2025 Nissan Armada First Drive: PRO-4X For Off-Road, Platinum For The Highway

Over 20 years ago, Nissan dropped its biggest SUV onto the North American market, the Armada. Originally built on the same platform as the now-discontinued Titan before switching to the Patrol/Infiniti QX80 platform in its second generation, the full-size SUV has racked up quite a following over the years. Plenty of room for the family, plenty of room for cargo, and plenty of power to do it all. However, the current generation was starting to show its age, so it was time for Nissan to wheel out the third-generation Armada, fresh for the 2025 model year.

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By the end of 2024, the first models of the all-new third-gen Armada will arrive in Nissan showrooms around the United States. Before this happens, though, the automaker wanted a few journalists — including yours truly — to experience what this new full-size SUV has to offer to everyone, from the overlander to the soccer mom. Thus, they invited us out to Franklin, Tennessee — Nissan's home in the U.S. — to spend a day cruising the backroads along with off-roading in the new PRO-4X trim.

"For a design theme, we wanted to make the [Armada] tougher and bolder," said Nissan senior design director Ken Lee. "At the same time, we wanted to create an interior that's high-tech and premium [...] Overall, we created this tough, off-road machine that's very functional and purposeful. Yet, we gave it flair with premium materials, quality touches, and even the componentry are well-designed and thought-out."

The all-new 2025 Nissan Armada lives up to its Patrol-inspired roots, beginning with the introduction of the first-ever Armada PRO-4X, delivering the off-road skills to the big SUV long held by the Frontier PRO-4X and the late Titan PRO-4X. This was only possibly by building a new frame with 25% greater torsional rigidity and 57% increased lateral stiffness compared to the previous-gen Armada's frame. The PRO-4X also has the Patrol's electronic locking rear differential, plus underbody armor, eight drive modes, and an "invisible hood" camera for showing the path underneath.

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As far as styling goes, this new Armada is more rugged and boxy than the outgoing SUV, which, again, really shows with the PRO-4X and its hunter-themed appearance with orange accents and Alpine Metallic paint. The rest of the trims (SV, SL, Platinum and Platinum Reserve) opt for a more luxury tone, with plenty of chrome to go around for the wheels and trim.

The first two generations of the Nissan Armada brought V8 power to the festivities of life, in the form of a 5.6-liter originally backed by a five-speed automatic, before a seven-speed auto took its place in the second-gen full-size SUV. This time, for this third-gen Armada, the engine bay receives a much smaller, yet more potent, powertrain to move the big man around. 

Inspired by the GT-R's twin-turbo 3.8-liter VR38DETT V6, the 2025 Armada's VR35DDTT 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 delivers 425 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque to the rear or all corners. This amounts to 25 more horses and 103 lb-ft of torque than the bigger V8 from the last-gen Armada, all managed by a nine-speed automatic. 

And while the big V8 managed just 14 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway, the new twin-turbo V6 — which includes start-stop and mirror bore coatings — is supposed to be more fuel efficient, though Nissan nor the EPA have published figures as of this writing. It will run on regular 87 octane, though, for what it's worth.

Inside the 2025 Nissan Armada is a tech extravaganza, beginning with the Nissan Intelligent Around View Monitor camera system. Whether passing by parked cars on the high streets or navigating around trees in the woods, there is a point-of-view ready to help you keep you and yours (and your Armada) safe. ProPILOT Assist is standard on SV and PRO-4X trim levels, adding in adaptive cruise control and lane-centering to the driving experience. SL, Platinum and Platinum Reserve comes with standard ProPILOT Assist 1.1, using navigation info to help adjust speeds while cornering. 

The optional ProPILOT Assist 2.1 tops everything off with partially-automated driving, so you can rest your arms and hands while cruising down the interstate. Automatic headlights, virtual rear view mirror, traffic-sign recognition, forward-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert also help protect everyone inside.

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As far as infotainment goes, the SV and SL trims come with a pair of 12.3-inch screens for the driver and front passenger to use, while the rest of the 2025 Armada lineup come with a pair of 14.3-inch screens. Four-wheel drive models have an off-road information display as standard, and all but the SV trim offer optional heads-up displays. The center touchscreen houses wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though if you don't have your phone handy, you can use Google built-in, the tech giant's latest automotive infotainment suite. A 12-speaker Klipsch sound system for most trims, SiriusXM satellite radio, 4G Wi-Fi hot spot and Amazon Alexa all contribute to the entertainment for up to eight passengers.

Most trim levels of the 2025 Nissan Armada come with standard seating for eight, though the PRO-4X and Platinum Reserve have seats for just seven (though you can up that to eight by checking off the right boxes on those trims). Those seats can be covered in anywhere from the SV's leatherette to the Platinum's quilted leather interior. Heated front seats arrive with the SL trim, with cooling available from the PRO-4X on up. 

