This enormous eight-seater hasn't changed much on the inside though! I tested the bottom spec 2020 Patrol Ti model which was a shame because I didn't get to play with one of the top-spec Ti-L model's new rearview mirror that shows your reversing camera image. I also missed out on the Ti-L's heated and cooled seats and instead were a row of ugly plastic blanks. The good news is that improved AEB and boosted airflow to the third-row seats are across all models, which I did get to experience.
Compared to the swish and hi-tech new interior (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) on Patrols sold overseas, the Australian Nissan Patrol really hasn't changed inside. On the upside, is incredibly spacious and nice inside compared to most big off-road vehicles. The faux wood is a little cheesy and the dash is cluttered with buttons and dials that are incorporated into the slick pair of media screens built into the revamped dashboard of overseas versions.
The 2020 Patrol's media system is dated and very basic and the number of controls for it on the dash is overwhelming, I am not sure if I'd ever get used to what they do!
The Nissan Patrol Ti does have a lot of fantastic family-friendly features too, like the central console box that can be opened in both directions so that both front and rear passengers can open it… genius! In the top-spec Ti-L model, this is a fridge which is even more useful.
Storage throughout the 2020 Patrol is great. There are cup holders in all three rows and ample space in the door bins and map pockets for iPads to be stored.
For 2020 the Patrol has increased airflow to the third-row seats and there are air vents in all three rows of seating in the ceiling above the windows.
There are three top tether anchorages in the Nissan Patrol; one in each of the outer second-row seat backs, at the at the very base of them, and one in the third-row seat back on the driver's side.
You can install three child seats, two in the second-row seats and one in the third-row. There was ample legroom for a 182cm or taller driver with rear-facing child seats installed in the second row.
BUT it was not straightforward as the top tether anchorages in the second-row are EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to access. Because the second-row seats do not slide you can not access the top tether anchorages unless you climb in through the boot to access them, which means putting the third-row seats down. But when the third-row seats are folded, the top tether anchorages are then hidden below them and you can't access them. It was a very frustrating process.
I also found when installing the third-row child seat you have to be careful with the type of child seat you choose because with most I tried there was no legroom. I found only a booster seat would work in the third-row.
The third-row is three seats and the central seatbelt comes from the ceiling. I did find I could sit comfortably beside the booster seat and there would be just enough room for me again at the side. Leg and headroom were just enough and I'm 162cm.
Boot space hasn't changed in the 2020 Patrol it is still excellent and with all eight seats in use, I could still get all types of pram and stroller in the boot, including a twin stroller which fitted with three shopping bags.
The reversing camera visuals are quite small for such a big car but you do get different camera angles, which is good, and you can mute the parking sensors easily with a button on the screen. In the top-spec model, you also get the rearview mirror camera image too.
Part of the update on the Nissan Patrol is a new suspension with increased comfort offroad. I didn't notice an enormous difference around town and suburbs but I was incredibly surprised how easy it is to maneuver and navigate around small places. The turning circle is very small for a car of this size and the steering very light, I was constantly being pleasantly surprised by it in tight car parks!
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the 2020 Nissan Patrol?
The boot of the 2020 Patrol has not changed, it is still enormous! When you are only using five seats, it fits 22 shopping bags! That's the same as the Infiniti QX80, two more than the Lexus LX450D and four more than the Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Series.
When you are only using five seats the Mountain Buggy Duet twin stroller fits with 14 shopping bags.
When you are only using five seats the Britax Flexx tandem stroller fits with 15 shopping bags.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Tulsi’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
When you are only using five seats the Mountain Buggy Urban Jungle single stroller fits with 14 shopping bags beside it.
When you are only using five seats the Mountain Buggy Nano compact stroller fitted with 18 shopping bags beside it.
Or you could fit an extra-large dog in there!
When you are using all seven seats the boot space is still excellent, fitting eight shopping bags.
Because of the height of the boot, the Mountain Buggy Duet twin stroller fits with three shopping bags.
The Britax Flexx tandem stroller fits with two shopping bags.
The Mountain Buggy Urban Jungle fits with three shopping bags.
The Mountain Buggy Urban Jungle single stroller fits with four shopping bags.
Or an extra small dog.
The boot floor is flat, which is good for an emergency nappy change. There is a 12V socket on the left side and bag hooks on both sides.
