Nissan Patrol Y63 vs. Toyota LC300: Which Twin-Turbo V6 is the True Heir to the V8 Desert King?

Abu Dhabi: True SUV enthusiasts in the UAE seem to find it hard to let go of the iconic V8 engine. Always highly loved and admired, the transition has happened quietly across a few model cycles, and it has changed the way this segment feels. This change has occurred not only in one car but in both of them. The Nissan Patrol gave up its 5.6-liter V8 with the Y63. Toyota replaced the Land Cruiser's naturally aspirated V8 long before that. In their place came twin-turbo V6 engines, lighter on fuel, stronger on paper, and smoother than anything that came before.

Now both legends are powered by twin-turbo V6s, and both are fighting for the same buyer. The Patrol Y63 came to UAE showrooms in late 2024 and immediately divided opinions. Some said it was the best Patrol ever built, while others still missed the old one. Likewise, the Toyota LC 300 has been here longer, is better understood, and carries Toyota's LC badge with decades of weight behind it.

These two SUVs represent the two strongest choices in the full-size premium SUV segment in the UAE. Both are sold by some of the most established dealer networks in the country and carry true desert DNA. And both cost serious money, so the question is which one earns it more for the life you actually live. We try to find out.

The Variant 

Feature	Nissan Patrol Y63	Toyota Land Cruiser LC300
Starting Price	AED 239,900 (XE)	AED 239,900 (4.0L EXR)
Top Variant Price	AED 389,900 (LE Platinum City)	AED 399,900 (3.5L GR-Sport)
Number of Variants	11	6
Engine Options	3.8L V6 NA / 3.5L Twin-Turbo V6	4.0L V6 NA / 3.5L Twin-Turbo V6
Seating	8 seats	7 seats
Drive Type	4WD	4WD
Fuel Tank	97 litres	110 litres
Lowest Monthly	From AED 3,394	From AED 3,394

It is hard to believe, but covering a wide range of combinations and buyer profiles, the Patrol gives you eleven ways to configure your budget. While this is generous, it may also feel slightly overwhelming. Toyota keeps it cleaner with six variants, two engine choices, and a clearer step-up logic. Both start at exactly the same price, which makes this comparison more interesting than it looks at first glance.

A point worth noting is the Patrol's 97-liter tank versus the LC300's 110-liter tank. That is a real-world difference on long UAE desert drives or the Abu Dhabi-to-Muscat route. More fuel means fewer stops.

Size 

Both SUVs are enormous, no doubt about it, but they are not the same size.

Dimension	Nissan Patrol Y63	Toyota LC300
Length	5,350 mm	5,115 mm
Width	2,030 mm	1,980 mm
Height	1,940 mm	1,920 mm
Wheelbase	3,075 mm	Not confirmed
Ground Clearance	244 mm	Not confirmed
Boot Space	668 L standard	1,131 L (seats folded)
Wheels	18-inch (base) to 22-inch	18-inch to 20-inch

The Patrol Y63 is notably larger: longer, wider, and taller than the LC300. That 235 mm difference in length is not subtle. The ground clearance at 244 mm gives the Patrol an advantage in sand and uneven terrain. The LC300's ground clearance is not officially listed in the latest spec sheet, but both cars have proven themselves in real UAE desert conditions well beyond what spec sheets can capture.

Exterior

The Patrol Y63's exterior is a significant change from the Y62 it replaced. The new front end carries muscular wheel arches, a bold V-Motion grille with Klipsch-linked LED accents on premium trims, and a silhouette that looks wider and more planted than before. The two-tone roof options on several variants have proven popular in UAE showrooms, particularly Forest Green with a black roof, a combination that looks genuinely striking outside a villa in Jumeirah Park.

The LC300 went back to basics with its design, and Toyota called it "neo-retro," which fits well. The massive chrome grille, the upright boxy stance, the deformable body panels, and the underslung spare wheel all say something very deliberate: this is a Land Cruiser, and it is not trying to look like anything else.

