The Journey of Nissan - Patrol
From 4W - 60 till Today
Do you guys know that, there was an of road car and troop carrier by Nissan that served almost 30 years in our Indian army and also played an important role in 1971 Indo – Pak War? If you don’t know, then stay here and find it out.
Introduction:
If I tell you to name some top luxury SUVs you will say Toyota’s Land Cruiser, Land Rover’s Defender, Mercedes Benz’s G-Wagon & Mitsubishi’s Pajero. But there is also another less known SUV in India. Which is praised a lot outside India as a real SUV. And that is Nissan – Patrol.
Well Nissan – Patrol was not always like this let’s have a deep dive in to the history and find out the whole story from its origin to present.
Origin of Nissan Patrol
We can say that Nissan – Patrol born from the ruins of Japan. I am saying that because after World War II Japan was devasted in every aspects. Due to the air strikes, there was no roads left in the cities where the normal cars can move.
The Japanese government official had some Willey’s Jeep but they needed more. So Japanese government requested to their domestic manufacturers to their own 4×4 Jeeps so that government will get the cars and the local economy will also get some boost.
Eventually the top 3 Japanese manufacturers came up with there Jeeps. They are
- Toyota came up with their Land Cruiser
- Mitsubishi came up with their J – Series.
- Nissan came up with their 4W60 Series.
But unfortunately, Toyota got that contract. But Nissan didn’t stop there they launched their 4×4 cars for the public in 1951 and named this 4W60.
Development of Nissan – Patrol from 4W60:
The 4W60 was designed for total offroad and unpaved roads this car was so raw that it lacked the ride comfort. As a result, this car was not liked by the public.
After 4 years, in 1955 Nissan launched a new version named 4W61. Again in 1958, Nissan came up with another version named 4W65. But this time Nissan made some major changes. Along with some styling and engineering Nissan made 2 major changes in this car, 1st was the engine and the 2nd one is the name. This time Nissan named it Patrol (not Petrol = Fuel).
Along with 60 series Nissan also launched their 70 series which was based on Dodge – M37 and it was an army troop carrier. But the engine was the same from 4W60 series. They also had 3 models in the 70 series they are 4W70, 4W72 & 4W73. The 4W73 was launched in 1959.
Nissan with Indian Army:
If you are feeling that you have seen this car before in any army museum in India then you are right. The 4W60 & 4W73 had served in Indian armed forces from 1969 to 1999 almost 30 years.
After the results of 1962 Indo – China war India understood that they (Indian Army) need to produce their own jeep that can take the troops and supplies in high altitude through the tough terrains. In search of such a capable Jeep Indian armed forces found Nissan – Patrol.
Now you may ask why they choose Nissan – Patrol over Toyota’s Land Cruiser?
Well, I have not found any particular reason but I have 2 assumptions,
1st Toyota’s Land Cruiser was costlier than Nissan Patrol.
But the 2nd reason may be more valid, in early 1960s Nissan – Patrol have done something that no car had done before it. Along with Japan Nissan – Patrol was also launched in Australia. In 1962, an Australian geologist named Reg Sprigg decided to cross Simpson desert, which is one of the largest desert with parallel dunes. Which is spread about 68150 sq. miles. Till then no one has dared to cover this with a car. But Nissan – Patrol did this with in just 12 days. This tough test proves the reliability of Nissan – Patrol.
After this Indian armed forces acquired the licence from Nissan and named this car JONGA – Jabalpur Ordinance and Guncarriage Assembly. 1st 3500 units were imported from Japan after that all units were assembled in India. Finally in 1969 it was inducted in the armed forces.
Generations of Nissan – Patrol:
Though the 2nd generation served in Indian army till 1999 but till then many upgradations were made,
3rd Generation:
In 1980, the 3rd generation was launched and this time Nissan shifted its look from rugged offroad SUV to upsize family SUV. In 1986 Nissan also launched a facelift of the 3rd generation Patrol which was definitely a progression in refinement and utility.
4th Generation:
In 1988, Nissan launched the 4th generation Patrol which had major changes. In this generations the SUV became more luxurious and got a 4.2L inline 6 petrol engine. The engine size was way too big.
5th Generation:
In 1997, the 5th generation Patrol got even more big engine. It had 4.8L inline 6 diesel and 4.2L in line 6 petrol. And the petrol engine named TB48DE is one of the highly tuneable engine. This engine produces 248 bHp in stock but after high tuning the same engine is capable to produce around 2000 bHp.
6th Generation:
In 2010, Nissan introduced the 6th generation of Patrol. In this generation Nissan has added more luxurious features with urban centric look along with high offroad capabilities. This time Nissan introduced Patrol – NISMO edition that has 5.6L V8 petrol engine with 7 speed automatic transmission.
Currently Nissan is selling facelift of this generation. There is a speculation that in 2025 Nissan will introduce 7th generation of Patrol.
Markets of Nissan - Patrol:
Though Nissan – Patrol is available globally but not in India. Nissan – Patrol has its major market in Australia & Middle East countries. In those markets Nissan – Patrol gives a tough fight to Toyota’s Land Cruiser 200 & 300. They have a head-to-head competition.
Conclusion:
The Nissan Patrol has a rich history. It evolved from a rugged off-road vehicle born out of post-war necessity to a luxurious, high-performance SUV. Its remarkable reliability and off-road capabilities made it a trusted companion for the Indian Army for nearly three decades and played a pivotal role in 1971 Indo-Pak War. Despite not being as well-known in India, the Patrol’s legacy is well-celebrated in other parts of the world. As we look forward to the potential launch of the seventh generation in 2025.
If you ask my opinion, as a car enthusiast I deliberately want Nissan launch the 7th generation Patrol in India. It should have done way before but never the less I believe Nissan will not regrate that decision because the current market in India is very fond of SUVs specially this type of full-size SUVs.
Thanks for tuning in. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post as much as I have enjoyed writing it. There’s still so much more to explore in the world of cars and bikes, and I’ll be back soon with more exciting content that’s sure, to get your engines revving. So don’t forget to subscribe our newsletter and stay tuned for our next instalment. Until then, keep on exploring all the thrilling adventures that the open road has to offer!
— by Shubhradwip Paul
