The 2025 Nissan Armada rounds out a slate of full-size SUV overhauls, but did the best come last?
Across the board, automakers building huge, body-on-frame family SUVs have been revamping their respective models for a new generation. That includes Nissan, which reimagined the aging Infiniti QX80 into a handsome and far better luxury contender, and now we’re getting our first hands-on with the 2025 Nissan Armada, which brings its own host of updates to the table. There’s a brand-new and far bolder design inside and out, as well as a brand-new twin-turbocharged engine cranking out more power than past-gen Armadas were able to manage. But how well does it all actually come together? In the video below, Andre takes a comprehensive look at Nissan’s new halo SUV by taking it off-road, hitching up a trailer, the whole shebang.
This new Armada can be a luxury SUV in its own right, or a more capable off-road rig
One thing’s clear right from the outset: The 2025 Nissan Armada is certainly the larger-than-life SUV it always was. In fact, it’s actually slightly larger than before (go figure). Its overall length measures out to 209.6 inches, up from 208.9 before, while the width increases to 83.3 inches (up from 79.9 inches) and the height also goes up to between 78 and 78.6 inches, depending on the model (up from 75.8 inches). Add to that the new grille and headlight profile, the broad shoulder lines and the rear-end design with new LED taillights and a light bar connecting the two, and this new Armada has some serious presence on the road.
Under the hood, the 2025 Nissan Armada ditches the long-lived 5.6-liter Endurance V8 for a smaller, twin-turbocharged powerplant. Here, you get a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6, but despite the downsizing you still get 425 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. The overall output is down 25 horsepower from the QX80, but the up side is that you can get that sort of power on regular pump gas, rather than having to fill it up with premium fuel. And even still, that’s 25 more horsepower and 103 lb-ft more torque than the old V8, even if we will definitely miss the old-school sound. Rather than a 7-speed automatic transmission, the third-generation Armada also finally gets with the program and gets a 9-speed automatic instead. Four-wheel drive is available across most of the range, except the Pro-4X where it’s obviously mandatory.
Towing capacity remains the same as before at 8,500 pounds, though the new Armada will arguably be able to handle that capacity more smoothly than the previous SUV (check that out in the video below!).
On the mechanical side, Nissan also stiffened the Armada considerably (25% more torsional rigidity and 57% better lateral stiffness) over the previous model, while engineers have also refined the suspension and changed the steering setup over to an electric system rather than hydraulic assist. The Platinum Reserve and the Pro-4X also ride on height-adjustable air springs, while the rest of the lineup gets a standard coil setup.
The new Armada’s interior rivals bona fide luxury SUVs…like the QX80.
Look inside the 2025 Nissan Armada — especially on the higher trims — and you’ll still get swaths of stitched and diamond-quilted leather that would be right at home in the QX80, and other luxury SUVs to boot. Every 2025 Nissan Armada gets a dual-display setup, ranging between 12.3 inches on the SV and SL, and 14.3 inches on the higher-end trims. Technology starts to come into the picture when you get into the SL and higher trims, with items like a 12-speaker Klipsch audio system, Google built-in infotainment capability, wireless smartphone charging and heated front seats. The Platinum and Platinum Reserve (as well as the Pro-4X) get even more goodies, including a surround-view camera system.
On the whole, there’s a bit of extra room to go around with the larger dimensions. The 2025 Nissan Armada accommodates third-row passengers better than before with an additional 4.5 inches of legroom, while you get three more cubic feet of cargo volume behind the rear seat (20.4 cubic feet), as well as 4.5 extra cubic feet (97.1 cubic feet) with the two passenger rows folded.
What about the Pro-4X?
One of the biggest changes to the 2025 Nissan Armada is the ever-so-fashionable Pro-4X off-road trim. Nissan needs something to compete with the Ford Expedition Tremors, Chevy Tahoe/Suburban Z71s, GMC Yukon AT4s and Toyota Sequoia TRD Pros of the world, so you get some more dirt-worthy kit if you opt for this trim.
The air suspension allows up to 2.1 inches of lift from stock ride height, while you also get a unique front fascia to improve the approach angle to 33 degrees. Breakover and departure stand at 25.5 degrees and 24.5 degrees, respectively, which are pretty respectable numbers for such a massive SUV. Spec’ing a Pro-4X also gets you chunkier tires, an electronic locking rear differential and recovery hooks, so while it may not be as indomitable off-road as an all-out off-road truck, it should handle itself more capably than your run-of-the-mill mall crawler (and there’s always the other trims, if the pavement is what you’re sticking to).
If you’re interested, the 2025 Nissan Armada comes in at the same $58,530 as the outgoing model, and is actually pretty good value against the competition. Now, you do quickly climb up the price band as you move into the SL, Platinum, Pro-4X and Platinum Reserve, with the two highest trims running you anywhere from $75,750 to $79,000.
Check out more on the new Armada below:
