Facelifted Nissan Patrol leaked

A facelifted 2020 Nissan Patrol has been leaked in a series of spy shots published by numerous websites.

Showing several tweaks inside and out, the photos reveal a refreshed design for Nissan’s big off-road SUV as it seeks to bolster its fight for sales with the Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series.

The updated SUV was purportedly spotted outside a dealership in Dubai, showing pretty well everything except the complete grille design.

Available solely in V8 petrol form in Australia, the latest Y62 Patrol was released in 2010. Since then it has had several equipment upgrades and price cuts. Two variants are currently available, priced from $72,880 plus on-road costs.

Spotted here in 'Platinum' trim, the overseas equivalent of Australia's top-spec Ti-L model, the Patrol 4x4 features LED daytime running lights and plenty of chrome treatment front and rear.

There are new headlight and tail-light designs for the big 4WD too, though the side profile of the Patrol looks to be unchanged.

Inside, the button-centric interior of the outgoing model has been eschewed for a vertical dual-screen arrangement that mirrors what several European marques are currently dabbling with, ala Land Rover and Audi.

The big unknown around the Patrol remans its drivetrain.

Given that demand is strongest in the petrol-driven markets of the Middle East and US, you’d be safe to assume the 5.6-litre naturally-aspirated V8 will continue to be the only engine offered.

This is despite calls for diesel power from markets including Australia, where the 200 Series Land Cruiser is powered solely by a 4.5-litre V8 turbo-diesel, has a $5000-plus higher starting price than the Patrol and, combined with the 70 Series wagon, dominates the two-horse mainstream upper large SUV sales segment with a 90 per cent share.

The 2020 Nissan Patrol is due to be formally unveiled before year’s end.