The New Nissan Patrol Has a Naturally Aspirated V-6 Base Engine

At long last, there's a new Nissan Patrol. The seventh-generation model replaces an aging model that had been on sale for no fewer than 14 years. Much like the 2025 Armada for the United States, it loses the naturally aspirated V-8. However, the Patrol can still be had without forced induction. Yes, there's a brand-new vehicle coming out in 2024 with an NA engine that skips electrification altogether.

While all the images and the world premiere from Abu Dhabi focused on the gigantic off-roader with the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6, some markets will also get a base 3.8-liter V-6. The turbo-less engine has been rated at 316 horsepower and 285 pound-feet. That means it's down by a substantial 109 hp and 231 lb-ft. Why would anyone get the naturally aspirated engine over the turbo powerplant? We can think of at least two reasons.

It’s going to be cheaper since the NA will serve as the base engine. In addition, some will assume it'll be the more reliable engine in the long run by doing away with the pair of turbos. On the flip side, aside from sacrificing a lot of horsepower and torque, fuel consumption is likely going to be much higher. That's especially true considering the Patrol is a huge and heavy vehicle so that 3.8-liter NA engine will have to work hard. Much like the twin-turbo engine, it channels power to both axles via a nine-speed automatic transmission.

There's no word about a Nismo version but we'll remind you the previous-generation Patrol spawned a high-performance derivative. It looked slightly more aggressive and had a bit of extra horsepower but nothing to write home about. We won't be too surprised if Nissan comes out with another one seeing as how there's now even a fully electric Ariya Nismo. Last year, Japan got a Skyline Nismo, so there are reasons to believe Nissan is willing to roll out more Nismo-badged vehicles at the risk of diluting the brand name.

The Patrol will be sold in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other countries that are part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In Australia, the behemoth is also known as the Patrol rather than Armada. It goes on sale in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the wider Middle East region from November 1. Oddly enough, a diesel engine has not been announced.