Nissan Patrol Y63 colors: Pearl White, Silver Metallic, Gray Metallic, Grand Blue, Mineral Black, Forest Green, Radiant White, and two-tone options

Toyota LC300 colors: White Pearl, Grey Metallic, Attitude Black, Avant Garde Bronze Metallic, Silver Metallic, Black

The Patrol's eleven-color lineup, including two-tone combinations, gives it a personalization advantage. Toyota's palette is conservative, which matches the LC300's character perfectly.

Inside

This is where the two cars express their personalities most clearly.

Feature	Patrol Y63 XE	Patrol Y63 LE Platinum City	LC300 4.0L EXR	LC300 3.5L VXR
Infotainment Screen	12.3 inch	12.3 inch	12.3 inch	12.3 inch
Digital Cluster	12.3 inch	12.3 inch	12.3 inch	12.3 inch
Head-Up Display	No	Yes	No	Yes
Audio System	Standard	Klipsch with headrest speakers	Standard	14-speaker JBL
Seat Ventilation	No	Yes	No	Yes
Seat Heating	No	Front and rear	No	Yes
Seat Massage	No	Front seats	No	No
Memory Seats	No	Yes	No	Yes
Wireless Charging	From SE T2 only	Yes	No	From GXR only
Panoramic Sunroof	From SE Titanium only	Yes	Yes	Yes
360 Camera	No	Yes	No	Yes
Rear Entertainment	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Select trims	Yes
Seating Capacity	8 seats	8 seats	7 seats	7 seats

Both cars share the same 12.3-inch infotainment display size at their respective price points, but the experience inside them feels different. The LC300's cabin has a sense of substance that is hard to quantify. The leather, the aluminum trim, the wooden accents, and the weight of every switch all suggest this car was built to feel expensive, not just look expensive on a spec sheet.

The Patrol Y63's interior is more modern in its technology approach. The dual 12.3-inch screens, the Klipsch sound system with headrest speakers on the Platinum City trim, the biometric driver profiles, and the adaptive air suspension all lean into 2026. The massage and ventilated seats on the top trim are features buyers in this segment have come to expect, and they are present on the Patrol in a way they are not on the mid-level LC300 trims.

One thing LC300 buyers will appreciate is the rear entertainment screens available on select trims. On long family drives from Dubai to Liwa or Ras Al Khaimah during a public holiday, that makes a measurable difference to peace inside the cabin.

Powertrain

This is the heart of the comparison, and it is certainly close at the top end.

Powertrain Specs	Patrol Y63 3.8L V6 (XE to SE Platinum)	Patrol Y63 3.5L Twin-Turbo V6 (LE range)	LC300 4.0L V6 (EXR to VXR)	LC300 3.5L Twin-Turbo V6 (GXR AWD and above)
Engine	3.8L V6 Naturally Aspirated	3.5L V6 Twin-Turbo	4.0L V6 Naturally Aspirated	3.5L V6 Twin-Turbo
Power	316 hp	425 hp	271 hp	409 hp
Torque	386 Nm	700 Nm	385 Nm	650 Nm
Transmission	9-speed Automatic	9-speed Automatic	6-speed Automatic	10-speed Automatic

The Patrol Y63's twin-turbo LE variants produce 425 hp and 700 Nm of torque. The LC300's twin-turbo produces 409 hp and 650 Nm. The Patrol wins on both figures. The 700 Nm torque number in particular is what desert and dune drivers care about: that is the pulling force that drags you out of deep sand when the rear wheels are buried.

The Patrol Y63's 9-speed automatic paired with the twin-turbo is also more refined than the LC300's 10-speed in the real-world experience of UAE owners who have driven both. The Patrol's gear changes are smoother at highway cruising speeds, which matters when you spend three hours on the E11 between Dubai and Abu Dhabi with eight people on board.

