Rent Nissan Patrol 2024 in Dubai

There's a reason the 4.8-litre Nissan Patrol still rents in Dubai years after the fancier models arrived, and we hand the 2024 car over with a no-deposit option so a large hold doesn't tie up your card for the week. This is the Super Safari: a long-bodied seven-seater with a naturally aspirated 4.8-litre six, a real low-range transfer case, and none of the touchscreen complication of the newer generation. People who book it know exactly what they're getting. Our argument is simple. For a big family that needs space and dependable sand ability without paying for the latest tech, this older Patrol is honest value, and the rest of this page is about whether that trade suits your trip.

Space first, because that's why people pick it

Start with the people and the bags, since that's what sells this car. Seven seats, and they're proper seats rather than fold-down afterthoughts. The first two rows are wide and tall enough for adults on a full day out, and the third row takes two adults for an airport run or kids for the whole week. With all three rows up the boot is modest, good for a few soft bags and the shopping. Fold the third row flat and the cargo area opens up to swallow a week of cases for a family of five, plus a cooler and beach gear.

Plan around the numbers. Five travelling means a big square boot and room for everything. Seven travelling means soft duffels over hard shells, and a bag or two on laps from the airport.

Spec at a glance

What the 4.8 is actually like to drive

The inline-six makes 280 horsepower and pulls cleanly from low revs, fed through a relaxed automatic to all four wheels. On Sheikh Zayed Road it cruises at the limit without strain, though at two and a half tonnes it's a vehicle you steer smoothly rather than hustle. Zero to 100 takes around 10.8 seconds, which tells you this is a hauler, not a sprinter.

The point of it is the transfer case. Drop into low range, air the tyres down, and the Patrol crawls up a dune face or along a rutted Hatta track where a soft crossover would dig in and stop. With 235 mm of clearance and long-travel suspension, the desert weekend is well within reach, not a gamble.

Heat and cooling at 45 degrees

A black Patrol left in the sun in July is a furnace when you first open it, the same as any car here. This is a large cabin, so the AC takes a minute or two to bring the front down to comfortable, and the third row lags behind that. The vent layout helps: there are outlets feeding the second and third rows, so once it's running everyone gets cold air rather than the back passengers baking. Open the windows for half a minute before you set off, let the trapped heat escape, then close up and let it pull down.

Fuel and the running cost

Be clear-eyed about this one. A naturally aspirated 4.8-litre six moving this much weight is thirsty, and you should reckon on roughly 18 litres per 100 km in mixed Dubai driving, more again on a day in soft sand. The upside is the 95-litre tank, which still gives a useful range, so a week of city and airport runs means filling up perhaps twice. Fuel is cheap here by global standards, but book this knowing it's no economy car.

Parking, bumps and the rules

There's no pretending a five-metre Patrol is easy in tight spots. Marina side streets and multi-storey bays need patience, and you'll use the full bay each time, with the odd three-point shuffle on a tight U-turn. Speed bumps and steep mall ramps are the easy part, because the clearance means nothing scrapes where a low sedan would catch. Salik tolls and any RTA fines during the rental pass to you, so watch the limits on the open roads where this car sits well above them comfortably. Child seats for under-fours are required and we can fit one.

Who should book it, and who shouldn't

Rent the 4.8 Patrol if you've a real reason for its size: a family of six or seven, a full airport run, or a weekend in the dunes where low range isn't optional, and you'd rather put your money into proven capability than into the newest cabin tech. For that brief it's hard to beat on value. If it's two adults doing dinners and the occasional road trip, you'll spend the week managing a vehicle built for jobs you're not asking of it, and a smaller SUV or a sedan will be cheaper to run and far easier to park. Book this Patrol for the desert and the full house. Size down for everything else.