Dubai, United Arab Emirates – The Nissan Patrol NISMO has been awarded 'SUV of the Year' at the Wheels Car of the Year ceremony.
During the publication's annual Car of the Year (COTY) awards, the Patrol NISMO challenged its major competitors before an esteemed judging panel. The Nissan was labelled the strongest vehicle in three major categories: desert capability, on-road performance, and comfort.
"Patrol leaves them in the dust," explained the judges in the award citation. "The 5.6-litre V8, mated to a slick seven-speed automatic, has been poked and prodded to deliver more performance, and with all four wheels digging in for added traction, along with its off-road ability still intact, this is actually three cars rolled into one. It's still a brilliant family car with loads of room for seven adults to sit in total comfort. It's a superb off-roader with all sorts of driver aids to tame difficult terrains and it's a sporty SUV, too. It can do it all and sure is deserving of this accolade."
The Nissan Patrol NISMO is no stranger to such high praise. Since the model was introduced to the Gulf market in 2015, its on- and off-road capabilities have drawn plaudits from journalists and owners alike.
Samir Cherfan, Managing Director of Nissan Middle East was delighted the Patrol NISMO was recognised as a cut above the competition. "When you take a vehicle as dear to the hearts of Gulf motorists as the Patrol, and decide to produce a NISMO-tuned performance version, you must get it right," he said.
"We knew we had a very special SUV on our hands as soon as it arrived in our showrooms. So, it's particularly gratifying to see the wider automotive community, and many of the Gulf's top motoring writers agree with this view."
Patrol NISMO is part of a line-up of three vehicles from the tuning, performance and motorsport division of Nissan. The remaining two are the 370Z NISMO and the GT-R NISMO.
The accolade was dished out during a recent event, at Dubai Palm's spectacular Waldorf Astoria. The Wheels COTY Awards, now in its eighth year, has established itself as one of the most prestigious automotive awards ceremonies in the Middle East.
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About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2015, the company sold more than 5.4 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 12.19 trillion yen. Nissan engineers, manufactures and markets the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan's global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: ASEAN & Oceania; Africa, Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America and North America. Nissan has a global workforce of 247,500, and has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault under the Renault-Nissan Alliance since March 1999.
For Nissan Middle East FZE media enquiries:
Yolande Pineda
Director, Corporate Communications Department
Nissan Middle East FZE
Tel: +971 4 881 7500
Fax: +971 4 881 9747
E-mail: yolande@nissan-me.ae
Mohammed Al Tawil
Corporate Communications Manager
Nissan Middle East FZE
Tel: +971 4 881 7500
Fax: +971 4 881 9747
E-mail: Mohammed.Tawil@nissan-me.ae
Bilal Bhaila
Senior Account Executive
Memac Ogilvy Public Relations
Tel: +971 4 305 0307
Mob: +971 55 431 2777
E-mail: bilal.bhaila@ogilvy.com