The LC300's naturally aspirated 4.0L in the base and mid-range trims is the honest discussion point. At 271 hp, the LC300's engine is the least powerful in this segment comparison, and when fully loaded with seven passengers and luggage heading toward Khor Fakkan, its limitations become apparent. The twin-turbo LC300 starts at AED 335,900 for the GXR AWD, which is where the performance argument becomes much more balanced.

Desert Capability

Off-Road Spec	Nissan Patrol Y63	Toyota LC300
Ground Clearance	244 mm	Not confirmed (high)
Approach Angle	28 degrees	Not confirmed
Departure Angle	26.3 degrees	Not confirmed
Wading Depth	Not confirmed	Not confirmed
Suspension	Adaptive Air Suspension	Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS)
Terrain Modes	Available on LE trims	Multi-Terrain Select (GXR and above)
Crawl Control	Not confirmed	Yes (GXR and above)
Locking Differential	Not confirmed	Centre differential lock
3D Terrain Monitor	Not confirmed	Yes (Toyota Safety Sense 3.0)

The Toyota LC300's Multi-Terrain Select system and crawl control have been validated on UAE desert terrain for years. Experienced dune drivers who have taken the LC300 to Liwa's red dunes or the rocky trails near Hatta will attest that Toyota's off-road electronics are calibrated with real-world desert understanding.

The Patrol Y63's adaptive air suspension gives it a variable ride-height advantage, particularly useful when transitioning from highway cruising to soft sand. Lowering or raising the suspension at the press of a button is a practical desert tool, not just a comfort feature. The 244 mm ground clearance and 28-degree approach angle are both competitive numbers for serious off-road use.

Frankly, both cars are more capable off-road than most of their owners will ever test.

Safety

Safety Feature	Patrol Y63 XE	Patrol Y63 SE Titanium	Patrol Y63 LE Platinum City	LC300 4.0L EXR	LC300 4.0L GXR
AEB	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Adaptive Cruise Control	No	No (SE Titanium)	Yes	No	No
Lane Departure Warning	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Blind Spot Detection	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
360 Camera	No	No	Yes	No	No
Curtain Airbags	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hill Start Assist	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pre-Collision System	No	No	No	No	Yes
TPMS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Neither the base Patrol XE at AED 239,900 nor the base LC300 EXR at AED 239,900 comes with AEB or lane departure warning. You are spending a quarter of a million dirhams on an SUV, and the base trim of either car does not include automatic emergency braking. That is a choice both brands have made, and buyers in this segment should be aware of it before committing to a base variant.

On the Patrol, AEB and lane departure warning arrive from the SE Titanium at AED 293,900. Blind spot detection and the Around View Monitor only come on the LE Platinum City at AED 322,900 and above. The LC300's GXR at AED 276,900 adds lane departure warning and the pre-collision system, which is a better value step-up for safety features.

The LC300's Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 on higher trims, including the 3D Multi-Terrain Monitor, is a more comprehensive and integrated safety package. Toyota has invested significant time in calibrating these systems for conditions specific to the UAE, which is evident in how naturally the driver assistance systems behave on the Emirates Road at 120 km/h.

The Verdict

In conclusion, the V8 era has come to an end. Both brands have acknowledged it with the same solution: twin-turbo V6 engines that outperform their predecessors, at least on paper and in fuel efficiency, while still delivering the torque and capability that UAE buyers expect.

Between the two, the Patrol Y63 in its LE twin-turbo variants is the more powerful, more spacious, more modern, and more feature-loaded SUV. If you are spending AED 300,000 or more on a full-size SUV for daily life in the UAE, the Patrol offers better value in measurable terms. The LC300 holds its own in terms of heritage, build feel, and deeper off-road electronics integration on higher trims. It is the right choice for buyers who have owned Land Cruisers before, who know the difference between Multi-Terrain Select and standard 4WD, and who value Toyota's long-established GCC presence above all else.

Both of these SUVs will get you to the dunes and back. The decision, as it has always been between these two, comes down to what you feel the moment you sit behind the wheel.

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