The 2017 Nissan Armada is an interesting animal. It shares components with the European Nissan Patrol, which also make it look a lot like the luxurious Infiniti QX80. OK, so the front-end and rear hatch styling are unique to the 2017 Armada, but the profile is a copy of the QX80 as are the interior appointments. This is not a bad thing. The interior of the new Armada is outright luxurious. The model you see here is the fully loaded Armada Platinum with soft leather throughout and captain chairs in the middle row.
There is the new 5.6L V8 under the hood of the Armada, which is also shared with the 2017 Nissan Titan half-ton (and Titan XD with a different tune). It produces 390 horsepower and 394 lb-ft of torque. It’s paired to a 7-speed automatic transmission, which is also found in the Titan and the QX80. The result is a smooth and powerful combination, which is rated by the EPA at 15 MPG for the 4×4 Armada. After spending a few days with it on a mostly highway commute, I averaged 17.6 MPG according to the trip computer.
The Armada is a very smooth truck on pavement. The cabin is quiet and the suspension, which is air assisted in the rear, is one of the smoothest.
How does the new SUV handle a rutted out Gold Mine Hill off-road trail high in the Rocky Mountains? Watch the video to find out.
