After eight long years, the second-generation Nissan Armada and its 5.6-liter V8 is riding off into the sunset. Say hello to the new 2025 Nissan Armada, a large and in-charge full-size SUV that ought to bring fresh interest from Costco and rep sports families. It might not be the vehicle Nissan needs right now, but it’s here and has serious capability worth considering.
Here’s a question: Given how Nissan retailers are sinking in red ink right now, is a giant three-row SUV what customers want? With the federal reserve holding interest rates, launching a new Armada seems like it should be less of a priority than, say, launching a range of affordable hybrids. However, here we are, so let’s take a look at Nissan’s latest behemoth.
Upon first glance, the Armada greets you with a face that looks big. Like, disproportionately big. Nearly a quarter of the entire front end is just headlight surface area, and it’s hard not to wonder how vulnerable those expensive LED units are out on the trails, considering they’re at the front corners — or maybe even are the front corners — of the vehicle. Add in a Texas-sized grille, and in press photos, the maw of the new Armada has the weird effect of almost making this full-size rig look small.
Around back, there’s a whole lot of shiny black plastic on display, in the taillights and on the tailgate and on the bumper and on the pillars. Save for the bumper bling, all of the aforementioned uses of this material have the odd effect of dropping the greenhouse right at the back end, something that’ll take adjusting to. Alright, so the new Armada isn’t exactly a good-looking vehicle, but as is often the case with full-sized SUVs, it’s what’s inside that counts.
Let’s start with the engine, a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 making 425 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque. Hitched to a nine-speed automatic transmission, it comes bolted into a new frame that’s 25 percent more torsionally rigid and 57 percent stiffer laterally than the frame in the old Armada. Put it all together and you get 8,500 pounds of towing capacity and a maximum tongue weight of 850 pounds. Not bad.
However, the most exciting part of the new 2025 Nissan Armada is the Pro-4X trim, which combines air suspension with a locking rear differential, proper four-wheel-drive, increased approach angle, and metal underbody protection to offer up to 9.6 inches of ground clearance and some serious off-road promises. We’re talking about a 33-degree approach angle, a 25.5-degree breakover angle, and a 24.5-degree departure angle. Metrics that handily beat those of the Toyota Land Cruiser, despite the Armada being nearly as large as a Chevrolet Tahoe. Yep, that should wheel alright, although without articulation figures, it’s hard to say whether the big Nissan will out-off-road Toyota’s icon.
On the inside of the 2025 Nissan Armada, you’ll find two massive screens (12.3 inches on lower trims, 14.3 inches on Pro-4X, Platinum, and Platinum Reserve trims) under one pane of glass, one displaying your gauges and the other offering infotainment. All your desired climate control, four-wheel-drive, and radio functions are physical controls on a ramped center stack, including buttons for optional heated and ventilated front seats. Speaking of climate control, you can spec an infrared camera in the headliner to detect when front- and second-row occupants are getting too hot and direct cold air on them to cool them down. Nissan calls it Biometric Cooling, but you can just call it an interesting touch. Oh, and you’ll be able to get the Armada with a 600-watt Klipsch-branded audio system in case you want to immerse your family in block-rocking beats. Speaking of the family, the Armada seats either seven or eight, and Nissan claims an additional 5.7 inches of third-row legroom compared to the old Armada, along with 20.4 cu.-ft. of cargo space behind the third row. Not bad.
Of course, a modern mainstream vehicle wouldn’t be a modern mainstream vehicle without advanced driver assistance systems, so all Armadas get various versions of Nissan’s ProPilot Assist semi-autonomous driving suite. The SV and Pro-4X trims get the basic version; SL, Platinum, and Platinum Reserve trims get one that works with the navigation system to slow down for curves, and then there’s ProPilot Assist 2.1. Optional on SL, Platinum, and Platinum Reserve trims, it lets the driver go hands-free on specially high-res-mapped highways, although it definitely won’t drive the car itself so be prepared to step in at a moment’s notice.
With a potent boosted V6, promise of reasonable off-road chops, and seating for up to eight, the 2025 Nissan Armada certainly takes the approach that more is more. Moreover, it replaces a seriously aged SUV, so its arrival in Nissan’s lineup is wholeheartedly welcomed. Expect it to roll into showrooms by the end of this year, with pricing to be announced closer to winter.
(Photo credits: Nissan)
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If the pro-4x version has proper locker and tow points and $10+K less than a land cruiser then I will be looking at one.
Will there be proper tow points on the front of the pro-4x version?
I bought a 2021 Armada SL last month as a tow vehicle after driving the Gen 2 and 3 Sequoia, the current Tahoe and the current Suburban. IF you need to tow and you DGAF about fuel economy, I think it is the best value on the market for three row SUVs. It handles like a fat 4Runner for moderate off-roading and it cruises along happily over mountain passes at 75mph with 6000lbs behind it.
I won’t argue that it’s objectively better than a Sequoia, Yukon / Tahoe, or Lexus LX if price wasn’t a factor. However, at $30k for an example with 60k miles, immaculate maintenance and 9/10 condition, I couldn’t touch anything close from another manufacturer without going back a generation.
I do like the way it looks. Having said that I just completely have no faith in a vehicle this size with a v6. That goes for all of them, toyotas included.
