By Mike Baños
Motoring Editor
After a hiatus of almost four years caused by the global pandemic, Nissan Cagayan de Oro again hosted a Patrol VIP Night for Cagayan de Oro and Northern Mindanao’s Bold and Beautiful.
Nissan Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga are leading the market of large SUVs and we aim to keep our leadership in this segment,” said Juan Manuel Hoyos, Nissan Philippines President in an exclusive interview with CDO Bloggers. “This is a market niche which is very important to us at Nissan and we were No. 1 in the Philippines January this year.”
The Nissan Patrol 2023 is offered in only one variant in the Philippines as a 7 Seater SUV with a length of 5175 mm the width of 1995 mm, and a wheelbase of 3075 mm. It has a powerful gasoline 5.6 liter V8 engine putting out 405PS (400hp) and 560 Nm torque, automatic transmission, a commanding exterior, luxurious interior, and tech-advanced Nissan Intelligent Mobility.
“For this kind of customer, there is only one, that is the premium version. We are not interested to bring any other version, we want to bring the best,” Sr. Hoyos stressed.
“Nissan Patrol is for very specific VIP Clients who find it a very unique vehicle. This has been proven as a choice by royalty in the Middle East, heads of state, and even ordinary customers who already have one will buy the new models but keep their old units for their kids,” he added.
However, clients can customize their Patrols with a range of options with available factory and more in the aftermarket.
Interested customers who wish to test drive the Nissan Patrol can contact Nissan Cagayan de Oro Branch at R.N. Pelaez Boulevard (fronting Liceo de Cagayan University) and arrange to have the unit brought to their residence or work place today Saturday and tomorrow Sunday starting 8AM.
Although Nissan has not been spared supply chain constraints, notably the chips shortage, Sr. Hoyos assures the worse is over and their cars are now arriving and waitlisted customers would be served either this March or next month.
“For Patrol Customers who used to have to put up with a two-month waiting period, customers who were buying their units during the event are assured of receiving their units next month at the latest,” he noted.
In response to questions regarding the suitability of the Patrol for women drivers, Sr. Hoyos cited how Nissan launched a driving academy in Saudi Arabia for women who were only recently allowed to drive their own vehicles.
“We are always encouraging programs for women, but in the Philippines, we see women driving everywhere so we haven’t launched anything specific for them yet,” Sr. Hoyos said.
However, he cited the case of the Nissan Livina which he said NPI has been pitching especially to women entrepreneurs. For the Patrol, he said women drivers in the Philippines should not be intimidated but rather feel empowered by the potential of its V8 Engine.
“Power is not something to be scared but to be enjoyed. Even for male drivers, power without control and safety is dangerous, but if you drive any Nissan cars, you will have Nissan Intelligent Mobility features: you will have intelligent braking, things that will help you handle that power,” he stressed.
He cited how Nissan CDO Principal Jeff Rolida still keeps driving his Nissan Patrol Legend from almost eight years ago. Although the Patrol usually takes eight years to come up with a makeover, this doesn’t in any manner depreciate the value of older models which are classical designs which hardly age with the years compared to other brands.
“ I still use the Legend also because it is a limited edition and only 40 units were brought to the Philippines and still very much sought after by 4×4 enthusiasts,” Jeff Rolida confirmed. “I decided to keep it pristine to maintain it in running condition.”
Asked how Nissan can assure aftermarket care for Patrols commensurate to its prestige and market leading status, Sr. Hoyos remarked:
“We take care of all our Nissan customers and not only those who own Patrols. Our dealerships are required to have high level certificate technicians and a specific level of spare parts so they can immediately attend to all our customers. We are a customer-centric organization all the time.”
“We review that every month, all our KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), and how our customers are satisfied. We are not looking for 8, or 9, we are always looking for 10 approval from our customers,” he assures.
Nissan 5 Year or 150,000 km warranty protects from unexpected repair costs (3 yrs. or 100,000 kms whichever comes first) with an additional 2 years of 50,000 kms which ever comes first covers mechanical, electrical, body and paint, and accessories subject to observance of preventive maintenance schedule, no modifications on vehicle (only genuine Nissan parts and workmanship), not used for commercial purposes and warranty is processed through Nissan authorized dealerships.
With six generations of SUV heritage, the New Nissan Patrol dominates in complete class once again.
The 2023 Nissan Patrol has a suggested retail price of P4.808 million in Cagayan de Oro (freight inclusive).
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