Nissan Patrol wait list now out to 2022

The Japanese factory that produces the Nissan Patrol for Australia can’t keep up with record demand for the big V8 off-roader Down Under.

Nissan’s flagship SUV is selling in unprecedented numbers as more Aussies holiday at home, pushing customer deliveries out to next year in some cases as demand continues to outstrip supply.

This is despite record Patrol production for Australia, which will boost supplies in coming months following production delays due to the global semi-conductor shortage (which has also led to long waiting lists for the new Land Rover Defender), because Japanese production struggles to satisfy the existing order bank.

Nissan Australia sold 2820 Patrols in 2020 – up 44.5 per cent on 2019 – accounting for 16 per cent of the sub-$100K upper large SUV segment dominated by the Toyota LandCruiser.

But as Patrol supplies slowed and demand soared for new and used versions of the final V8 LandCruiser in the first half of this year, the Nissan’s segment share dropped to 11 per cent with 1453 registrations, which was nevertheless up 22 per cent on 2020, while LandCruiser sales (the majority of which were 200 Series) rocketed up by 69 per cent to 11,600.

Nissan expects Patrol deliveries to reach record levels in the second half of this year, just as stocks of the old 200 Series dry up ahead of the all-new 300 Series LandCruiser’s arrival late this year.

That should lead to a record Patrol sales number and market share in 2021, compensating Nissan somewhat in the absence of the Pathfinder, which is now discontinued before the all-new model arrives in 2022.

“The Nissan Patrol continues to experience strong demand from customers who appreciate the fantastic value and off-road capability that this vehicle represents,” Nissan Australia spokesperson Karla Leach told carsales.

“Although the global supply outlook has been challenging recently due to the well-publicised semi-conductor shortage, we have been working closely – and around the clock – with our global production teams to secure a better quantity of Patrol vehicles going forward to satisfy demand.

“While we still have some challenges to overcome we are confident of gaining visibility to greater production levels of Patrol in the coming months than we had access to earlier in the year, and this should lead to a larger quantity of vehicles arriving into the country over the second half of the year than we saw in the first six months of 2021.

“We will continue to work closely with our dealers to fulfil outstanding orders as quickly as possible once inventory becomes available and in the interim we appreciate the patience of customers during these unprecedented times.”

Asked exactly how long the current Patrol waiting time is, Leach said: “It’s hard to give an exact timeframe because the situation is dynamic, but if a customer ordered one at the moment, at this stage we’d anticipate availability around the end of this year or the beginning of next year.”

Despite being almost as old as the outgoing LandCruiser, which dates back to 2007, the current Y62 Patrol (launched in 2010) could continue to eat into the big Toyota’s market share in 2022.

Some customers in the Patrol queue told carsales they prefer a V8 engine – even if it’s petrol-powered – over a downsized V6 diesel like the one in the 300 Series, and that the Patrol delivers unrivalled value at a starting price of $78,910.

The outgoing LandCruiser 200 Series was priced from $80,996 in far lower spec GX guise, and prices for the new 300 Series are expected to increase by about 10 per cent across the range.