Nissan will soon launch the Nissan Patrol in the Indian market, which will be the first official launch of the model in the country. This development represents the company’s efforts to establish its presence in the premium SUV category once again.
Nissan Patrol Launch as part of re-positioning in premium SUV Category:
The Patrol has dimensions more than 5.18 meters in length, positioning itself as an extensive premium SUV. With the inclusion of this new variant, the Patrol will be placed directly in competition with vehicles such as the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 that is currently being sold in India.
Nissan has not been actively involved in the Indian passenger automobile market for a while now. The launch of the Patrol is part of a broader effort by Nissan to boost brand recall, which has included other planned launches like the Tekton SUV among others. The Patrol enjoys a great reputation internationally due to its high-quality materials and off-road capabilities.
Feature-rich with petrol-based powertrains:
The Patrol in the global markets comes with various features like tri-zone climate control, advanced driving assist system, a power-operated tailgate, and several digital screens, namely, a 14.3 inches’ infotainment system, a digital instrument cluster of the same size, and rear entertainment screens.
Features like air suspension, wireless charger, and head-up display add to the Premium positioning of the car. On the other hand, the powertrains for the car in global markets comprise of two petrol engines; one is a 3.5-liter dual-turbo V6 which offers an output of 425 bhp and 700Nm torque whereas the other one is 3.8 liter V6 that offers an output of 316 bhp and 386 Nm torque. Both engines come mated with nine-speed automatic transmission along with four-wheel drive.
In India, 3.8-liter V6 is going to be offered while absence of the diesel engine could pose a problem in segment positioning.
Market positioning and outlook:
An introduction to the Patrol would add another product choice to India’s high-end SUV market category, especially the off-roader segment. The exact positioning would be influenced by the price point and localization efforts undertaken by Nissan.
There have been no concrete dates announced for its arrival in the market, although its presence is indicative of a change in the automaker’s business strategy in India.
