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Nissan Australia says it is campaigning head office to bring forward the local launch of the new Patrol, currently scheduled for two years' time once right-hand-drive production starts.
Australia's two-year wait for the new 2026 Nissan Patrol could be shortened if the company's local boss gets his way.
While the new Y63 Patrol went on sale in the Middle East late last year, a much later start to right-hand-drive production means Australian orders are not due to open until late 2026.
It is estimated to see the first examples in Australian Nissan showrooms at the end of 2026 or start of 2027, pending any further delays.
Nissan Oceania managing director Andrew Humberstone told Drive local customers may not need to wait that long after all.
"We're going to be the first right-hand-drive market to get it, but I think we're looking to see what we can do about that [timing]," said Humberstone.
"There's massive demand on the left-hand-drive [version], a very strong order bank. We're doing our level best to accelerate that [Australian launch].
"But we're still going to be the first right-hand-drive in the world to get it."
The long delay for local Y63 Patrol arrival is a repeat of the two-and-a-half years it took the current V8-powered Y62 model to reach Australia, from a February 2010 unveiling to an October 2012 local launch.
An end of production date for the Y62 is yet to be announced for Australia, with Humberstone teling Drive "we don't want to have any sort of gaps" between running out of Y62 stock and the first Y63s arriving.
"We'll mitigate that as best as we can. In fact, I almost want to link them and weave them together if I can."
On sale now in the Middle East and US, the new Patrol is powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 derived from the GT-R, with 317kW/700Nm – up from the old 298kW/560Nm V8 in the Y62 – matched with a new nine-speed auto.
It is said to be an all-new vehicle, with fresh styling, a far more advanced interior, and adaptive air suspension replacing the Y62's Hydraulic Body Motion Control technology.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
