CIRCULATING IN WANGARATTA, BENALLA, MYRTLEFORD, BRIGHT, MT BEAUTY, BEECHWORTH, YACKANDANDAH, RUTHERGLEN, CHILTERN AND DISTRICTS
NORTH EAST
October 11, 2013
available online - wangarattachronicle.com.au
PRINTED FORTNIGHTLY — VOLUME 433
Tougher look for Outback Storypage3
NISSAN PATROL: The all-new Y62 combines luxury with on-road finesse and off-road ruggedness.
New Nissan Patrol moves into the luxury SUV field
N
issan Patrol is one of the bestknown and longest established nameplates on the Australian 4WD scene having been on sale here for almost 50 years. As popular as Patrol is in Australia we are well down the pecking order compared to the Middle East, Russian and USA markets and this led to a delay of around three years in the arrival of the latest, sixth generation, Y62 Patrol here with left-hand drive models taking precedence on the production line. Likewise, engine preferences from the same overseas markets led to the decision to only produce the new Patrol with a 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine. With prices of the Y62 Patrol starting at $82,200 and without a diesel option Nissan Australia has had little choice but to continue selling the previous fifth generation Y61 Patrol, with its 3.0-litre turbo-diesel and $50,000 - $60,000 price tag, alongside the new Y62.
By ALISTAIR KENNEDY Although it is capable of handling serious off-road conditions the new Patrol Y62 is aimed fairly and squarely at the upper luxury SUV market. Its 3500 kg towing capacity is far more likely to be employed towing a horse float or a luxury cruiser around town than working on the farm. Nissan has so far resisted the temptation to badge the Patrol under its own, Inifiniti, luxury brand although it does so in its North American markets. Patrol Y62 is offered in three grades. The entry-level ST-L and mid-spec Ti are each eight-seaters while the flagship Ti-L is a seven-seater with increased comfort levels. The big V8 engine delivers 298 kW of power and 560 Nm of torque, 90 per cent of which is available from just 1600 rpm. With that much grunt the new Patrol
can make the 0-100 km/h sprint in just 6.6 seconds. Fuel consumption is listed at 14.5 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle using 95RON unleaded. Given that the Y61 turbo-diesel Patrol uses in the low 11s that’s a pretty impressive number, one that we were able to hover around during our recent real-life road test. The V8 engine is mated to an advanced seven-speed automatic transmission and a sophisticated, electronically controlled, allmode 4X4 system. In auto mode there’s torque split between the front and rear wheels on a 50/50 variable basis depending on road surfaces. The switch then activates 4WD high for semi-serious off-road conditions or 4WD low for the really heavy stuff. Four terrain options are available: Sand, Snow, Rock and On-road at the touch of a
button as are hill descent control and rear differential locks. Standard in all three of the Y62 Patrol range are Bluetooth phone and audio streaming; large format front DVD player; a 2GB hard drive music server with six speakers; USB connectivity; steering wheel audio controls; intelligent key access; eight-way power assisted driver’s seat; drive computer, dual zone climate control, front, side and curtain airbags, active front headrests. The $113,900 Patrol Ti-L gets satellite navigation; surround-view monitor; separate seven-inch DVD screens in the rear of the front seat headrests; a memory function for the driver’s seat, steering wheel and door mirrors; centre console cool box; Bose audio with 13 speakers; intelligent cruise control; xenon projector headlamps with auto levelling; power operated tailgate; and tyre pressure monitoring.
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