Recently, we sat down with Antonio Lopez, global director and chief product specialist for full-size SUVs and pickups at Nissan and Infiniti. Between dinner, drinks, and a surprise serving of balut, the Philippine motoring media were keen to ask the executive about the future of the Patrol.
While the Patrol is relatively new in the market, having locally debuted in March 2025, Lopez was at the forefront of its development and continues to lead its global rollout—so truly, this was the best chance to clear any speculation about Nissan’s crowning SUV.
PHOTO BY Billy Caluag
Unsurprisingly, questions were raised about the possibility of a fully electric Patrol, or perhaps even a hybrid version. Lopez was quick to declare that today’s technology, including Nissan’s own e-Power, is not suitable for the promises of the Patrol and the demands of its customers.
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The Spanish national went on to explain that the power and performance needed to ensure that the Patrol’s capability on sand (likely referencing the Patrol faithful in the Middle East) can only be delivered with a traditional combustion engine. With that, torque and power delivery remain uncompromised, and customers stay happy. That sentiment echoes Lopez’s journey with Nissan, having started his career as a powertrain engineer before eventually moving on to chief product specialist.
PHOTO BY Heather Raymundo
He ended by discussing that the idea of an electrified Patrol could be revisited when solid-state batteries become more utilized in EVs, or when more efficient cooling technology is available.
Clearly, Nissan and Lopez are in no rush to compete against the Toyota Land Cruiser HEV and the many executive-style off-roaders from China. Those include the Jetour GAIA G700, the Geely Galaxy Cruiser 700, and so on.
PHOTO BY Billy Caluag
However, as pragmatic as he sounds, Lopez is a romantic. With strong enthusiasm, he also expressed that he dreams of a family-style lineup within the Patrol. Akin to the Land Cruiser FJ and the rumored compact Pajero, he couldn’t hold back his smile at the idea of a three-door Patrol. While he was spitballing other concepts, there was true excitement in his voice.
Hopefully this family of Patrols becomes a reality one day, and perhaps an electrified version will be developed through it. Until then, we can dream as well.