Nissan Patrol ST-L 4.8

In June 2003 we put the turbodiesel Patrol through its paces; this time we’ll look at the
4.8lt petrol Patrol. Specifically, we grabbed a Nissan Patrol ST-L 4.8 with five-speed automatic gearbox valued at $62,990.

A quick recap on the Patrol range, which contains no less than 17 models in both wagon and cab chassis bodies. There are three basic engines: a 3.0lt turbocharged four-cylinder diesel, a bigger 4.2lt six-cylinder turbodiesel and the 4.8lt petrol engine.

For towing applications the petrol engine is the bee’s knees, with 185kW of power and a stomping 420Nm of torque from 3600rpm. The Patrol features a switchable drivetrain that alternates between rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive at the driver’s request. It also carries a low-range transfer case for tricky offroad tracks or low-grip conditions like steep, wet boat ramps.

The ST-L model straddles the gap between the basic Patrol ST and the luxury Ti model. It includes all the basic creature comforts like electric windows and mirrors, CD player, remote central locking and cruise control, and adds a leather interior.

The seven-seat interior is one of the roomiest on the market, and the two rearmost seats fold up and to the sides, which - with the flat-folding second row - frees up cavernous carrying capacity.

Driver and occupant comfort is assured - there’s plenty of flexibility and adjustability in the driving position. The second row of seats has plenty of leg and headroom, while the third row is best suited to smaller adults or kids, though full-sized adults will fit - if not all that comfortably.

On the road, the Patrol is king. Its high driving position allows good forward and rearward visibility around the big Nissan, which feels every inch of its five metres when manoeuvring in tighter spaces.

The engine’s got bundles of torque from very low revs and the throttle makes smooth takeoffs easy to achieve. The five-speed gearbox is one of the smoother automatics around, changing seamlessly through the gears, which makes for stable trailer towing even at low speeds.

For longer periods of low-speed towing, the gearbox’s tiptronic feature allows you to select first or second and hold the gear - we found this a real godsend on a couple of slipperier launches, especially when we slotted the transfer case into low range. No tyre-spin at all.
Ours had the heavy-duty towbar, which is rated at a massive 3.5 tonnes providing your trailer is independently braked, making it one of the toughest tow vehicles around. Hook a boat that big on the back and the fuel economy’s gonna drop - big time - because the Patrol’s a thirsty beast to start with.

In day-to-day driving we needed more than 18lt for every 100km. With a 1500kg trailerboat it jumped to around 25lt. Lucky we had the optional second fuel tank fitted. Still, straight-line performance barely seemed to acknowledge the weight, as you’d expect of a vehicle rated to tow another two tonnes on top of that.

Vehicles like the Patrol are built equally with towing and four-wheel driving in mind. If you do either, or both, there’s no vehicle that’ll do it better than a Patrol. Picking between it and the Toyota LandCruiser comes down to the individual vehicle’s equipment and price, and - just as often - which badge you prefer, because the abilities of these types of vehicles far outweigh the needs of their owners.