The Nissan Armada is a full-sizeSUV. An upscale version of the Armada was sold as the Infiniti QX80. From 2003 to 2015 the Armada was assembled in Canton, Mississippi based on the Nissan Titan. From mid-2016 onwards, the Armada has been built in Yukuhashi, Kyushu, Japan and shares the same platform as the Nissan Patrol, with American-specific modifications, and went on sale in late Summer 2016 as a 2017 model.
Developed under Carlos Ghosn's NRP, using the platform code WA60, from September 1999 to 2003 under lead designers Shiro Nakamura and Diane Allen and chief engineers Yuzo Sakita and Larry Dominique, the 2004 model Pathfinder Armada was unveiled on April 17, 2003 at the New York Auto Show. In January 2001, a final exterior design by Giovanny Arroba had been approved by Sakita, Allen, Nakamura, and Nissan executive management, with the final design freeze being completed in July 2001. Prototypes based on the Y61 Patrol were hand-assembled as mules from 2001, with the first WA60-specific prototypes being completed and sent to testing in early 2002. Design patents were filed in 2003, with production starting on August 14, 2003 and going on sale on October 1, 2003. The Armada had a 5.6L VK56DEV8 engine that made and of torque. This was mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission, and the Armada had a choice of either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. There are some Armadas that are capable of using E85. It has a towing capacity of up to. The rear door handles are installed on the "C" pillar as part of a Nissan design tradition that started with the 1986 Nissan Pathfinder. When the four-door Pathfinder was introduced, Nissan chose to conceal the door handles as a part of the "C" pillar trim to visually make it appear like a two-door truck with a camper shell, with conventional door handles on the front doors. The switch to the Armada name occurred in September 2004, where it received new badges without "Pathfinder." A facelift was designed through 2005, being introduced in early 2007 for the 2008 model year. The latest Nissan Armada Platinum edition features a 9.3 GB hard drive for storing music, and a CF memory card reader. The Platinum edition also features a power liftgate and third row seats that fold electronically. The 2011 model year Armada removed the SE and Off-Road trim levels and moved to a tiered system: SV, SL and Platinum. MSRP ranged from $37,910 for the 2WD SV to $52,890 for the 4WD Platinum. Nissan discontinued use of the Armada platform for the luxury-based Infiniti QX56 produced in Japan. The 2013 model year added Bluetooth and satellite radio as standard on all models and a Platinum Reserve trim package. Navigation added NavWeather capability, Zagat Survey, Bluetooth audio streaming, one USB port and a 40 GB disk drive. The Nissan DVD Entertainment System mounted screens in the back of the front head restraints. The 2015 model year updated interior door panels. The Nissan Armada was sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East in left-hand-drive only.
Nissan unveiled the second-generation Armada at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show, and it went on sale in August 2016 as a 2017 model. This version is based on the Nissan Patrol, the platform also used for the Infiniti QX80, as moving the Armada and Patrol to the same global platform instead of the Armada sharing the platform of the American-built Titan saves considerable development money. Apart from the Endurance V8engine, which is assembled in Decherd, Tennessee, the truck is built in Japan. The Armada grew in length and width, but the wheelbase and height were moderately reduced. In addition to the Endurance V8, a seven-speed transmission was introduced to improve fuel economy, acceleration and torque, along with an increase in horsepower from 317 to 390 horsepower at 5200 rpm. The exterior moderately differs from the updated Patrol, that was introduced in early 2014. As with the previous generation, the Armada continued to offer 2WD and 4WD and available in SV, SL, and Platinum trims. Although it still competes with the Toyota Sequoia and Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, it meets all of the specifications able to rival the Toyota Land Cruiser.
