First Drive: 2025 Nissan Armada

Franklin, Tennessee – “Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.” These words sat prominently atop the opening slide of Nissan’s media presentation introducing the 2025 Armada.

The overhauled Armada is a full-size, all-wheel drive, eight-seater SUV, with offroad capability, significant capacity and a hefty price tag. It’s a handsome, squared-off vehicle, with high wheel arches, and plenty of ground clearance. The interior is thoughtfully designed, with ample storage and good ergonomics. As with most three-row SUVs, only kids should try sitting in the back, as the legroom is non-existent.

But is it overdone? In some ways the new Armada is less capable than earlier iterations. For example, the first gen Armada, produced in 2003, had 227 kg (500 lb) more towing capacity than the 2025, which is rated for 3,856 kg  (8,500 lb).

The new model is packed with technology, a new engine, and with the addition of the PRO-4X in the lineup, there is an off-road-capable entry in the mix. Replacing the old V8 powerplant, the new twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 VR35 makes 425 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a nine-speed automatic.

Also new is the adaptive air suspension that starts on the PRO-4X, which is the middle of the five trims for the 2025 Armada. This is Nissan’s first vehicle with the adaptive suspension. It automatically raises and lowers the ride height depending on drive mode, with a few inches of lift or lower depending on requirements.

The off-road tests in the PRO-4X were not tough enough to really challenge the vehicle’s ride height, but it did get to show off the locking rear differential (which is unique on this trim) and ‘invisible hood’ feature that lets the driver see where the front wheels are pointed when tackling severe terrain. Its cameras are good enough that we were able to safely navigate an obstacle course with the windshield completely obscured.

The vehicle is not designed for rock-crawling but can competently manage deep mud and rutted roads. “Even people who go off-road once a year need to know its capable,” said Ponz Pandikuthira, Regional Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer, Nissan Group of the Americas, at a media briefing.

In road testing the top-line Platinum Reserve Armada handled well and proved reasonably nimble on twisty, smoothly paved Tennessee country roads. Steering was balanced, and with the new, stiffer chassis body roll was minimal, but the brakes felt anemic in a heavy vehicle capable of such spirited handling. By contrast, the PRO-4X towed a 2,722 kg (6,000 lb) trailer as though it wasn’t there.

Although the Platinum Reserve comes standard with Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist 2.1 autonomous driving features, we were not able to test it on this outing, getting a message that the maps were not up to date. Otherwise, the user interfaces and audio system are good, with 12.3-inch monitors standard, and available 14.3-inch upgrades. The 12-speaker Klipsch surround audio system delivers a crisp and beautifully defined aural experience.

Unfortunately, all this was marred by the transmission. It is brutally noisy, producing a complaining whine under load. That moan ramped up to a truly unpleasant pitch when using the paddle shifters in sport mode. You can only hope the audio system has the depth and power to drown it out.

With reports of Nissan’s imminent demise swirling in the news cycle as the manufacturer introduced the Armada (and all new Murano) to media in Tennessee, the question inevitably arose at a briefing with senior execs. The apparently beleaguered car maker has thrown its chips all in, betting on the Armada, along with the Murano, Kicks and Infiniti QX80 to help restore its fortunes.

“The news not pleasant with Nissan,” said Pandikuthira, at the media briefing. “But a company on the verge of fighting for its existence doesn’t launch four products at once.”

Whether the new Armada will shoulder its share of the load remains to be seen, as the vehicles are just going on the Canadian market at the end of December 2024. If sales of the previous model are anything to go by, the new Armada may have something to prove. In the second quarter of 2024, the company sold just 107 of the SUV’s previous model year across Canada, representing a decline of almost 44 percent from the previous year.

And with a new, higher price point, Nissan has to be hoping that the additional content added to the 2025 Armada will attract new buyers. The MSRP for the entry level SL is $84,998 (plus delivery of $2,095). At the top of the line, the Platinum Reserve with second-row captain’s chairs will set you back $105,998.

Returning to the slogan, “anything worth doing is worth overdoing”, the thing that Nissan has overdone with the 2025 Armada may well be that price. A new 2024 Lexus GX, for example, sits in exactly the same price range, but has the cachet of the luxury brand and better off-road capabilities. The target competitor Nissan identifies for the Armada is the Chevrolet Tahoe which starts at $73,799.

According to Peter Wendel, Nissan Canada’s manager of product planning, the target household income for Armada buyers is in the $250,000 range. He said because the Armada is all-new it can compete at the higher price point. “there’s room for everyone to fight in the segment,” he said, adding that Nissan doesn’t expect to see the beefed-up Armada eating into sales of the Infiniti QX80, the luxury version of the Armada, with pricing which starts about $1,000 under the top-line Armada.

In the context of Nissan’s apparent woes, it will be interesting to see how sales of these new models play out in 2025. It’s sure to be a crucial year for the manufacturer. With the Armada, in particular, they’ve built a solid contender for buyers’ dollars. It remains to be seen if it will be attractive enough to win them over.