2025 Nissan Armada: This Full-size SUV Finally Got a Makeover and It’s Spectacular

For 2025 Nissan follows industry standards by swapping the Armada’s V8 engine on prior models for a more powerful twin turbo V6 that delivers 425 HP, about 25 more HP than the outgoing model. The new engine delivers 516 torque, a nice bump in get-up-and-go for quick acceleration onto a busy highway, for getting up to speed with a trailer attached or for getting across a muddy field. 

On the road, the Nissan Armada felt just great. I took it on a lengthy tour of highways and back roads through Middle Tennessee where the roads are undulating and winding, and narrow. It’s on roads like these that I really appreciate the power and confidence of a full-size SUV. The Armada handled great, though I will say, in a car this large, know your corners and braking points—how far you need to start braking before a turn and how hard you need to press the brake. After driving smaller cars I was quickly reminded that a big car takes a bit more time and muscle to slow down for a turn. 

Video: We test drove and toured the 2025 Infiniti QX80

Fans of big, boxy SUVs will be happy to see that Nissan is all in on this: the last generation of Armada was notable for is commanding presence; long, tall and confident, but with rounded corners and lots of chrome accents. For 2025, Armada’s designers sharpened its lines and toned down the chrome, adding more body-colored components and more lighting to the rear, which now has a more angular shape.

On the front the Nissan Armada sports a bit of a departure for Nissan: Gone is the “v” shaped grille with the floating Nissan logo. For 2025 the grille carries a chain link design that is both bold and modern. The front end is framed by “C” shaped headlights and a chrome bar that spans the front, giving the look of, but not the illumination, of a lightbar. The C shape of the headlights is mimicked on the tail of the Armada and connected by a light bar across the liftgate. The Nissan badge sits in the middle of the light bar and the Armada name is spelled out below, a carryover from the last model generation. 

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For the 2025 Armada, Nissan did a really nice job of blending in some premium details from the QX80. Starting with a framework of a “T” shape of the dashboard and center console, Nissan added the wide dual screen design first seen in the QX80. The screen has almost no space between the multimedia touchscreen and the driver display so the feeling is linear and uninterrupted. And, in the Pro-4X you can expand the camera view to span both screens, which is pretty cool, especially if you need to see what is under or around the car. 

Then, Nissan added the QX80’s biometric sensing seat system to the Platinum and Platinum Reserve models; this senses your body temperature and adjusts the seat to cool or heat you quickly.

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From there you’ll see elegant leather or leatherette — no cloth seats in any Armada, which I could consider a true win—push button seats including rear seats that can be raised or lowered from the front seat, Klipsch premium sound, wireless Apple CarPlay and  Android Auto, and “Hey Google” voice assistance on the fully redesigned multimedia system. The Armada also shares the V6 twin turbo powertrain with the Infiniti QX80.

The quilted leather and light colored headliner, dash materials, arm rests and door panels were simply sublime in our test model; Nissan’s designers know what they are doing when then get fine materials to work with. 

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Nissan has had tremendous success with the Pathfinder Rock Creek edition and the Frontier Pro-4X model, both enhanced for better off-roading capability. o it makes all the sense in the world that the 2025 Nissan Armada would come in an off-road exclusive trim: The Armada Pro-4X. 

Priced at the top of the range and starting at about $74,000, the Pro-4X is notable for underbody skid plates, all terrain tires, fender flares, tow hooks  and an air suspension system that adds additional height when you need it.

It’s also notable for its unique look: rather than the frame headlights and chrome bar across the front hood, the Pro-4X model features a three-slot design which looks like thin air intakes but are not. The grille is higher, sitting above the front skid plate, and it features a bolder chain link design. 

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I have to start here: The pass-through in the 2025 Nissan Armada is all things to all people for those who go with captains chairs, an option in all except the base model SV and the Pro-4x, which both come with a bench seat standard. 

What is so great about the passthrough is that it’s flat to the cabin floor, it has a small console for cups, USB ports and a storage spot, and next to it is a place to step, so as with some other SUVs, you don’t have to choose between a cup holder console or a step. You get both. And then, there’s this: It’s the ideal place to put your handbag in this car. Which I did, even when driving solo. It didn’t fall over, roll around or spill. If I’d had an accident, it would’t be launched at my head. 

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t’s a little-known fact that Nissan developed some of the components of ADAS, or advanced driver assist and safety systems, including adaptive cruise control. Fast forward a few decades and systems have become quite sophisticated and deliver welcome relief on a busy highway. 

While all Nissan Armada models carry ProPilot Assist, the Platinum and SV models have the option of ProPilot Assist 2.1, a hands-free version that operates on certain mapped, limited access highways. I tried this out during my test drive and found it impressive: pop it on (press the blue button on the steering wheel) and you’ll see full green icons on the driver display and in the head up display; when they go blue, however, you’re in 2.1 and can relax your hands from the wheel. You’ll still have to pay attention; the system will turn off if your eyes are not on the road. 

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Not surprisingly, quite well. First, there are three full sets of LATCHes— lower anchors and upper tethers: The center outboard (or captains chairs) have full sets, as does the 3rd row outboard passenger-side seat. In models with a bench seat there’s a single lower anchor in the middle seat for installing a child car seat. 

I measured for rear facing car seats and found 33” behind my seat when the driver’s seat was set for me (I’m 5’8”). With the seat pushed to the middle position I found 31”, still plenty of space for a rear facing car seat.

Center row seats slide and tilt forward for 3rd row access and can do this with a child passenger car seat installed, which is a nice bonus— and provides great space for getting in and out. In the 3rd row there are air vents in the ceiling, cup holders and two USB ports.

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Nissan didn’t overdo the carryover features from the Infiniti QX80, just bringing the important ones, and those were a lot of my favorite features in the Armada. But there were many others, too: 

• The center pass-through with room for a handbag
• Push button center and 3rd row seats, including controls on the front touch screen
• Slide and tilt center seats that work with a car seat installed
• Klipsch premium sound
• Touch sensitive climate controls inset into an open pore wood panel
• Head up display option on all but the SV model
• Surround view cameras including “Invisible hood” view that lets you see under the car
• The ultra wide dual screens, and the wide single camera display in the Pro-4X
• The beautiful quilted leather interior in our Platinum Plus model
• Massaging front seats
• 8,500 lbs. of tow capacity

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Considering all the updates, new styling and features, it’s sort of shocking that prices are up only slightly, less than 4%. All models have Nissan ProPilot assist, all but SV have Google Built-in with voice assistance, and all have the option of 4WD. Here’s how pricing shakes out:

• SV starts at $56,520
• SL starts at $62,970
• Platinum starts at $69,930 
• Pro-4X starts at $73,740
• Platinum Reserve starts at $76,990
• 4WD adds $3,000 to all but the Pro-4X model
• ProPilot assist 2.1 adds about $3,000, depending on the model

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It took a while for Nissan to get around to overhauling the Armada, which was last redesigned in 2017. But I’m glad they did. The new engine is powerful and responsive, the interior is elegant and the design, inside and out, delivers a beautiful look and function. I loved the seat controls on the front screen, the pass-through that holds a handbag and the massaging seats. Those are a nice bonus on this stalwart SUV that’s finally getting its time in the spotlight. 

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