Nissan powers up Armada in redesign

Nissan Motor Co. is redesigning its Armada large sport utility vehicle for the first time in 13 years, adding features such as a more powerful engine in an effort to revive sales in a profitable U.S. market segment.

“They’re replacing a vehicle that’s almost ancient,” said Stephanie Brinley, an analyst at IHS Automotive.

“They have to do it if they want to keep the Armada going and remain a full- line vehicle manufacturer. But it’s not going to be a strong seller in the segment.”

The Armada’s U.S. sales peaked at 39,508 in 2005 but by last year had fallen to 12,737. That’s less than 10 percent of deliveries for the segment’s best-sellers — General Motors Co.’s Tahoe and Yukon.

The current version of the eight- passenger SUV starts at $43,600, according to a Nissan website.

To help the Armada make money even at such low vol- umes, Nissan decided to stop deriving the SUV’s body panels and chassis components from the Titan full-size pickup, which has been fully redesigned for 2016.

The Armada will switch to the company’s older Patrol platform, according to a statement.

Nissan began selling Patrolderived models in the U.S. in 2010 with the Infiniti QX80 luxury SUV.

When the new Armada begins sales in a few months, it will have a strong resemblance to the QX80 and will feature a 5.6- liter V-8 gasoline engine that’s been redesigned to boost output by 23 percent, to 390 horsepower, and a seven-speed transmission.

Nissan won’t offer the diesel engine that’s an option for the Titan.

Nissan didn’t give the fuel economy for the redesigned Armada’s engine. A similar engine used in the QX80 has a U.S. government rating of 14 miles per gallon in city driving and 20 mpg on the highway.

The 5.3-liter V-8 in the Chevrolet Tahoe generates 355 horsepower and is rated at 16 mpg in cities and 23 on the highway. Whether you’re planning a trip or are in the middle of one, it points you to more than 500 of the best places to eat, play and stay around the state. You’ll find top 10 lists for spas, casinos, wineries and more. All the items were chosen by

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With the introduction of the all-new second-generation Armada full-size SUV, arriving at Nissan dealers nationwide this summer, the last piece of Nissan’s transformation of its SUV and crossover lineup falls into place.