The Nissan Armada isn’t the most popular fullsize SUV, but it’s ready to prove itself capable of the heavier-duty tasks for which people say they buy these big rigs.
For 2021, Nissan made sure the Armada offers best-in-class standard towing capacity and horsepower. Yet the beast also can handle the more typical tasks of inching your way through a drive-through line for lunch or doing some holiday shopping.
Nissan’s midcycle updates to the ’21 Armada all are part of the brand’s mission to tangle with the segment leaders.
While Wards Intelligence data show the outgoing ’20 Armada sold 17,520 units in the first three quarters of this year (down from 24,609 for like-2019), the Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Tahoe each sold more than 50,000 units.
Sales for the Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon reached about 25,000 units through September, putting the Armada squarely in fifth place, with the Yukon XL not far behind.
Nissan’s strategy, as it so often is in this segment, is to deliver more power and towing capacity, along with exterior changes.
The refreshed Armada now has a more angular style, with sharper corners best seen in the new grille and in side views. The whole front end looks different, thanks to a new fender, front bumper and LED headlights. LED fog lights also are available.
The ’21 Armada is the first Nissan vehicle in the U.S. to sport the brand’s new logo, pointedly announcing its status as the lineup’s halo vehicle.
A new Midnight Edition Armada gets black accents and logos, auto-dimming outside mirrors with puddle lamps and LED turn signals and unique rear LED lamps. Nissan only offers the Midnight Edition on the SL grade, leaving features including a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 22-in. aluminum-alloy wheels and heated and cooled seats to the Platinum grade models.
The Armada’s increased power comes from a lightly tweaked powertrain that still uses last year’s 5.6L V-8, but now the standard maximum output has been increased to 400 hp and 413 lb.-ft. (560 Nm) of torque pushed through a 7-speed automatic transmission.
That extra giddyup only comes with premium fuel. With regular gasoline, the ’21 Armada’s output remains the same as last year, at 390.
The SUV can tow up to 8,500 lbs. (3,855 kg) in both 4WD and 2WD configurations. Trailer Brake Control and Trailer Sway Control are available, and there’s a Tow/Haul mode for when the Armada’s 95.4 cu.-ft. (2,701 L) of interior cargo space (below) is not enough.
With a few days behind the wheel of the refreshed Armada, we understand Nissan’s mission here isn’t simply to brute-force its way into your driveway. The Armada has a softer side, too, seen in the way it tries to baby both driver and passengers.
With comfortable seats and a whole suite of safety features thanks to the standard Nissan Safety Shield 360, this is not an SUV likely to spend most of its time on forest roads. Features such as hill descent control and an off-road package simply are not available.
No, the Armada is meant to tackle suburban errands with ease, and Nissan has packed so many sensors and beeps into the new Armada that the only upgradable safety feature is Intelligent Back-up Intervention, which requires choosing the Platinum grade.
Most of these safety enhancements subtly remind the driver to pay attention: a robust shake of the steering wheel says you’re about to drift out of your lane, for example.
Others, like the chipper voice that alerts the driver of unpaved roads, can be tremendously annoying if you live on one or want an adventurous drive in the back country. The suspension does a better-than-average job of minimizing uneven road surfaces.
If you spend most of your time on city streets and let these technologies do their thing – the forward collision warning, blindspot intervention, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and so on – it can feel like you’re not driving an Armada so much as sitting in one until reaching your destination.
The updated, clean interior’s most obvious difference from 2020 is the new 12.3-in. (31-cm) touchscreen that works with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay on all trim levels.
Fair warning, though, because getting that last feature to work each time the car started up was frustratingly hit and miss. It’s unclear if this was Nissan’s or Apple’s fault – or something was the matter with the phone used – but it’s not a terrible idea to have a USB cable handy.
Nissan will offer a total of four grades for the ’21 Armada, with the SV, SL and Platinum models arriving first in both 2WD and Auto 4WD configurations. An S grade version is coming in the future.
Fuel economy is rated at 16 mpg (14.7 L/100 km) combined for the 2WD version and 15 mpg (15.7 L/100 km) combined for the 4WD.
Pricing for the ’21 Armada will be announced closer to the SUV’s on-sale date in February.
