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All-new Nissan Armada: Go big and go home

All-new 2025 Nissan Armada Platinum Reserve. [Credit: All images courtesy of Nissan]

 

 

You can go big and go home in style in the all-new Armada, Nissan's largest SUV. For 2025, Armada undergoes a significant transformation that enhances on-road comfort, ushers in greater levels of craftsmanship, seamlessly incorporates the latest technologies, and opens new off-road frontiers with the nameplate's first PRO-4X grade.

Powering the Armada is a twin-turbo, direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 engine. Rated for 425 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, the VR35DDTT engine offers an additional 25 hp and 103 lb-ft compared to the V8 in the outgoing Armada. The engine features numerous technologies to help improve efficiency, including Idle Stop-Start and mirror bore coatings in the cylinders that reduce friction.

Five trim levels will be available: entry-level SV, midtier SL, Pro-4X off-roader, upscale Platinum, and top-of-the-line Platinum Reserve. There is room for either seven or eight passengers, depending on configuration. All grades offer the option of either rear-wheel drive or Intelligent 4WD, except PRO-4X, which has standard 4WD.

The engine pairs to a 9-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters -- two more forward speeds than in the outgoing Armada for improved acceleration and cruising efficiency. It has a 40% increased gear ratio range vs. the prior 7-speed transmission, with quicker upshifts.

The 2025 Armada has a standard towing capacity of up to 8,500 lb, with a Class IV tow hitch and seven-pin harness/pre-wiring on all grades. PRO-4X and Platinum Reserve grades add an Integrated Trailer Brake Controller. New to Nissan, standard Trailer Blind Spot Monitoring can warn of vehicles in blind spots even when towing; drivers simply input the length of their trailer (up to 33 ft in length) to configure the system.

PRO-4X and Platinum Reserve grades feature Adaptive Electronic Air Suspension, which helps optimize ride comfort and handling. The system has multiple ride heights depending on circumstance; it can lower at speed to improve aerodynamics, and when parked it can lower 2 in. to ease access for people or loading cargo.

This suspension additionally uses electronically adjustable dampers to control roll, pitch, and dive. By monitoring road conditions, driver inputs, and the currently selected drive mode, the suspension provides a flatter, more comfortable ride across a variety of road surfaces. The new Armada also switches to electric power steering with a quicker steering ratio when compared to the outgoing model.

Design-wise, Armada features a new adventure-ready design with a strong presence and higher ground clearance, along with strong proportions. It's still big and boxy, but that is hard-coded into its DNA. All-LED exterior lighting provides stunning illumination at night and a strong visual signature, including an available full-width LED tail lamp.

Armada is offered with 18-, 20-, or 22-in. wheels. A functional air curtain built into the front fascia helps direct air around the front wheels to improve aerodynamic efficiency.

Inside, it's all about supreme comfort. The dashboard combines tactile physical controls with large, high-def screens. The Armada has dual 12.3-in. screens (one for the instrument cluster, one touchscreen for infotainment) as standard; PRO-4X, Platinum, and Platinum Reserve upgrade to dual 14.3-in. displays. A physical rotary dial is used to effortlessly control the vehicle's drive modes, and physical push buttons operate the 9-speed automatic transmission.

Finely crafted touches are available, including wood finishing, available 64-color ambient lighting, and quilted leather-appointed seating. The driver has a commanding viewpoint -- the highest driver's eye point in the segment. Three carefully selected interior color schemes include Charcoal, Chestnut. and Almond.

The first row has available heated, cooled, massaging, and 12-way adjustable power seats. For the second row, both a bench seat with 40/20/40 split function and captain's chairs with a center console are available, depending on grade level and configuration. The second-row seats can also be heated. Platinum Reserve grades, and optional on PRO-4X, Biometric Cooling uses a roof-mounted infrared camera to detect overheated front and second-row passengers and direct more cooling air toward them. What about that?!

Armada's interior roominess has increased in several key metrics. Front-row legroom is up 4.2 in. vs. the outgoing Armada, while in the third row, legroom increases an impressive 5.7 in. The 2025 Armada likewise offers more cargo room in all seating configurations -- behind the third row, for example, there is 24% more space.

Armada is available with a Klipsch Premium Audio System. It features 12 speakers, including a DualPower subwoofer, with 600 W of power.

There are also three different levels of driver assistance technology. Standard on SV and PRO-4X grades is ProPILOT Assist, which combines Intelligent Cruise Control with steering assistance. Moving up to the SL, Platinum, and Platinum Reserve grades, the 2025 Armada is equipped with ProPILOT Assist 1.1, which elevates the driver assistance experience by using navigation information to proactively adjust vehicle speed for curves and interchanges. Optional on SL, Platinum, and Platinum Reserve, ProPILOT Assist 2.1 is Nissan's most advanced driver assistance technology. It allows attentive drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel in single-lane freeway operation, while the system handles acceleration, steering, and braking.

The 2025 Armada also includes numerous safety technologies on all grades with standard Nissan Safety Shield 360, including Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, High Beam Assist, Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Automatic Braking, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, plus Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Intelligent Blind Spot Intervention, and Intelligent Lane Intervention.

All-new 2025 Nissan Armada PRO-4X. [Credit: All images courtesy of Nissan]

 

 

Nissan says the all-new Armada was developed "for greater capability in nearly every scenario." Compared to the outgoing model, its new frame has 25% greater torsional rigidity and 57% increased lateral stiffness, contributing to improved ride quality and better sound isolation. Those enhancements create a strong foundation for Armada's first-ever PRO-4X grade.

Equipped with Intelligent 4WD as standard, mechanical enhancements to Armada PRO-4X include an electronic locking rear differential, Adaptive Electronic Air Suspension, 20-in. wheels with 275/60R20 all-terrain tires, a metal underbody skid plate, and a unique front fascia reshaped for an improved approach angle.

With its suspension raised to the highest setting -- 2.1 in. above standard height -- the Armada PRO-4X delivers impressive off-roading metrics including: 9.6 in. of ground clearance, an approach angle of 33.0 degrees, a 25.5-degree breakover angle, and a 24.5-degree departure angle.

PRO-4X also features several technologies intended to simplify drives on tricky terrain. There are eight selectable drive modes (Standard, Eco, Sport, Tow, Snow, Sand, Rock, Mud/Rut) on PRO-4X to alter vehicle systems to optimize performance for the selected scenario, and Hill Descent Control helps manage speeds when going downhill. An Off-road Information Display features an inclinometer, slip indicator, and a steering angle indicator.

Innovative camera technologies also improve visibility around PRO-4X: Invisible Hood View provides a virtual view "through" the engine bay, Front Wide View provides a wide-angle vantage to the front, and 3D Intelligent Around View Monitor allows the driver to "rotate" the viewing angle on the infotainment display to spot obstacles and hazards from nearly any angle.

Armada PRO-4X also wears numerous Lava Red accents, including on the functional tow hooks, lettering on the wheel caps, and as an accent element on the D-pillar. Visual differentiation continues with LED fog lights, black fender flares, black-painted mirror covers and roof rails, a black-painted front grille, and unique PRO-4X-themed interior accents.

The 2025 Nissan Armada goes on sale in late 2024. Pricing has not been released, but the 2024 model started at $56,520. Learn more at nissanusa.com/vehicles/future-concept/2025-armada.html.

Source: Nissan

Published September 2024

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