© JAMES TAYLOR
Editor: Land Rover Enthusiast Magazine

BACKGROUND

The second-generation Patrol was introduced in Japan during 1989, but was not imported in to Britain by Nissan until 1992. By that date, several examples had already been imported privately and as a result there are some examples around with specifications which differ from the one eventually adopted for the UK; among them are examples of the ungainly-looking High Roof Station Wagon.

The Patrol GR (as it is more properly called) came with a very different image from its predecessors. Where they were unashamedly truck-like, the GR could be bought with a wide range of extra equipment and had pretensions to the family and even the luxury estate markets. Nevertheless, it remained a fundamentally rugged vehicle. In some respects it is rather less different from the first-generation Patrol than it initially appears: many body panels, for example, are shared between the two vehicles.

UK sales have so far been much stronger than those of the old-model Patrols, but the Patrol OR is still far from being a bestseller.

Character summary

The Nissan Patrol GR has plenty of aggressive presence, although its styling could hardly be called attractive. Basically slab-sided like the first-generation Patrol, it nevertheless has flared wheelarches and a wider track to give it a subtly different stance. In LWB form, the vehicle excels as a spacious seven-seater family estate, although it is not actually as big inside as its appearance suggests: in fact, the interior is rather narrow compared with the overall width of the vehicle.

The Patrol GR is also rather less sophisticated than its image would suggest. Details such as the dated-looking dashboard give away that this Patrol was intended just as much as its predecessors for markets where ruggedness matters more than style. Three-door SWB models are less well-equipped than the LWB five-doors, which include air conditioning as part of their standard specification. The twin unequal-sized rear doors make loading much easier than in the earlier models with their drop-down tailgates, and the stowage space behind the rear seats in SWB models is much larger than average.

Performance summary

The big 4.2-litre six-cylinder diesel is a quite remarkable engine, offering huge pulling power and unusual refinement, even though outright power is not up with the class leaders. The petrol engine has a very different character and is quite lively, although it is still fundamentally a lazy engine and the sheer weight of the LWB models for which it is available prevents performance from having too much sparkle.

On the road, these Patrols give a comfortable ride and are impressively stable vehicles with predictable cornering behaviour despite a constant impression of nose-heaviness. However, their steering feels vague and lifeless at speed, and the gearshift on manual-transmission examples is not up to the refined pretensions of the rest of the vehicle.

Off the road, the coil-spring suspension gives plenty of axle articulation and low-down torque from the diesel engine makes the SWB models excellent performers. SWB Patrols also have larger (16-inch) wheels than the LWB types, which further adds to their off-road ability. On manual models, the synchromesh fitted to reverse gear allows a driver to rock the vehicle back and forth easily to help gain traction when bogged down.

Reliability, weaknesses, spares

S the Patrol GR models went on sale in the UK, there has been nothing to suggest anything other than exemplary reliability. Nor have any consistent weaknesses shown up. The model appears to be very much better supported by Nissan dealers than its predecessors, although as before there is no aftermarket support.

Resale values

Depreciation on these models is average, despite their excellent reputation. One reason why resale values are not stronger must be the rather lack-lustre image of the older Patrols, which will undoubtedly cling to the OR models for some time to come.