NISSAN seems set to scrap its petrol V8-powered Patrol as early as subsequent 12 months. A brand new report suggests the Japanese marque will set up a twin-turbocharged V6 in ‘Y63’ fashions when the seventh era of the Japanese agency’s higher massive SUV makes its debut.
In keeping with a United States primarily based supplier, an inside briefing on the upcoming Armada – the nameplate below which the Patrol is offered in North America – detailed a extra environment friendly twin-turbo V6 instead of the long-serving VK56VD-series naturally aspirated 5.6-litre V8.
If true, the information means the full-size, however low-volume, Titan pick-up would be the solely Nissan mannequin to proceed with the direct-injected and all-alloy V8 mill.
“Gas effectivity is on everyone’s thoughts,” a Nissan supplier advised Automotive Information. “In the event that they (Nissan) can get the identical horsepower and torque out of a V6, why not?”
Australian Patrols function petrol V8 energy solely. Nissan deleted the turbo-diesel engine from its vary when the Y61-series Patrol was retired in 2016. At this stage, there seems to be no plans to reintroduce an oil-burning engine into the next-generation Patrol vary.
The present seven-seat Patrol wagon – which was just lately up to date for 2022 mannequin 12 months – has been powered by Nissan’s 298kW/560Nm V8 for the reason that mannequin was launched a decade in the past. It has subsequently struggled to match the gross sales quantity of its long-serving Toyota rival.
To the top of January (2022), Nissan offered simply 115 examples of the Patrol in Australia in contrast with Toyota’s tally of 730 LandCruiser wagons.
Whereas it’s unclear as to precisely what engine will exchange the Patrol’s V8, it’s understood that the now 14-year-old 3.8-litre VR30DDTT-series V6 – itself an evolution of the VQ-series V6, which dates to 1994 – could also be pressed into service.
The engine, which at the moment serves within the Nissan Z and Infiniti Q50 and Q60 fashions, additionally powers the present Nissan GT-R in VR38DETT guise. In that utility, the unit provides as much as 529kW of energy and 780Nm of torque – a major uptick over the Patrol’s present specs.
And whereas the potential for a ball-tearing GT-R V6 within the Patrol are slim, it’s conceivable {that a} excessive output V6 with some type of electrical hybridisation might eventuate.
If the US-based report is to be believed, Nissan will quickly be a part of a raft of producers in abandoning V8 energy. In addition to Toyota (LandCruiser 300 Sequence, Sequoia, and so on.), Ford now additionally provides turbocharged V6 energy in its Expedition, whereas Jeep will quickly provide a turbocharged six-cylinder in its equally sized Wagoneer.
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance just lately introduced that it was shifting away from thermal engines globally as client focus shifted in direction of electrification, though massive autos such because the Patrol have been notably absent from the corporate’s “2030 roadmap”.
Simply 18 months after asserting its new co-operation enterprise mannequin, Renault Group, Nissan Motor Firm Restricted and Mitsubishi Motors Company unveiled a set of widespread initiatives that the trio says will speed up and form its shared future in direction of the top of the last decade.
The roadmap focuses closely on the mobility worth chain, pure electrical (BEV) autos and linked mobility. The group says it should broaden the usage of widespread platforms to 80 per cent by 2026 whereas, on the similar time, growing its analysis into solid-state battery know-how.
The Alliance companions say they plan to speculate €23 billion ($A36.6 billion) over the subsequent 5 years in assist of its electrification programme.
