2017 Nissan Armada: Comfortable, capable and ready to go anywhere [First Look]

MONTEREY, Calif. — I think it was somewhere over the moguls that I got it. The 2017 Nissan Armada is actually a pretty neat vehicle.

When I first got behind the wheel, it felt oversized and a little overdone. I wrinkled my nose and was prepared to dismiss it.

But once we got to the mini off-road obstacle course and I had the chance to run the Armada through its paces, I started to get it. This vehicle is incredibly capable. Like Land Rover capable.

From inclines to articulation exercises, this all-new, full-size SUV was able to traverse an off-road track at Laguna Seca that Land Rover built. Easily.

Then I got behind the wheel to do some more on-road driving, and I thought: I actually like the Armada.

The seats are super comfortable. The engine power is phenomenal, and it has a standard seating capacity of eight. Plus, if you’re planning to go over the river and though the woods to Grandmothers house, it’s totally not a problem.

Armada is a family vehicle that can go pretty much anywhere.

For 2017, Armada is completely redesigned. It gets a retuned engine and adds Nissan’s available safety suite of features. It is also available in both two- and four-wheel-drive configurations.

Nissan totally takes Armada upscale for this second-generation. In fact, if you look at a 2017 Armada and a 2016 Infiniti QX80 side by side, the profile is strikingly similar – right down to the D-Pillar Hofmeister kink. Great for Nissan – not so great for Infiniti. The hood shape and grille are definitely boxier on the Armada, but out of the corner of your eye? Same-same.

The interior also smacks of Infiniti. If you’ve ever seen the inside of Nissan’s luxury brand, the center stack will look quite familiar. While Infiniti might have a beautifully executed analog clock and elegant behind-the-wheel gauges, the new Armada is quite classy. At least the Platinum trim is – and that’s the only trim we were able to see and test during the press preview.

The trim breakdown for Armada will be the familiar SV, SL and Platinum grades with just four packages offered.

• SV: This trim will only offer the Driver Package, which includes front fog lights, auto dimming interior rearview mirror, power 60/40 third row seat, power liftgate and trailer towing harness.
• SL: This trim offers two packages: moonroof and technology. The former is pretty self-explanatory, the latter includes intelligent cruise control, distance control assist, forward emergency braking, predictive forward collision warning, blind spot monitoring and back-up collision intervention.
• Platinum: This top-tier trim adds the availability of second-row captain’s chairs with a center console.

In addition to the captain’s chairs, Nissan has made some excellent all-around improvements to the seating in the new Armada, including standard heated front seats, power lumbar support and 6-way adjustable front seats.

It also offers best-in-class second-row legroom and headroom.

The Armada is a full-size SUV, and I won’t lie: It drives kind of big. But I’ve also got to say that the more you drive it, the easier it becomes to drive. The mirrors give you a great view surrounding the vehicle, and the large windows help add to the excellent visibility out the front, rear and side of the vehicle.

Even as a petite driver, I was able to get a really good driving position.

The ride in the Armada is quite luxurious. It handles the dips and divots in the roadways handily, and it manages to hold curves and corners pretty well for a full-size SUV. My drive partner and I particularly appreciated what Robin Moreo, senior manager of product planning at Nissan, called “library level” quietness. Road and engine noises are kept to a minimum inside the new Armada, which makes it easy to hold conversations – or just enjoy the solitude.

Plus, acceleration is really nice.

The 2017 Armada still comes equipped with a 5.6-liter V-8 engine, but it is retuned for this new model. It delivers 390 horsepower and 394 pound-feet of torque, and gets 16 mpg in combined driving. So, that’s more power with a 1-mpg increase in fuel economy.

The competitive set for the Armada will be the Ford Expedition ($45,225), Chevrolet Tahoe ($47,000), GMC Yukon ($48,315) and Toyota Sequoia ($44,965) – all of which are a little long in the tooth at this point. Armada offers some nice technology and lux-level, Infiniti-like styling.

Plus it’s competitively priced.

The 2017 Armada will go on sale in mid August with a base price of $45, 395.

While this is priced to compete, I will point out that the current Armada starts $38,510.

Full trim pricing will be announced closer to the date it arrives at the dealer, but we expect it to top out under $60K for the Platinum version.

Overall, I think the new Armada will be a nice addition into the full-size SUV segment. It’s comfortable and capable, and it looks way better than the boxes on wheels that are currently available. I’ll be very interested in seeing the base trim when it becomes available, and I hope it looks just as nice with cloth seats as it does with leather.

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