Nissan’s decision will leave diesel diehards with no choice but to opt for the Land Cruiser 300
Nissan unveiled the seventh-generation Patrol just over a year ago, confirming it would come with a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 and a naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6, both running on gasoline.
Read: Nissan’s Full-Size SUV Gets The NISMO Treatment
The news sparked plenty of speculation about whether a diesel might join the line-up, given the Patrol’s long-standing reputation as a workhorse in markets that favor torque over outright horsepower.
It’s now confirmed that there will be no diesel version added to the line-up, despite its arch rival, the Toyota Land Cruiser, still remaining very popular with that kind of powertrain.
What Happened to Diesel Demand?
The Patrol, which is mostly identical to the Armada sold in North America, has long been popular through the Middle East and Australia, where diesel powertrains have proven popular over the decades.
However, according to the brand, diesel engines are falling out of favor in countries like Australia, hence why the Patrol hasn’t been sold as a diesel locally since 2017.
“The reason is that this vehicle today is based on the customer needs, and basically on what the customers are willing to pay for the vehicle,” Nissan chief product specialist for full-size SUVs, Antonio Lopez, told Australia’s Drive.
“I know that in the market in Australia, some of the, let’s say, farms or places like this far from the main cities, the diesel has some benefit because… the fuel that they use for their machinery, they can use on those cars.”
Is Diesel Dead?
“Now the trends are shifting because basically all the vehicles that you are receiving in Australia are becoming either petrol cars, or EVs, or hybrids, because it’s coming from Europe,” Lopez added.
“There is not anymore that kind of trend, so that’s why we believe like this car [Patrol] with a petrol engine is giving enough performance to the customer.”
Nissan currently sells the mid-size Navara pickup with a diesel engine, but it’s old, and the automaker has reduced its investment into diesels during the past decade.
While it’s possible the Japanese brand could sell a diesel Patrol Down Under in respectable numbers, it’s unlikely to shift that many in the Middle East, and very few diesel Armadas in the United States.
In that context, developing a new diesel powertrain for a handful of markets hardly seems worthwhile for Nissan, especially as the brand navigates broader restructuring and an increasingly electrified future.
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Brad Anderson’s lifelong affair and fascination with cars started young. Before even graduating high school,… Read full bio

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