If you’re in need of a commercial vehicle equally capable of conquering the harshest terrain Africa has to throw at it and hauling substantial cargoes day in and day out without breaking a sweat, Nissan’s new Patrol Pickup is a commercial vehicle with exceptional off-road credentials. Now Nissan’s new Patrol Pickup adds new levels of safety with the addition of dual airbags to the rugged cabin environment. The safety-enhanced Patrol Pickup sits at the top end of the most comprehensive workhorse line-up in the South African commercial vehicle market. Nissan has been quite active in enhancing its commercial footprint in the market with the recent engine and specification updates to the NP300 Hardbody range and the extension of the NP200 range, as well as the imminent extension of the Navara range taking Nissan to full coverage of the light commercial vehicle market.
Toughness epitomised
The Patrol Pickup all but personifies the core Nissan strengths of leading levels of sheer toughness, mechanical reliability in even the harshest of driving duties, and a go-anywhere overcome-anything attitude which recognises only challenges to overcome, not barriers which might block a lesser vehicle’s progress.
The remarkable all-terrain suspension fitted to this robust off-road workhorse combines with the mammoth pulling power from everywhere in the rev range of the beefy 4.2-litre TDI motor to ensure that the Patrol Pickup can traverse any terrain in the completion of its objectives. This superbly strong drivetrain combination also allows the Patrol Pickup to haul a hefty 2500kg of towed goods aboard a braked trailer.
The mechanical components remain identical to the tried-and-trusted ingredients which have helped establish the vehicle as a genuine African legend, the larger and more serious brother of the widely-acclaimed NP300 Hardbody range of unburstable workhorses. The same mechanical limited-slip differential manages grip levels for the rear wheels in slippery conditions, and the same exceptionally strong and astonishingly capable 4WD drivetrain makes conquering any journey a breeze.
Fulfilling customer needs
Nissan SA has responded to the demands of its large fleet customers for the Patrol Pickup with this newly-refreshed model by enhancing the safety of the occupants with dual front airbags. After all, while the vehicle has been designed to take a beating and keep on ticking, that also means it tends to operate in very tricky conditions which by their very nature put the cabin occupants at risk of injury should anything go wrong. Not to mention the unpredictable vagaries of on-road load-hauling when you have a substantial cargo attached to the towbar in more urban conditions.
Although the Patrol Pickup has always boasted one of the safest cabin environments in its class based on sheer strength and rigidity, the addition of the two front airbags makes both drivers and passengers safer than ever before in an unexpected event.
Explains Nadia Trimmel, Nissan SA’s Senior Product Manager for commercial vehicles; “We have now added the dual airbags to this exceptionally rugged and dependable commercial performer firstly, just to add value to customers by improving the spec of the vehicle, and secondly, because we’re seeing large commercial fleet customers moving towards enhancing the safety of their drivers by specifying that such additions must be installed on any vehicle they consider acquiring. So we’ve gone ahead and responded to these specific requirements.
The intercooled, turbocharged inline-6-cylinder diesel motor delivers its ample 282Nm of torque via a rugged drivetrain with selectable 4WD and low range ratios for truly challenging situations. The vehicle also features two fuel tanks for superb range between refills, a 95-litre main tank and a second, 80-litre sub tank.
For a commercial vehicle, the Patrol Pickup is also very well-appointed inside, boasting electric windows, power steering, air conditioning, and central locking. Extensive safety features carried over from the previous-generation include a collapsible steering column, rigid side-impact protection bars built into the doors, and high-strength halogen headlamps featured as standard fitment. The addition of the airbags adds advanced active safety, enhancing the overall value proposition.
“Just because the Patrol itself is already as tough as nails, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to do everything in our power to protect its occupants in the challenging situations they’re likely to find themselves in. This latest enhancement to this strong commercial brand gives drivers more peace of mind to push the Patrol Pickup even deeper towards its exceptional limits,” concludes Trimmel.
Legendary ability, great value
The new Nissan Patrol Pickup is available on showroom floors throughout South Africa from the beginning of July, at a very attractive price of just R355 000. Packed with features and built to stringent global Nissan quality standards which ensure the utmost levels of strength and reliability synonymous with this Japanese automotive giant, the new Nissan Patrol Pickup is an incredibly versatile and dependable working tool whatever the terrain you call your “office”.
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