As we eagerly await the arrival of the Nissan Y63 Patrol in early 2027, we’ve been spending some time with a couple of the Patrol’s most likely petrol-powered 4×4 wagon competitors in the form of the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series Performance Hybrid and the Land Rover Defender P425.

The Australian 4×4 market is heavily diesel-biased, as the more efficient fuel best suits the long distances and style of outback driving we enjoy. However, there appears to be a push to bring more petrol-powered vehicles into Australia. Part of this comes as we’re importing more vehicles built in China and the USA, where petrol is the dominant fuel and diesel has become a bit on the nose. With the US Government relaxing vehicle emissions regulations, who knows how far the country will devolve?

While regular unleaded petrol is generally cheaper than diesel, many of the latest petrol engines are turbocharged or supercharged and require premium unleaded, bringing the price much closer to diesel at the pump.

The new petrol engines are much more efficient than they were in the past, with modern engine management systems and forced induction helping out. Even so, a petrol engine will still consume more fuel than a diesel on the same trip. Add a heavy load or trailer to your petrol-powered rig and fuel consumption will really climb, meaning more fuel stops or larger fuel tanks.

Forced induction and other technologies have also made petrol engines more complex and potentially more susceptible to problems. We used to say a simple, naturally aspirated petrol engine was less complex and more reliable than a common-rail turbo-diesel, but can we still say that now both engine types use these technologies?

Service intervals and costs for petrol engines should still be lower than for diesels, while purchase prices have become much closer between equivalent models.

Aside from the American pick-up trucks and some of the new hybrid models, Australia’s popular ute market remains primarily diesel-powered. Volkswagen is the only brand to offer a petrol-powered midsize 4×4 ute, and it’s a slow seller here. I wonder if Ford offered the same 2.3-litre petrol engine in the Ranger line-up whether it would do any better.

I do think a petrol-powered Ford Everest would be a good option, but whether there would be enough sales to justify it remains the big question.

Would you choose petrol over diesel for your next 4×4?

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