2025 Nissan Armada Loses V-8, Finally Gets an Off-Road Version

Competes with: Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, GMC Tahoe, Jeep Wagoneer, Toyota Sequoia

Looks like: A streamlined but solid block, except the lower front edge has been sanded off a bit for a better approach angle

Powertrains: 425-horsepower, 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine; nine-speed automatic transmission; rear- or four-wheel drive

Hits dealerships: Late 2024

Looks like we’re not the only ones who paid attention to cool Nissan Armada overland builds on the internet. The next-generation 2025 Armada is getting its very own Pro-4X off-road trim among a host of other updates, including a new, more efficient twin-turbo V-6 engine and a pleasingly rectangular new look.

Related: These 10 SUVs Have the Highest Towing Capacity

The V-8 Is Gone, Long Live the Twin-Turbo V-6

With this latest generation of the Armada comes a big change under the hood: The V-8 engine is no more. In its place is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6, which does not require the use of premium fuel and comes mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. With 425 horsepower and 516 pounds-feet of torque, there’s not much reason to miss the thirsty V-8 that made 25 hp and a whopping 103 pounds-feet of torque less than the new engine. Stop-start is included to further improve efficiency should you want to utilize it. A choice between rear- and four-wheel drive is available for each trim except the Pro-4X, which is 4WD only.

The Armada’s more-than-respectable towing abilities don’t suffer with the new drivetrain, either, as it still offers up to 8,500 pounds of towing capacity, a Class IV tow hitch and a seven-pin connector as standard. Standard trailer blind spot monitoring allows you to input the length of your trailer (up to 33 feet long) and get notified when there’s a car to the side of the full combined length of your truck and trailer. The top two trims, Pro-4X and Platinum Reserve, also get an integrated trailer brake controller.

Not all of the Pro-4X’s updates were made with off-roading in mind, however. The Armada now gets an electronic power steering rack that allows for a quicker steering ratio. The steering rack speed does not change with different drive modes, but it should make parking Nissan’s biggest SUV just a little bit easier.

Sleek New Exterior

For 2025, the Armada shed its awkward curves for a more streamlined, modern look. Even its rear wiper is hidden at the top of the windshield to emphasize its sleeker appearance. The ride height was increased for 2025, and it can ride on a choice of 18-, 20- or 22-inch wheels. An air curtain in the front fascia helps offset this extra height from an efficiency standpoint, guiding air around the front wheels.

All of the exterior lighting is now LED, and buyers can opt for a full-width LED taillight. Platinum, Platinum Reserve and Pro-4X buyers can also option a two-tone paint job.

Trims for Every Taste (and Mud Tolerance)

Whether you crave luxury or never grew out of playing in the dirt, the Armada probably has a trim for you. Five trims are available: SV, SL, Platinum, Pro-4X and Platinum Reserve. Nissan’s redesign of the Armada focused on improving ride quality and sound isolation, all while enhancing stiffness and rigidity to serve as an excellent base for an off-roader.

The biggest addition is the Armada’s first-ever Pro-4X off-road version that features metal underbody skid plates, an electronic-locking differential, adaptive electronic air suspension and unique front bumper with increased approach angle. With the air suspension set to its highest setting — a full 2.1 inches above its default height — it has an approach angle of 33.9 degrees, 25.3 degrees of breakover, a 24.3-degree departure angle and a total ground clearance of 9.6 inches. The Pro-4X rides on 20-inch wheels shod with all-terrain tires, and a combination of black and lava red accents also let you know that it’s the special one.

The Pro-4X’s upgrades also feature some helpful technology to make off-roading easier. It has eight different drive modes: Standard, Eco, Sport, Tow, Snow, Sand, Rock and Mud/Rut. Hill Descent Control helps maintain a given speed when going down steep grades. It also includes several camera views that should minimize the number of times you have to get out of the truck to judge what’s ahead. Invisible Hood View lets you see what’s directly in front of the Armada on its screen — essentially, through the hood. There’s also a wide-angle front camera view, as well as a 360-degree camera system that lets you rotate the viewing angle to take a closer look at a given obstacle. Drivers also get an off-road information display with a steering angle indicator, slip indicator and inclinometer.

On the complete opposite end, the Platinum Reserve grade aims for maximum luxury and features massaging front seats, adaptive electronic air suspension and 22-inch wheels. The adaptive electronic air suspension helps optimize the Armada for various driving situations, such as automatically lowering to improve efficiency at speed, or lowering up to 2 inches to load cargo. It uses its shock absorbers to control roll, pitch and dive for a flatter, more comfortable ride.

Creature Comforts

Inside, you’ll find the high-tech screens and features you’d expect from a luxe full-size SUV — say, the Armada’s corporate cousin, the 2025 Infiniti QX80 that recently debuted — but fortunately, the new big screens sit above an array of physical controls. Some of the functions you’d most like to adjust while off-road, such as drive modes and transmission settings, are included in these physical controls.

The screens are a big upgrade, as well. For 2025, Nissan moved to a dual-12.3-inch screen setup in a sleek continuous bezel, combining the instrument panel and infotainment touchscreen. In the Platinum Reserve and Pro-4X trims, these two screens are 14.3 inches each.

The new Armada’s infotainment system features Google Built-In, which not only features Google Maps and Google Assistant, but lets you add apps to the car directly through the Google Play store. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, too. Six USB-C ports to keep devices charged, and a wireless charging pad also comes on the SL grade and above. A 12-speaker Klipsch audio system with a 600-watt subwoofer is available to make whatever iteration of “Baby Shark” the family requests sound as good as possible.

Sleek upgrades including open-pore wood, quilted leather seats and a 64-color interior accent lighting are available, with three interior color schemes to choose from: Charcoal, Almond and Chestnut. Twelve-way heated, ventilated and massaging power seats come standard in the front row, with a choice between captain’s chairs and a center console or a 40/20/40-split bench in the second row. Heated second-row seats are available on the Platinum and Platinum Reserve trims. Another cool — literally cool — feature is biometric cooling, which is available for the higher trims and uses an infrared camera to detect which passenger is too hot in the vehicle to direct more cooling at them accordingly.

Nissan brags that it’s increased the legroom in the Armada, especially in the front row (by 4.2 inches) and third row (by 5.7 inches). Likewise, cargo space increased to 20.4 cubic feet behind the third row, 56.3 cubic feet with the third row folded down, and 97.1 cubic feet behind the front seats, per Nissan’s measurements. A power liftgate and an upgraded motion-activated liftgate are available on higher trim levels.

More From Cars.com:

• You Sunk My Battleship: 2024 Nissan Armada Drops Base S Trim
• 2021 Nissan Armada Real-World Fuel Economy: Thirsty but Worth It
• Which 3-Row SUVs Offer Captain’s Chairs?
• 2024 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X Review: A Rugged Pickup That’s Just the Right Size
• 10 Car Features That Will Keep Pets Safe and Comfy

Driver-Assist and Safety Tech

The Armada comes with a host of safety features as standard, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot and lane departure warnings, and rear cross-traffic alerts. Three levels of driver assistance are available, as well: The SV and Pro-4X include adaptive cruise control with lane-centering steering. SL, Platinum and Platinum Reserve trims build on those features by integrating navigation data to automatically slow down for curves. The top trims offer Nissan’s ProPilot Assist 2.1 hands-free semi-autonomous driving system as an upgrade, which takes over acceleration, braking and steering on select roads, although the driver will still need to take over to change lanes.

Pricing and Availability

The new Armada goes on sale toward the end of 2024; pricing will be announced closer to its on-sale date.

Related Video:

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.