- Nismo drops the hammer on the Toyota Land Cruiser GR Sport with almost 370kW and 700Nm of grunt.
- The V8 has been replaced with a new twin-turbo V6 powerplant.
- Developed for the Middle Eastern, the Nismo has never been offered in this part of the world.
Overnight Nissan revealed the new, Y63-generation version of its high-performance Patrol Nismo ahead of an imminent launch in the Middle East.
Developed specifically for Middle Eastern customers, the Nissan Patrol Nismo has never been offered in Australia and New Zealand. It’s now been 10 years since the first Y62 Patrol Nismo was first revealed.
“It’s very exciting to see the unveil of Y63 Patrol Nismo,” said a Nissan Australia spokesperson.
“Australia is confirmed as the first right hand drive market for Y63 Patrol with orders due to open in late 2026. We will confirm specification closer to the launch.”
This new Nissan Patrol Nismo was designed by a dedicated team of specialised engineers, and is claimed to blend the “robustness of an SUV with the precision of track-inspired engineering”.
Power still comes from a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, but thanks to “region-specific tuning” power has been bumped to 369kW (up from 317kW). Torque remains unchanged at 700Nm. Thanks to this engine tune, the Nissan Patrol Nismo is equipped with the most powerful version of the VR35DDTT engine offered globally.
It’s worth noting this Patrol Nismo does produce 29kW more power than the recently unveiled Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series Hybrid, though its torque figure is down 90Nm.
Each engine before it gets married to the body of the Patrol Nismo undergoes special manual tuning by experts at Nissan’s Iwaki production plant in Japan. Paired with this specially tuned V6 engine is a recalibrated nine-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
Under the skin the suspension system has been recalibrated and features Nismo-tuned “E-Dampers” that can adjust damping levels in “real-time”. There’s also a specially tuned electronic power steering system that’s claimed to allow the car to still be easy to manoeuvre in the city, while have “assertive confidence” out on winding roads and highways.
Thanks to a new front bumper design, more air is able to travel to the brakes and cool them. Nissan claims brake disc temperature is reduced by 6 per cent. This front bumper also incorporates a front spoiler that helps to generate downforce and enhance front-end grip and high-speed stability.
Around the side there are 22-inch forged alloy wheels that were co-developed by RAYS. They’re 23 per cent lighter than the wheels on the standard Y63 Patrol, yet offer improved lateral stiffness and brake cooling efficiency.
At the rear, there’s an extended rear spoiler, side air splitters, layered air diffusers and air outlets that all collectively generate downforce and improve grip.
The 2026 Nissan Patrol Nismo is available in five different exterior colours – White Pearl, Gray Metallic, Blue Metallic, Black Pearl and Stealth Gray. Depending on the colour, it can be paired with a contrast black roof, complemented by Nismo red accents.
Inside, there is a black-and-red colourway with a vast array of genuine leather and suede finishes.
Other interior highlights include Nismo logos embroidered onto the headrests, red seat belts, a red engine start-stop button, carbon fibre accents and aluminium pedals.
As noted above, orders for the new Y63 Patrol are set to open in Australia in late 2026. This potentially means first examples won’t arrive until early 2027. There is no word on New Zealand availability yet however.
At this stage it’s still unclear whether this Patrol Nismo will form as part of the local line-up.
In the meantime Nissan continues to still offer the V8-powered Y62 Patrol in Australia and New Zealand. It recently received an update that brought a vast array of interior technology improvements.
- Jack Quick, production editor.
