Nissan Patrol N-Trek Warrior confirmed

The Nissan Patrol looks set to swap its tuxedo for active wear, with a beefed-up N-Trek Warrior version of the huge luxury 4WD SUV given the green light.

Nissan Australia boss Stephen Lester has previously hinted that a more rugged version of its Toyota LandCruiser 200 rival was being considered, but a Nissan Australia source has told WhichCar it has since been confirmed.

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The Patrol N-Trek Warrior will join the Navara N-Trek Warrior ute that features the rugged garnish of the athletically-styled N-Trek special editions, along with beefed-up suspension, bigger wheels and rubber and a steel front bumper among other add-ons at Melbourne-based engineering firm Premcar, formerly known as Ford Performance Vehicles.

Automotive industry publication GoAuto has previously reported Nissan Australia has a “blank slate with the new Patrol in terms of what we think we can do”, adding that the success of the Navara version has helped validate future local products.

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“Patrol offers us the opportunity to also go into that ‘lifestyle warrior’ trend, if you will,” said Lester.

It remains to be seen what Nissan Australia and Premcar will do with the blank slate, but if the Navara version is any guide expect the Patrol N-Trek Warrior to feature a more rugged visage that will probably see all the chrome that came with the recent facelift to be blacked out and chunky plastic wheel arches tacked to accommodate a wider track.

The three-row interior is likely to retain the leather trim found in the Patrol Ti and Ti-L versions, though the interior might gain a more industrial vibe.

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One thing we do know is that there will be no performance changes; not that the Patrol’s 298kW/560Nm 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine, which can push its 2.70-tonne heft from 0 to 100km/h in 8.5 seconds, really needs any.

Based on the $10,000 mark-up of the of the Navara N-Trek Warrior over the Navara ST-X variant on which it’s based, the N-Trek Warrior mods could send Patrol pricing beyond the $100,000 mark if based on the range-topping Ti-L.

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Nissan Australia has not given a timeline for the Patrol N-Trek Warrior, but don’t expect anything before early 2021.