In every car dealership showroom sits one vehicle there to prove a point. The flagship model is a showcase of the brand’s design artistry, engineering prowess, and technological flair. It’s the most expensive thing on the lot and often doesn’t sell particularly well because of that. But it casts a halo over the less-expensive cars you’re probably there to test-drive.
Less than 2% of customers who buy from a Nissan dealership drive home in the brand’s Armada flagship SUV. Yet, the big 3-row family hauler is the top dog. When its reputation is strong, buyers likely drive home a lot of Rogues and Pathfinders.
But the Armada in Nissan showrooms today is long in the tooth. Our editors praise its price more than its styling. It’s time for an update.
Nissan will respond with an all-new Armada for 2025 — one with a more stylish design inside and out and a new emphasis on rough-road capability. The company revealed all but the price of the 2025 Armada today.
The 2024 model currently on dealer lots starts at $56,520, including a whopping $2,010 for shipping and handling. We expect a price bump to cover the new style.
Five Trim Levels, Including a PRO-4X Model
Nissan will offer its largest model in five trim levels: SV, SL, PRO-4X, Platinum, and Platinum Reserve.
“All offer a choice between rear-wheel drive [RWD] and Intelligent 4WD [4-wheel drive], except PRO-4X, which has standard 4WD,” Nissan says.
PRO-4X is Nissan’s term for a rugged, off-road-oriented model.
Updated Look With New Character
The 2024 Armada looks dated, borrowing from simple, box-like design trends fresh in 2016 when it first debuted. The 2025 model keeps its upright proportions but dramatically updates the look with more complex character lines.
The cars of 2024 and 2025 are more sculpted and wear more accessories. Accordingly, the 2025 Armada is a more complex work of design. It’s still squared off and rugged, but corners and edges have been softened slightly, as if the box were upholstered now.
The big silver U of trim that outlined the grille of the old model is gone, giving the new grille a larger look. There’s still some chrome in the form of a pair of silver belts that frame the Nissan badge. But the overall look is less jeweled and more refined.
Front fender vents are now vertical, not horizontal, and have lost their chrome trim.
Nissan will introduce an off-road-oriented PRO-4X trim for the 2025 model year. It gets scratch-resistant cladding at the wheel arches, orange badges at the rear pillars, and three silver-lined nostrils high on the grille.
Big Space, Big Screens, Klipsch Audio
Inside, Nissan says, designers have made more efficient use of space. The company claims a 24% increase in cargo space behind the third row and “enhanced first- and third-row legroom.”
Buyers can choose from three interior design schemes – Charcoal, Chestnut, and Almond. Front-row seats have the option of heating, cooling, and massage functions.
A pair of standard 12.3-inch screens sit mounted together in a single bezel run off Google built-in technology. Larger 14.3-inch versions appear in the PRO-4X, Platinum, and Platinum Reserve trims.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all trim levels.
Nissan will also offer a new 12-speaker audio system from Klipsch, including an 8-inch DualPower subwoofer and Panasonic DJX surround sound.
Twin-Turbo V6 Replaces Old V8
A twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine takes the place of the standard V8 in the 2024 model. It produces 425 horsepower and 515 lb-ft of torque – both higher figures than Nissan squeezed from more cylinders last time.
It comes paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Standard towing capacity is a respectable 8,500 pounds. An integrated trailer brake controller makes towing easier on PRO-4X and Platinum Reserve trims.
Those trim levels also get an adaptive air suspension system, which can raise or lower ride height to ease loading cargo and passengers.
PRO-4X Upgrades
The new PRO-4X model gets all-terrain tires on 20-inch wheels plus underbody skid plates and reshaped bumpers. Those give it an approach angle of 33.9 degrees, a departure angle of 24.3 degrees, and a breakover angle of 25.3 degrees – respectable numbers for such a large vehicle. Ground clearance tops out at 9.6 inches.
Eight selectable drive modes help owners negotiate sand, snow, mud, and more. “An Offroad Information Display features an inclinometer, slip indicator, and a steering angle indicator,” Nissan says. Hill descent control is standard, and camera tech includes an invisible hood view to help negotiate tough trail obstacles.
Inside, the PRO-4X model gets a unique interior, including upholstery “inspired by athletic protective gear.”
Newly Competitive
Nissan says the 2025 Armada should reach dealerships by the end of the year.
Competition is intense in the full-size SUV space. The Chevrolet Tahoe and its cousins and the Ford Expedition have the loyalty of many Americans. The Toyota Sequoia, with its standard hybrid powertrain, has also won a loyal following.
We’ve long respected the Armada for its comparatively low price and hard-working nature. But, as the oldest vehicle in the class, the 2024 version doesn’t pull in shoppers with its technology and up-to-date design.
The 2025 model should fix that and cast a better halo on the rest of the Nissan brand.
