Nissan Patrol GU (Y61) vs Y62: two very different vehicles, both called Patrol
Here's the Patrol trap, stated plainly: the Y61 and the Y62 are both genuinely called "Nissan Patrol", they're both on sale in Australia, and at one point they were literally both on sale at the same time — as completely different vehicles. If that sounds like a recipe for buying the wrong part, it is exactly that.
The Australian Patrol line is: the GQ, then the GU (the Y61), and then the Y62. The GQ has been gone for decades, so nearly all the confusion is between the Y61 and Y62.
The generation windows, as published
- GQ — 1988 – 1997
- Y61 (GU) — 1997 – 2016
- Y62 — 2013 onwards
All years here are from that table — the same source the generation pages use.
Notice what the windows do: the Y61 ran until 2016 and the Y62 started in 2013, so for three years (2013–2016) a new Patrol bought in Australia could be either one. They are not facelifts of each other. The Y61 GU is the classic body-on-frame off-roader; the Y62 is the later, larger, very different vehicle. A mid-2010s "Patrol" genuinely could be either.
This is why the generation pages here say nothing about succession between the Y61 and Y62 — they overlapped, so "replaced" isn't something this site will claim. The honest statement is "both were sold alongside each other."
Why the series code matters more here than on almost any other vehicle
Because two very different vehicles share a name and overlapped in the showrooms, the worst-case outcome — ordering a part for the wrong one — is far more likely than on a sequential line like the Ranger. A buyer who says "I've got a Patrol" has told you almost nothing.
The fix is the same as everywhere: search the series code — Y61 (GU) or Y62 — and confirm your build month/year off the identification plate.
How to tell them apart
- The Y61 (GU) is the classic Patrol — the one that carried the GU generation from 1997. In Australia it stayed on sale as a cab/utility through to 2016, long after the Y62 launched.
- The Y62 is the later, larger generation from 2013 onwards.
The definitive test is the identification plate and the series code. A used Patrol only described by year in the 2013–2016 window needs pinning down before you buy anything.
How to buy for your exact Patrol
- Search Y61 or Y62 — never just "Patrol".
- Have your build month/year and ideally the full VIN before contacting a retailer.
- Check the listing names your series and build date, not just the model.
FITSPEC never claims a part fits. It reads the fitment the retailer published for your series and build date and attributes it to that retailer.
FAQ
Are the Patrol Y61 and Y62 the same vehicle?
No. They both carry the Patrol name, but the Y61 (GU) and Y62 are different generations and different vehicles, and in Australia they were both on sale at the same time in 2013–2016. The series code is what tells a part intended for one from a part intended for the other.
What years was the Patrol GU (Y61) sold in Australia?
The Y61's published window is 1997 to 2016. In Australia it remained on sale into 2016, after the Y62 launched in 2013.
What years is the Patrol Y62 sold in Australia?
The Y62 is published as 2013 onwards, and it remains in production.
Why do the Patrol generation pages not say one "replaced" the other?
Because the Y61 and Y62 overlapped on sale in 2013–2016. Replacing is only stated here where one generation stopped before the next began; where they overlapped, the honest statement is that both were sold alongside each other.
*By Ben Horne, FITSPEC. Fitment, compliance and safety depend on your specific vehicle — confirm with the retailer and a qualified fitter before you buy.*
This guide is general information, not fitting or engineering advice. Fitment, compliance and safety depend on your specific vehicle — confirm with the retailer and a qualified fitter before you buy.