Nissan shows off all-new, ‘whisper-quiet’ Armada SUV
An Armada is a fleet of
CHICAGO warships, and the redesigned Nissan Armada full-size SUV revealed Wednesday night ahead of the Chicago Auto Show remains one formidable asphalt cruiser.
The new Armada is slightly more than an inch longer, has a quieter ride and is thoroughly restyled. It goes on sale this summer.
The 2017 Armada is one of the few SUVs left built in the traditional way, with a body atop a chassis some experts believe makes for a stronger, albeit less fuel-efficient, vehicle. The Armada has room for eight passengers and is equipped with a new V-8 engine with 390 horsepower.
The Armada’s platform was derived from the platform Nissan uses for the Infiniti QX80 SUV as well as the Nissan Patrol — a hefty SUV that Nissan sells globally but not in the U.S. The Patrol, which traces its history to 1951, has been used by United Nations peacekeeping forces.
Richard Miller, director of product planning for Nissan in North America, said the automaker adapted the platform to make it better suited for family vacations rather than toiling in the Sahara.
“(The Patrol) is known as a severe, off-road vehicle,” Miller said Wednesday. “The Armada is not for the severe off-road driver. Hauling boats and family adventures — that’s what the Armada is built for.”
Miller said the ride and handling of the new Armada is better than the outgoing version and it’s “whisper quiet” inside.
While Nissan didn’t release fuel-economy figures for the new version, the outgoing model got a combined fuel economy of just 15 miles per gallon. Peter Lutten-bacher, manager of product planning, declined to say what the 2017 version will get but said it will be better.
The Armada is Nissan’s largest and most powerful SUV. Its redesign comes on the heels of Nissan’s redesigned Pathfinder, Murano and Rogue, which have all been launched over the past three years. It competes with SUVs such as the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Toyota Sequoia and Toyota Land Cruiser.