Nissan Philippines hasn’t had a particularly productive year in terms of churning out new vehicles. We’re not sure why, but its troubled HQ seems to be treading rough waters as of late. The 2024 Philippine International Motor Show previews of the Magnite and the X-Trail e-Power seemed promising, but mum’s the word on when they’ll actually hit our shores.

The diamond in the rough, however, is the recently released Patrol. Taking center stage at Nissan’s 2025 Manila International Auto Show booth this year, the Patrol shows off its hefty presence with a brand-new fascia, reworked drivetrain, and a brand-spanking-new interior. We’ve written about our in-depth first experience with the SUV in our launch article.

Flanking both sides of the Patrol is a slightly modified Navara, the brand’s pickup offering, and another slightly modified Terra, its equivalent PPV. They also have a counter to show off their NissanConnect service, although it is only currently available for the new Patrol and the Almera VL and VE variants.

Well, what do you do if you don’t have anything else flashy enough to show onstage? Let customers experience your brand’s current offerings in person.

Yeah, yeah…it’s normal for brands to have test drives. If anything, motor shows like MIAS and PIMS are the perfect place for those figuring out which new car to buy given the plethora of test-drive opportunities available. Nissan takes the cake with having a massive presence in the test-drive area past Hall C of World Trade Center, offering the Almera, the Leaf, the Kicks, the Livina, the Navara, the Terra, the Patrol, and the Z for those interested in taking them out for a spin rather than merely seeing these vehicles in the metal.

In all honesty, Nissan’s presence at MIAS 2025 seems rather lackluster at first glance. If you don’t have anything flashy to show, however, it makes complete sense to let your customers experience just how good your current product lineup is. Greatness need not necessarily mean new and novel anyway.