My local rental lot is salivating
I like the direction Nissan is heading (from a design perspective) but they need to bring back the X-Terra using the Frontier platform, a good competition for the 4Runner but cheaper.
They should give the Pathfinder a treatment like the Bronco Sport to get a more “off road” version in the Rogue segment, call it Pathfinder Sport or X-Trail in other markets, the nameplate has recognition of what Nissan was doing early 00s.
And last, bring back the Nissan Quest in a hybrid option only, no one wants to pay Toyota sticker prices in this market.
I would look forward to see if Nissan’s build/overall quality has stepped up here.
Being a 3.5V6 Turbo, I can only assume it’s the VQ or VR.
Does anyone have a deep dive on the VR differences from VQ? The VQ was, surprisingly from Nissan, a solid engine.
Not bad.
I love that it’s the same as the global Patrol now, and that the Pro4X looks like a legit off roader (even more so if you replace the 20” wheels).
I would love for Nissan to bring back the XTerra now, for some much needed competition for the 4Runner.
The death of the Xterra came to soon. They missed the wild ride of the pandemic and the Overlanding hype train. Nissan always seems to hit the mark on introducing the wrong vehicles at the wrong time.
In the US, big-ass SUV’s unfortunately will never go out of style. The Armada is cheaper than an LX600 yet better than anything Detroit coughs up
Define ‘better’. The GM trio has dominated the large suv market for quite awhile, for good reason.
the quality is garbage tho
They are one of the most durable vehicles you can buy.
Is that still the case?
I tried looking into getting a used Suburban and the consensus seemed to be unless you bought it new and disabled its cylinder deactivation and/or emissions tech you’re looking at 150k of life on the engine before major issues start appearing.
My understanding is that it’s a very low percentage of engines that have the lifters fail from the DOD. I know a lot of people and business running these engines, myself included, and can’t personally verify any failures.
From my research before I bought my Silverado, you’ll find plenty of online posts about failures. But there are probably over a million of these engines out there. Those online posts are a tiny amount.
By comparison, you’re absolutely not getting 150k out of the ecoboosts without issues.
Oh yeah, nothing says reliable like twin turbo V6 lol
I was just salty because I really really wanted to get a Suburban but researched myself out of it when the previous gen Siennas have a 300 HP NA V6 that is designed to last 300k with basic maintenance
Precisely.
And I won’t hear any slander against a 5.3 when it costs 2 grand to do the required 80,000 mile Timing belt service on a Toyota.
If (and it’s a big IF) you have a lifter failure on a 5.3, 1000 bucks and you’re on the road again with a DOD delete, cam, and tune, enjoying a solid 400 hp and 20 mpg for the rest of your days.
I think they did a good job styling it. It’s exactly what people want. Make mine a Platinum, though, and not a PRO-4X.
Another oversized vehicle to add to the pile.
It’s nice that there is a Pro-4X trim that seems to put the US Armada on parity with the Patrol, but if the new QX is any indication on price, I’m not sure the Armada is going to be cost competitive enough to be a big seller.
I also can’t tell what tires the Pro-4X, but they look like some of the new breed of street tires with aggressive shoulder lugs pretending to be all-terrains.
The Armada and the Patrol now appear to have converged completely.
They have. Oz will get the same thing as a Patrol in 2027.
Don’t they already get the same thing? Possibly with a different dash if I remember Lewin’s piece correctly.
There are some mechanical and electrical differences. The Global version has a crappier screen that’s a generation behind but it gets the benefit of a locking rear diff.
Funny how the three slots above the grille was an 80s and 90s Pathfinder feature have come roaring back on all Nissan trucks.
Looks like a rebadged Yukon from the front, and a Lexus LX knockoff from the sides.
I kinda like it? As a Lexus guy who hates the current Lexus design language, this bugs me less.
Would like to see more photos of the interior though. For all the talk of a nicer interior, it would be nice to actually see it.
What is it with all these weird triangle shark fin things in the pillars? It looks ridiculous.
I wonder if they have the Pro-4x beefed up a little to be more in line with the Nissan Patrol. The previous Armada was a great vehicle, that 5.6 V8 sounds amazing, but wasn’t as refined as the venerable Tahoe. If I remember right it actually outsells the Sequoia. A used QX80 is one of the best buys for a reliable luxury SUV.
I’ll have to reach out to Nissan to see if I can get one of these new beasts to review over my off road and towing test courses.
“launching a new Armada seems like it should be less of a priority than, say, launching a range of affordable hybrids”
On what planet does selling mid price hybrids make more money than fullsize trucks/SUVs? Have you been to America? The top selling vehicles since FOREVER have been fullsize BOF vehicles. And we all know they have the biggest margins for automakers.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but coming out with a new Armada is actually a brilliant move by Nissan.
God bless the buyers of these when new, for providing $19,999 ($200 biweekly for 8 years of course) transportation for 500 credit score BHPH folks a decade from now. The supply of GMT800 Tahoes is getting thin.
Surviving that loan is the harshest test of durability known to vehicles.
So it’s basically a Yukon Denali, built in Tennessee instead of Texas. got it.
It’s built in the Kyushu plant right outside of Tokyo on the same line as the Patrol. Nissan built the first Gen in Tennessee, but moved it back to Japan at the beginning of the second Gen.