The 2010 Nissan Patrol has received an extremely positive response with sales exceeding the company’s original sales volume projections, said its exclusive dealer in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

“The Patrol has a strong heritage in the region, with the UAE being the largest market for the vehicle in the GCC,” said Michel Ayat, CEO of Arabian Automobiles.

“We began sales of the Nissan Patrol in April, and in the first eight months, we have sold more than 2000 units of the vehicle. Customer feedback has been fantastic with customers raving about the luxury, technology and performance the vehicle displays, giving us the satisfaction and confidence that the new Patrol has surpassed their expectations.”

The latest-generation Nissan Patrol also set a new record for Nissan in the Middle East in April 2010 when it successfully completed a run on a single fuel tank from the Abu Dhabi to Riyadh.

“The superior performance and fuel efficiency of the 2010 Patrol among its class was highlighted in the drive from Abu Dhabi to Riyadh in which the Patrol covered 986 kilometers on a single tank,” Ayat said. “This challenge taken up by Nissan Middle East helped change perceptions among customers which were based on the previous generations of the vehicle.”

The Patrol is available from Arabian Automobiles in two specification grades – SE and LE – but with a wide choice of equipment levels on each grade to satisfy individual customer requirements.

The LE grade features a 400hp/560Nm version of a newly developed ‘VK56VD’ 5.6-litre V8 engine with VVEL (variable valve event and lift) and DIG (direct injection gasoline) technologies together with a seven-speed automatic transmission with manual mode shift technology. The SE grade secures the 320hp engine which is mated to a new 5-speed automatic transmission.

All Patrols come comprehensively equipped as standard with Nissan’s  world-first hydraulic body motion control system (HBMC), which keeps the car flatter with less body roll during lane-changing and cornering, while delivering a comfortable ride in city driving and superb stability on rugged and sandy tracks, a statement said.

The new suspension system, which now employs four-wheel independent suspension, has been upgraded from the previous rigid axle setup.

All Patrols also employ a newly developed all-mode 4x4 system incorporating a variable 4x4 mode package. It allows the driver to quickly switch between four drive modes: sand, on-road, snow and rock, with the flick of a switch, the statement said.

In addition, all Patrols also offer a new hill start assist and hill descent control which can also be selected easily with the touch of a button. With hill start assist, if a driver stops on a slope and steps off the brake pedal, the system keeps the vehicle stationary.

Hill descent control uses the brakes to maintain a constant downhill speed of 7 km/hr in 4H mode and 4 km/hr in 4L mode. – TradeArabia News Service