There is a shallow storage area under the boot floor too.
How good is storage inside the 2020 Nissan Patrol?
Storage is very good throughout the cabin of the 2020 Nissan Patrol; there are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a reusable and disposable coffee cup and behind them is a selection of small storage wells, good for coins etc and there's a 12V socket too. There's also another lidded storage space behind the gear lever which I found the only convenient place for my phone when it is plugged into the USB socket.
The central console box is enormous and in the top-spec models this is a chilled fridge. There are also two USB and a 12V socket in front of the gear lever and blanks where the heated seat controls would be in the top-spec model.
The glove box is a good size too and I could get my wallet in there with the manual and the iPad.
There is a lined glasses case in the ceiling and lit vanity mirrors in both front visors. The visors are extendable, which really helps with blocking the sun from the side windows.
The door bins in the front are large enough to hold a large refillable water bottle.
In the back, the door bins are considerably smaller but will hold a large refillable water bottle.
There are map pockets on the back of both front seats, they will hold and conceal an iPad.
In a fold-down armrest in the central seatback are two cup holders. They would hold a reusable and a disposable coffee cup.
In the third-row, there are two cup holders on both sides. They will hold a disposable and reusable coffee cup or my large refillable water bottle fit in them too.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2020 Nissan Patrol?
The 2020 Nissan Patrol is a surprisingly smooth and quiet BabyDrive, it is unusual for such a large and capable 4WD to not be tractor-like and noisy.
The media system in the 2020 Nissan Patrol is basic, which makes it easier to navigate, but unlike the overseas model that has TWO touchscreens it still doesn't have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which is disappointing.
There are still so many buttons all over the dashboard that it is VERY confusing and you'd be forgiven for not finding the one you are looking for!! In the overseas Patrol these are mostly replaced by the new touchscreens.
You can control the aircon through the media screen though which is great.
The reversing camera image is quality has improved slightly but not the size of the image, which feels quite minimal for such a big car. You do get the birdseye view as well which is useful and you can turn off the parking sensors with the button on the screen which is a great feature.
The indicators are still nice and quiet in the new Nissan Patrol and would not disturb my sleeping baby.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
The doors and windows of the 2020 Nissan Patrol open and close quietly which is great for a big car like this and they can be locked from the driver's door control panel. You can come to a stop with the engine still running and get out of the car without sounding any alarms.
Since becoming a mum I spend A LOT of time parked up somewhere with a nice view while my daughter is asleep in the back! If it's hot I need to leave the engine running and the aircon on but I do like to get out and drink my cuppa tea in the fresh air while enjoying the fact my limbs are free from said dangling child!!
So this is a very important test as I have found that sometimes I have been held hostage by a cars BEEEEPING alarms when I have taken off my seatbelt or opened the door while the engine is still running!! (I only stand outside the car, I am not a bad mother!!)
The 2020 Nissan Patrol is really nice and quiet to drive, which is refreshing for a big offroad seven-seater SUV, most of the competitors have a loud tractor like engines and feel like that to drive too but the Patrol was actually very smooth. The new suspension also makes the ride even smoother offroad too. You can change the driving mode down in the central console.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2020 Nissan Patrol?
This is where unfortunately Nissan could have made an improvement with the 2020 Patrol!
There are two sets of ISOFix points, one pair in each of the outer second-row seats. They are not within plastic guides but are nice and easy to connect to.
The Patrol has three top tether anchorages; one in each of the outer second-row seat backs, right down the bottom almost underneath the seats. Which means you have to access them through the boot…
BUT… when the third-row seats are down so that you can get to the back of the second-row seats they block the access to the top tether anchorages and you can't get to them! It is a real chicken and egg situation!
I found the best way was to raise and lower the third-row seats alternately to get in and attach the top tether straps but it really is much more complicated than it needs to be and climbing in and out of the third-row seats through the boot is not great.
There is also a single top tether anchorage in the third row, allowing you to install one child seat into the third-row seats.
You do have to consider which type of child seat you put in the third-row, I found only a booster seat would fit, as other forward-facing harnessed seats would not allow any legroom for the occupant.
I can easily fit the two and I found I could easily travel between two child seats too.
