A few years ago, as part of Nissan Australia’s Warrior program, Melbourne-based automotive engineering company Premcar was given free rein to transform the Navara into the hard-core Pro-4X Warrior.

Now, it’s the Patrol’s turn.

The Patrol Warrior is bigger, wider and taller than the Ti spec Patrol on which it’s based and it has upgraded Aussie-tuned suspension, a Warrior-specific wheel-and-tyre package, a bi-modal exhaust system, tough-as-nails underbody protection, a 48kg increase in payload over the Ti to 736kg, as well as a whole lot of other stuff intended to make the already legendary 4WD wagon into an even more appealing vehicle, on- and off-road.

But if you’re looking for any improvements to power and torque then you’ll be disappointed because the Warrior has the same V8 engine as the standard Patrol.

We spent a busy week, including a solid day’s 4WDing, with this Patrol-on-steroids to see what it’s like to as a daily driver.

How much does the 2024 Nissan Patrol Warrior cost?

The Nissan Patrol Warrior is an eight-seat 4WD wagon with a price-tag of $101,160 (excluding on-road costs).

What features do you get in the 2024 Nissan Patrol Warrior?

The 2024 Nissan Patrol Warrior’s standard features include a 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system (sans Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), three-zone climate-control, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera and tyre-pressure monitoring system.

Warrior-specific interior touches include clear-coated gloss black centre console, clear-coated gloss black centre multimedia fascia, and leather-accented and Alcantara door trim.

Suspension modifications for this wagon line-up include Warrior-tuned Hydraulic Body Motion Control suspension (front and rear), front Warrior red springs, rear Warrior multi-rate red springs, and Warrior rear bump-stop.

Exterior changes include red bash plate with Warrior branding, front bumper valance with Warrior embossment, black V-Motion grille, Patrol Warrior decals, black side mirror caps, bi-modal exhaust system with bi-modal valve and exhaust tip, black flare kit with grained finish, Warrior towbar (towbar cross member, tongue, harness only, all modified to fit the new bigger full-size spare), two rear recovery points, Warrior rear bumper valance with grained finish, and black chrome tailgate Warrior badge

The Warrior wheel-and-tyre package is the Yokohama Geolandar 15 All Terrain tyres (295/70R18) on 18 x 9 J cast-aluminium Patrol Warrior black machined-face alloy wheels. The Patrol Warrior has a specially modified space on the underbody for the new full-size alloy spare wheel.

Exterior paint choices include the no-extra-cost Gun Metallic, or premium paint jobs such as Brilliant Silver, Black Obsidian and Moonstone White.

But the most appealing news for keen off-roaders is the more than $15,000 worth of crucial conversion work, engineering upgrades and fitment of accessories brought onboard to turn the Patrol into a Warrior.

And as such the Warrior wagon has a re-engineered version of Nissan’s Hydraulic Body Motion Control system, a 50mm total suspension lift with new springs front and rear (increasing vehicle height to 1990mm, 50mm more than the Ti), and increased ground clearance (323mm, 50mm more than the Ti) and wheel track (1735mm front and rear, 40mm more than the Ti).

The Nissan Patrol Warrior is 5269mm long (with a 3075mm wheelbase), 2079mm wide, 1990mm high, and it has a kerb weight of 2884kg (72kg heavier than the Ti).

It’s 94mm longer than the Ti at 5269mm, and 84mm wider than the Ti at 2079mm.

It’s a Ti interior – plush, spacious and easy to spend time in – with a few ‘Warrior’ touches as mentioned earlier and for this reason it is comfortably familiar, and I like it, but it does feel old. 

Upfront, a Warrior-specific gloss black centre console and gloss black centre multimedia fascia have replaced the standard Ti Patrol’s 1970s-style woodgrain-look panelling, but the expanses of soft-touch surfaces remain. 

There are plenty of storage spaces for driver and front passenger – glove box, cup holders, bottle holders in the doors etc – as well as some concealed spaces (with pop-up lids) for keys, phone and other pocket debris.

The 8.0-inch touchscreen is too small and, as mentioned, there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto – which is very disappointing in this day and age – and I struggled to establish Bluetooth connectivity with my phone, as has happened in the past in standard Patrols.

The centre console is a confusion of buttons, dials and knobs – and if you haven’t spent much time in a Patrol then, initially, it’s not quite clear what you should press or twirl to operate things.

Second-row passengers get very comfortable seats, as well as two USB charge points, and temperature and fan controls in the back of the centre console. Those in this row also have access to the back of the centre console. 

There are cup holders in the fold-down armrest, and map pockets in the seat backs and bottle holders in the doors. 

The second-row seats have a top tether point and an ISOFIX point on both of the outer seats.

The third-row seats are flat and hard compared to the other seats and, in terms of space, are really only for kids, or adults for very brief stints.

All three rows get aircon – there are roof-mounted vents – and there are a few handy storage spaces in the third row, but no cup-holders. 

The third row has one top tether anchorage point. 

The rear cargo area has cargo tie-down points and a 12V socket, as well as tyre-changing tools under the floor. The new full-sized spare tyre is underslung at the rear.

The Patrol has a solid reputation as a touring platform and in terms of packability, nothing has changed. 

With the third-row seats in use, boot space is listed as 467L. With the third row stowed away, there’s a claimed 1413L of cargo space. With the second and third rows stowed, there’s a claimed 2623L.

The Warrior has the Patrol line-up’s 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine – producing 298kW at 5800rpm and 560Nm at 4000rpm – and that’s matched to a seven-speed automatic transmission.

