70 Years of Nissan Patrol Rendered by Nissan Designer (Video)

See 6 generations of Patrols in one sketch.

Nissan Patrol
(photo: Nissan)

The world has waited almost a decade for an update to Nissan’s venerable Patrol, its body-on-frame, V8-powered SUV that competes with Toyota’s Land Cruiser. Here in the States, the Patrol is sold as the Armada by Nissan, and the QX80 by Infiniti.

For Nissan, the Patrol represents its pinnacle of luxury and 4×4 capability in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, its biggest market for sales. Despite the sleek new exterior and more luxurious interior, the basic underpinnings to the new Patrol haven’t changed much from the last iteration. Power comes from the company’s 5.6-liter V8, tuned for 400-hp and 413 lb-ft. torque. That’s the same V8 found in the new Titan half-ton pickup truck. The company did update the infotainment system to work with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Patrol also gets an emergency braking system and a forward collision warning system and Nissan’s “Hydraulic Body Motion Control” suspension system.

Going the Distance Since 1951

With time on his hands, Nissan designer Ken Lee made the video below of him sketching out six generations of the Patrol, showing how it has evolved since the truck was introduced as a Japanese version of a Jeep in 1951. It’s a remarkable look at a car and truck designer at work.

When Will the New Patrol Become The U.S.’s Armada?

There’s no word from Nissan on this front, but with since the Patrol and the Armada are both assembled at the same plant in Japan, it would follow that Nissan would be rolling out an updated Armada as well. Currently, Nissan North America hasn’t released any information. Instead, its focus has been on the rollout of the Titan pick-up this winter into spring.