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Signs that the all-new Y63 Nissan Patrol will wave goodbye to its trusty V8 engine are growing ever stronger, with new hints the model will follow the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series down the six-cylinder engine path.
While Nissan is yet to be drawn on exactly what will power the new Patrol, the brand's American arm says a new Armada (the US version) is coming in the "not-too-distant future" and will feature a "technology-forward powertrain", which should all but spell the end for the V8 engine.
But Nissan America Corporate Vice President, Michael Colleran, told CarsGuide that, no matter what is powering the new Armada, "consumers are going to love it".
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"Armada will remain an important part of our portfolio into the future, and there are scheduled updates and a full major change for the vehicle in the not-too-distant future," he said.
"Clearly the world landscape, and in the US as well, that landscape is shifting towards EVs. But that doesn't mean that internal combustion doesn't have a very important role to play.
"Do we see powerful V6s and other internal combustion engines being a part of our future? Absolutely."
After calling out V6 engines specifically, the executive went on to say that the Armada would feature "a very technology-forward powertrain", which pretty much knocks the old-school V8 on the head, even if nobody has yet come out and said it.
It would be difficult to imagine describing a 10-year-old petrol V8 engine as 'tech forward', lending yet more weight to reports that the eight-cylinder donk is destined for the scrap heap.
"We're evaluating all options for the next Armada. But we're going to have a very technology-forward powertrain for the new Armada, and I think consumers are going to love it," Colleran said.
Reports out of both the Middle East and the USA — both quoting Nissan sources — suggest the Y63 will say goodbye to its 298kW/560Nm petrol V8, and instead swap to a twin-turbo V6. That engine will reportedly pair with a new nine-speed torque-converter automatic transmission and a permanent all-wheel-drive system.
That said, the brand will no doubt seek to match the current V8 on power, and beat it on efficiency, despite the fewer cylinders. The Nissan Z delivers 298kW and 475Nm from its twin-turbo six-cylinder engine, for example, but it's unclear whether the Patrol's powertrain will be new to Nissan, or a tweaked version of an existing engine.
We know that whatever powers the new Patrol, Nissan in Australia is demanding it sacrifices none of its capability, both on and off-road, which means torque and towing will remain priorities.
"As the volume has increased, and we've been able to demonstrate demand for Patrol that is more than we're able to supply at this point, we're getting a bigger voice at the table,” Nissan Australia boss Adam Paterson told us last year.
"I would say that (the Patrol) has always been built to be a true off-road-capable vehicle, and that's even more a requirement in this country than in other markets where it is sold.
"Even though it's a similar product to the vehicle sold in North America, my experience is that the capability of it is utilised more here than it is overseas.
"So the requirements of this market, I feel, is to keep it very, very true to its off-road capable heritage, because it's utilised. As we sit at the global table as far as requirements go, ours is to make sure it remains as capable as it's always been."
The long-promised Nissan Patrol Warrior will be first to arrive in Australia, and will likely act as a farewell to the V8-powered Y62. We'd expect the Y63 to launch sometime next year, possibly around the middle of 2024.
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