Nissan Redesigns the 2017 Armada

            The all-new 2017 Nissan Armada brings everything wanted in the comfort department along with all the capabilities of an off road monster.

 

            Steady pressure on the gas as the new Armada climbs easily up the dirt hill, on the Nissan Performance track in Monterey, California, cresting the hill and letting the descent control take over the ensuring downhill. The new Armada dominates the dirt obstacle course. But the real fun is when it takes on the articulation track, making little work of the left and right alternating moguls. The Armada holds steady as one corner then another lifts into the air, three feet off the ground.

Nissan introduced this all new 2017 Armada this past year at the Chicago Auto Show, continuing its place as Nissan’s largest SUV, now in its second generation holding 8 people. The Armada is the only vehicle he only one in its lineup with a body-on-frame architecture.

               

The Armada packs quite a punch under the hood, with its direct injected 5.6-liter V-8 engine making 390 horsepower and 394 pound-feet of torque, it boasts a towing capacity of 8,500 pounds in either its rear-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive versions.

 

The exterior look, rugged yet somewhat futuristic, is good, and Nissan brings in an SUV version of its V-motion grille, a design cue reaching down the model lineup. LED headlights come standard. Nissan sacrificed a little cargo area for the Armada's platform change, as the Patrol brings in a shorter wheelbase, but that only improved the driving character and capability, both on- and off-road.

The Armada's surround view camera, initially designed to make parking safer, also proves a boon on the off-road course. My coach points out how its many views let me see not only the top-down angle on the car, but also a look down the sides, so I can see right where my wheels are placed. That would come in handy on a narrow mountain-side track. Nissan also kept the cabin noise down with laminated glass and plenty of sound-deadening material integrated into the body. I find it easy to maintain a conversation with my co-driver, or listen to the 13-speaker Bose audio system. In this Platinum trim example, Nissan gussies up the cabin with wood trim and plenty of leather.

Where the Armada really stands out is its design. The body maintains a tough look, but hints at something slightly exotic. At a base price of $44,400, the Armada will definitely deserve a look when it shows up in dealers this August.

Keep a look out for the in our inventory and contact us to schedule a test when they arrive!