This combination is solid but it lacks a dynamic edge, which is fine with me because it yields a driving experience that’s equal parts relaxed and assured.

The Patrol has full-time four-wheel drive with high- and low-range.

The Nissan Patrol range does not have an ANCAP safety rating because it has not been tested.

As standard it has dual front airbags, front-side and curtain airbags that cover all three rows, as well as two ISOFIX points and two top tether points in the second row.

Driver-assist tech includes AEB, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning/intervention, blind-spot warning/intervention, adaptive cruise control and more.

The Nissan Patrol Warrior has a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, and comes with five years of roadside assistance.

Servicing is scheduled at 12 month/10,000km intervals, and capped price service rates apply, averaging about $626 a year over the full warranty term.

A five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty also applies to all of Premcar’s work.

What is the 2024 Nissan Patrol Warrior like to drive?

At its Patrol heart the Warrior has all the solid reliable four-wheel-drive mechanicals, plenty of torque over a wide rev range and it has a rear diff lock. 

On road and on dirt tracks, the Patrol Warrior is a bit more tighter, more controlled, more composed than its standard stablemates. 

And that's all largely due to how its upgraded suspension and that aforementioned hydraulic body motion control (HBMC) system work onboard this vehicle. HBMC essentially acts as a sway bar and sway bar disconnect equivalent and it combines with the Aussie-tweaked suspension to rein everything in when you're on road, when you're on bitumen, and loosen everything when you're on dirt or off-road. 

And it’s out on the open road or a quiet back country road, you get the opportunity to fully appreciate how comfortable and how refined the Patrol Warrior is. 

The Warrior’s fully independent suspension – with springs all round that have been specifically designed for this vehicle – are longer at the front and softer and at the back and offer various rates: soft, firm and extra soft. And, while that's not such a big deal when you are low-range 4WDing, that really comes into play when you're on a dirt track travelling at speed and there are light to moderate to extreme corrugations and you're really trying to fly across the top of that stuff without ruining your spine. 

The Patrol as standard is a nice wagon to drive, but the Premcar work undertaken to create the Warrior – all the conversions and the upgrades – have only made it all that much better. 

There's more ground clearance in the Warrior (323mm, 50mm increase over Ti), so approach (40 degrees) and departure angles (23.3) are an improvement over the standard Patrol. Rampover angle is not listed, neither is wading depth but I reckon it’s about 700mm.

The tyres – Yokohama Geolandar 15 All Terrain tyres (295/70R18) – are bigger and offer more grip, so they provide the Warrior with plenty of traction on terrain where a standard Patrol may struggle. 

The HBMC system, which works so well on-road, provides more articulation off-road, a little bit more wheel travel through more difficult sections of ground that require highly technical low-range 4WDing.

And Premcar’s work – the conversions, the modifications, the engineering upgrades and the fitment of accessories – is that cluey it’s all the kind of stuff that any sensible experienced 4WDer would do to their Patrol if the Warrior didn’t exist. 

But while all of these Warrior-specific changes are so clever and so welcome, this is not a perfect four-wheel drive.

For one thing, it still is a big vehicle and at 2884kg you have to drive it with that in mind all the time. 

It fills the track. And with its wider wheel track, you have to be mindful all the time of wheel placement.

The Patrol’s off-road traction control just doesn't feel quite as sharply tuned as, for example, the system in the 300 Series Toyota LandCruiser. It’s very effective but it just doesn't feel as dialled-in as other systems. 

When you get into a Patrol Warrior, make sure you appreciate that bi-modal exhaust, two exhaust tips underneath the right-hand side step: it’s nice and quiet during general driving, but it opens up in audio terms if you flip the shifter to manual on the auto shifter or if you just give it a heavy right boot, you hear that engine growl – it’s unreal. 

The bi-modal exhaust is awesome, but those little exhaust caps, that stick out underneath the Warrior's right-hand side step, are a little bit too vulnerable to potential damage for my liking. They compromise the vehicle's ramp-over angle, so you really have to drive with careful consideration, especially if the Warrior tips even slightly to the right-hand side going up or down a steep rocky hill, because there’s a risk of grinding those exhaust tips against rock, dirt or a tree stump. 

The Patrol is a well-respected towing platform and the Warrior’s towing capacities remain as 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked). 

The Warrior's GVM (gross vehicle mass) at 3620kg is 120kg more than the Ti Patrol’s.

As noted earlier, Premcar has modified the towbar position to accommodate the new bigger full-size spare wheel and tyre.

Another positive in the Warrior’s favour is the fact it has two recovery points at the rear. 

The Nissan Patrol Warrior has an official fuel consumption of 14.4L/100km (on a combined cycle). 

I recorded 23.2L/100km on this test. I did a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing – but the Patrol never seemed to be working hard.

The Patrol has a 140L fuel tank capacity so and going by our on-test fuel-consumption figure you could reasonably expect a full-tank driving range of about 603km. 

Is the 2024 Nissan Patrol Warrior any good?

The Nissan Patrol Warrior is nice to drive on-road for a big 4WD wagon.

This is a refined and comfortable daily driver as well as a very capable 4WD.

And, true to the company’s reputation, PremCar has delivered again with comprehensive work that has made a damn good 4WD even better.

Crucial conversion work, engineering upgrades and fitment of adventure-ready accessories is all the kind of sensible work that would usually be accomplished in the aftermarket.

But the difference on the Patrol Warrior is that a five-year, unlimited km warranty covers all of that factory-backed work.