Nissan rules out Patrol Nismo for Australia

The Nissan Patrol Nismo won't be part of the new Y63 Patrol lineup in Australia, at least for the time being, with the automaker saying its on-road focus makes it less viable for local showrooms.

Nismo – a name formed from 'Nissan' and 'motorsport' – is the Japanese automaker’s performance arm, responsible for flagship road models and global racing programs including Formula E and Japan’s Super GT series.

It's also co-developing the specification engine that will power international LMP2 sports-car racing from 2028.

The Nissan Z sports car is currently the only Nismo-badged model sold in Australia. However, Nissan has announced one of the first Nismo Performance Centres outside Japan will open in Melbourne in the second half of 2026, with further locations planned across Australia and New Zealand.

The brand’s strong local following suggests there could be an appetite for the Patrol Nismo, which was revealed in 2025 with retuned steering, suspension and Vehicle Dynamic Control systems, along with lighter 22-inch forged RAYS alloy wheels.

A unique front bumper and grille form part of a revised aerodynamic package, while the 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 receives a power increase from 317kW to 369kW. Torque remains unchanged at 700Nm.

“It’s a case of never say never,” a Nissan Australia spokesperson told CarExpert.

“The [Patrol] Nismo vehicle that’s available globally has an on-road bias. It has the larger tyres; it has bumpers that are more designed for on-road use versus the kind of off-road use that might be befitting a remote Australian customer.”

The Patrol Nismo is sold in the Middle East, while a closely related Armada Nismo is offered in the US and Canada.

The Armada Nismo’s twin-turbo V6 produces 343kW – 26kW more than the regular Armada but 26kW less than the Middle Eastern Patrol Nismo – and the same 700Nm of torque.

In the US, the Armada Nismo is priced slightly below the flagship Armada Platinum Reserve, which is broadly equivalent to the new Y63 Patrol Ti-L Reserve priced in Australia from $145,990 before on-road costs.

“It’s more the usage; if you look at the [sales] volume, the volume for that on-road bias package would not necessarily make a strong business case for us,” the spokesperson said.

“It’s not something that we’re currently looking at for our market. But again, it’s never say never because we certainly see the Nismo nameplate as having strength.

“It brings a level of credibility and performance, but that package as it stands, you wouldn’t see that on Australian roads.”

MORE: Explore the Nissan Patrol showroom