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The second row consists of either a 40/20/40-split bench or a pair of captain's chairs, which are heated from the PRO-4X trim level on. Speaking of the heat, tri-zone automatic climate control and biometric cooling (which uses a roof-mounted infrared camera to see who's getting too hot) promise to keep everyone comfy no matter the season. Finally, the rear 60/40-split third row, whose 32.9-inches of legroom is probably better for children than adults, folds flat to make room for more cargo; if you want to raise and lower those seats at the push of a button, mind, you'll have to step-up to the SL trims and above.

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With all seats up, 20.4 cubic feet of cargo space is available for the weekly grocery run. Drop the third row, and that climbs to an astounding 56.3 cubic feet for trips to the big-box electronics and furniture stores. Fold down the second row bench or captain's chairs, as well, and you'll have a whopping 97.1 cubic feet for sliding in big projects and all the supplies you need to complete them. A power liftgate and a motion-activated liftgate on higher trims, plus a relatively low loading floor, make for an easier time.

My day with the 2025 Nissan Armada began with some off-roading in one of a handful of identical PRO-4X models out in a specially prepared course. Though I don't exactly see this hanging out with Broncos and Wranglers along certain parts of Moab or the Rubicon Trail, not least because of its sheer size, the PRO-4X version of the Armada is capable of tackling tough obstacles out on the trail. 

Since it had rained quite a bit a day or so before, all of these testers were on Mud/Rut mode for the duration of the course. Yet, it managed to climb over one steep ramp with no trouble after getting a little speed to get going, while the Mud/Rut mode kept us from slipping off too much on flatter bits. We even tried out the full camera system by having the Armada's windshield covered up, then passing through some hay bales before lining up the 20-inch wheels to cross a two-plank "bridge" placed on the grass. Overall, it was a grand time out on the muddy trail that morning.

Whether you're overlanding or towing a rental trailer to help your friends move into their new home, you hope your vehicle can do it all and do it well. The rest of my morning with the 2025 Nissan Armada PRO-4X was spent riding shotgun with a few journalists and a Nissan engineer taking us on a loop with a 30-foot Airstream in tow. The most noticeable aspect of the ride was hearing the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 growl up the onramp onto the interstate and over a few hills on the backroads. Yet, it wasn't much of a struggle for the GT-R-adjacent engine, thanks to the 516 lb-ft of torque going to all corners to help move the big SUV through traffic with the trailer gliding along.

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Of course, towing can be a challenge to those who don't do it a whole lot (and even sometimes for those who do it nearly every day). On this ride, we got to see how Nissan handles these challenges. All Armadas — rated to pull up to 8,500 pounds — come with standard trailer blind-spot monitoring, which lets you input the length of your trailer (up to 33 feet in length) to configure the system for alerts regarding traffic in adjacent lanes. 

For PRO-4X and Platinum trims, there's also an integrated brake controller for keeping things controlled while stopping. Finally, the rear camera offers guides for not only backing into the trailer hitch, but for backing the trailer into the desired spot.

With off-roading and towing out of the way, there was only one thing left to do: take a 2025 Nissan Armada out on the open road. I spent my afternoon with a Deep Ocean Blue Pearl-painted Platinum model pre-loaded with a demo of the 12-speaker Klipsch Premium Audio System. This was also a chance to experience — briefly, due to system updates and maintenance that day — Nissan's partially automated ProPILOT Assist 2.1 driving system. This system lets you take your hands off the wheel on compatible closed-access highways, which I was happy to do for the few miles the system was active (before it handed the controls back to me, due to the aforementioned update on one particular stretch of the interstate).

The Armada makes for a fine cruiser on the interstate; on narrow backroads, though, its size and heft were definitely felt, whether passing by other cars in the opposite direction or taking a particularly sharp corner. This is not a Z or a GT-R by any stretch. Also: as had happened with the 2025 Kicks, my iPhone — which was connected using Apple CarPlay via wire – repeatedly disconnected from the SUV's touchscreen. This Armada was a pre-production unit, so let's hope those rapidly arriving into showrooms have this issue worked out.

After spending a full day with the 2025 Nissan Armada experiencing the majority of the scenarios the big SUV will be placed in once deliveries start at the end of 2024, I can say Nissan's got a pretty good thing going with their full-size halo. Those clamoring for an off-road-focused PRO-4X will be pleased to finally have that option, especially now that the Titan and its PRO-4X trim are both gone from showrooms. 

Pricing sits right in the middle of the large SUV category, ranging from a base MSRP of $56,520 for the two-wheel drive SV to a wallet-killing $79,990 for the Platinum Reserve, which is only available in four-wheel drive. Competitors like the Toyota Grand Highlander and Ford Expedition start at under $50,000, while the GMC Yukon and Jeep Grand Wagoneer easily climb into the six-figures.

So, who is this new Armada for, then? I suspect Nissan fans looking for a tough, rugged SUV for their families will find their match with this one. I also believe those seeking an alternative to big cruisers like the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, Toyota Sequoia, and the rest of the pack while also wanting a luxurious ride without spending a considerable fortune either at the dealership or at the fuel pump (we're looking at you, Infiniti QX80) will flock to this big man on campus. Just mind those narrow backroads when driving this Nissan around town.