Legroom and space are really good in the Nissan Patrol, with rear-facing child seats installed, a 182cm passenger can easily sit in the front, with a 170cm passenger in the third-row seats.
Accessing the third-row is not great with child seats installed across the second-row and you do have to uninstall a child seat in order to access the third row.
Posting bub into their child seat from outside and inside the Nissan Patrol is really nice and easy, the height means you do not have to bend down and the door openings are lovely and wide.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
There is plenty of room to feed bub in the back of the Nissan Patrol if you only have one child seat installed.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2020 Nissan Patrol? And How good is the New 2020 Nissan Patrol to drive?
In the front of the 2020 Nissan Patrol, the seats are enormous and very comfortable! I usually like quite small and hugging seats but these are the total opposite and remind me of my grandparent's armchairs! They are black leather with perforated central panels, which means they are harder to wipe clean and child crumbs and detritus get into the little holes.
The front seats are heated and cooled in the top-spec Ti-L model, but not in this Ti model I tested.
I found I couldn't have a ponytail in the driver's seat and the headrests are not adjustable.
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
For a mum travelling in the back with bub, the seats are very comfortable and there is heaps of space and legroom. There is just a low hump in the central footwell, which I found fine to rest my feet on or straddle and it was easy to walk straight through from one side of the car to the other and get out of either side.
For the first year of Tulsi’s life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Tulsi so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
In the third-row the seats are spacious and comfortable too, I found there to be plenty of head and legroom for me and I'm 162cm and I think you would fit very comfortably up to 170cm passenger on a long journey.
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down.
The cruise controls are on the right on the steering wheel. Cruise control is not that accurate in the Nissan Patrol, especially on slower, undulating roads at around 60km/h, the car really races away from the set speed.
There is still no digital speed display in the 2020 Patrol, which I found really frustrating and crazy in this day and age! This less accurate way of telling your speed makes it difficult with speed cameras and very few cars do not have digital speed displays nowadays.
There are four large, vertical air-conditioning vents across the front dashboard; two central ones and one at either end.
There is improved airflow to the rear rows of passengers in the new 2020 Nissan Patrol and ceiling air vents for all rear rows of seats, which is excellent for all rear passengers in the Australian climate. There are also handles for both rear seating rows too which is great for hanging toys from.
There are controls for both the front and rear aircon within the media screen, that are nice and easy to reach and use while driving.
There are also controls in the back of the central console box for the rear aircon but you can override this from the front.
The rear interior lights are located next to the air vents along the side of the ceiling above the rear windows. I could reach one side to turn it on or off from the driver's seat while driving!
I have found Tulsi does not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.
Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a five-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!
It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.
Visibility in the 2020 Nissan Patrol is good because the windows are so big. For both forward and rear-facing passengers, the higher seating position and large windows give a great view out. I did find with the Nissan Patrol it is so big that you do need to park it strategically because it completely fills a parking space so you have to make sure you can open your door once it's parked!
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Tulsi has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, the Nissan Patrol FILLED the parking space so it was tricky to park.
Aesthetically the Nissan Patrol looks and feels like a guilty luxury to have such a large, luxury and capable SUV with so much interior space.
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the New 2020 Nissan Patrol?
The Nissan Patrol has not been ANCAP safety rated, which seems crazy for a model that has been around for so long!
The Patrol has six airbags as standard including side curtain airbags that extend to the third-row. There are pre-tensioner seatbelts in the front seats only.
As standard, all models of the Nissan Patrol come with an intelligent around-view monitor with moving object detection, vehicle dynamic control (VDC) including traction control system (TCS), anti-lock braking system (ABS), and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), hill descent control (HDC) with on/off switch and hill start assist (HSA), intelligent cruise control (ICC), forward collision warning (FCW), intelligent distance control, lane departure warning (LDW), intelligent lane intervention, blind-spot warning (BSW), intelligent blind spot intervention, intelligent brake assist (IBA), forward-collision warning (FCW), lane departure warning (LDW), intelligent lane intervention, rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA)Â and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Tulsi’s asleep!
how come in the photos of the car seats (taken from the back of the seat)it looks like the seat is installed in the middle seat of the 3rd row when there is not an anchor point here?
I think you mean the second row? The pic was taken before Nissan notified us that the central anchor is not approved for use in Australia.