Assuming the fuel consumption doesn’t worry you, highway driving is a complete joy. We all thought Patrol would make an excellent long distance travel companion. It felt safe and solid, was very quiet, reasonably handsome, and lived up to every promise it made.

Ti-L costs another $13,000, so if you don’t need rear seat video, a sunroof, better audio, and a couple of sundry extras, Patrol Ti was fine and dandy. Having said that, heated and cooled front seats would come in mighty handy.

The brochure says the steering has tilt and reach adjustment, but ours seemed limited to slide only.

Finally, the camera system works like a charm, on or off-road. You can as easily use it to climb a mountain as you can park at Coles. Once you’re used to the size, Patrol drives like any other car and the limo-esque ride is sublime.

OK, gay drivers may not have a bunch of kids to shove in the back, but there’ll be 7 mates to be ferried between pubs that will be mighty happy.

Get a BROCHURE HERE for full details.

Conclusion:

Sales have been up for Patrol over the last year. The only thing holding it back from selling more is the petrol-only engine choice, but if you’re OK with a petrol bill the size of a mortgage, Patrol is a delight.

The lack of DAB and CarPlay was annoying, and would be a deal breaker for an audiophile, even with Ti-L’s Bose speakers.

• Price: $82,160 (Ti-L $92,115)
• Engine: 5.6L V8 Petrol (non-turbo)
• Power: 298kw/560Nm
• Trans: 7-Speed Auto
• Econ: 14.4L/100k (95ron fuel)
• Drivetrain: 4X4 high and low

Tags: 2022 nissan patrol, nissan armada, nissan suv, nissan Australia, gay suv, gay nissan, gay camping

Hash: #2022nissanpatrol, #nissanarmada, #nissansuv, #nissanAustralia, #gaysuv, #gaynissan, #gaycamping

MY22 Nissan Patrol grades and equipment: NIS4292_Patrol_eBrochure

Ti (new items in red)

• 5.6 litre V8 petrol engine with 298kW and 560Nm
• 7-speed automatic transmission with Manual Mode and Adaptive Shift Control (ASC)
• Intelligent 4X4 with electronic 4WD selection
• Sports bumper
• Rear Helical Limited Slip Differential
• Hill Descent Control (HDC)
• Hill Start Assist (HSA)
• Off road monitor
• Front and rear parking sensors
• 18″ alloy wheels
• Heated door mirrors with power adjustment/folding and integrated indicator lights
• Audio system with CD/DVD, AM/FM radio, MP3 and USB / iPod* connectivity with Bluetooth® audio streaming
• Satellite Navigation with 8″ touch screen display
• Traffic Monitoring System
• 6 speakers
• Bluetooth® hands-free phone system with steering wheel controls
• Tri-zone climate control air conditioning
• 8 seat capacity
• 8-way power adjustable driver seat including height adjustment and lumbar support
• 6-way power adjustable front passenger seat
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• Hydraulic Body Motion Control suspension (HBMC)
• Leather accented seat trim
• Automatic headlights
• LED front fog lights
• Follow Me Home headlight function
• Intelligent Key™ with remote keyless entry
• Intelligent Around-View Monitor with Moving Object Detection
• Intelligent Emergency Braking
• Intelligent Forward Collision Warning
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Intelligent Cruise Control
• Intelligent Lane Intervention
• Lane Departure Warning
• Blind Spot Warning
• Intelligent Blind Spot Intervention
• New Grille
• New Brand Emblem
• New Fender Vent Design

Ti-L (new items in red)

• 7 seat capacity
• Driver’s seat memory with two settings, including side mirrors and steering column position
• First row centre console cool box
• 13 premium BOSE® speakers
• Two second row seat 8″ entertainment screens with headphones and remote control
• Intelligent Rear View Mirror (I-RVM)
• Puddle illumination light
• Power operated tailgate
• Roof rails
• Sunroof (electric one-touch power tilt & slide) with Privacy Glass
• Heated and cooled front seats
• Tilt and telescopic electronically adjustable steering column
• Premium bumper
• New Brand Emblem
• New Fender Vent Design

Nissan Patrol 2022 Pricing
Grade	MSRP*
Nissan Patrol Ti	$82,160
NIssan Patrol Ti-L	$95,115