This week we are looking at the all-new 2021 Nissan Armada Platinum, a luxury SUV that was completely redone for 2021. Calling it a luxury SUV from Nissan is not a stretch, it truly is.
The 2021 Armada features an extensively redesigned exterior that includes a new grille, hood, front fenders, front and rear bumpers, new LED headlights and taillights and it is also the first vehicle to carry the new Nissan logo.
The 22” wheels look fantastic and I love the Mocha Almond Pie exterior paint. When I was growing up, it was called Chocolate Brown, and it brings back good memories.
Under the hood is a little old school, but I love it. There is a 5.6-liter V8 with no turbos that is putting out 400-horses and 413-Pound feet of torque. It is mated to a conventional 7-speed automatic, no CVT for this 6,000-pound behemoth. My tester is 4 wheel drive, but 2 wheel is available. Note, there is NO start/stop system.
The surprise for me was the interior. The front seats are slightly bolstered and the center section is diamond-pleated. They are super comfortable and are heated and air conditioned. I am impressed with the huge amount of stitching across the interior, especially on the dash.
The analog gauge cluster is a little old fashioned, but easy to see and there is a configurable driver info center in the middle that offers a lot of info and traffic sign recognition.
In the middle of the dash is a huge 12.3” screen that houses the Bose stereo, nav system, Bluetooth, voice recognition, settings, and apps for real-time traffic, sports scores, and gas prices. This only serves as around-view cameras.
There is also a Wi-Fi hotspot, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Everything is easy to operate by touch, or there is a knob on the center console to scroll though if you don’t want to touch the screen.
Also on the center console are two cupholders, the controls for the 4-wheel drive system, a couple of USBs, and behind a covered door, a wireless phone charger and 12-volt power supply.
Second row passengers have comfortable heated captain’s chairs and a massive center console with a big storage area. There are USB ports in the back and automatic temperature controls. Also cool, second row passengers can open the front center console if needed, and there are two 8” screens for the rear seat entertainment system built into the back of the front seat headrests.
Access to the third row is fairly simple with an easy flip manual operation of the second-row captain chairs. I expected more room in the third row seat to be honest, two adults might be a little cramped, but would be great for children and even teens. You can power recline the third-row seat for comfort.
Going around to the power liftgate, you’ll find 17-cubic feet of cargo behind the third row. Just hit buttons to put the third row down and you’ll end up with 50-cubic feet, and flip the captain’s chairs over to maximize your space to over 100-cubic feet or cargo.
The new Armada features a multitude of standard safety technologies, including Nissan Safety Shield 360 and features such as Intelligent Lane Intervention, Intelligent Forward Collision Warning and Blind Spot Intervention.
Armada Platinum comes with many standard features. Most notable are remote start, a power moon roof, a digital rearview mirror which works great, and adaptive cruise control.
Options-wise, the only expensive item besides floor mats and welcome lighting is the $650 second row captain’s chairs instead of a bench seat.
The new Armada drives and handles great. It is clear Nissan made some huge improvements in the ride quality and interior quietness. This is a hugely improved SUV.
Fuel economy is not good at 13 in town, 18 on the highway, but it’s a huge V8 that will tow 8500 pounds.
MSRP as equipped is $71,250 and I have to say, by today’s standards, this is an awesome buy. Congrats to Nissan. I’ve not been an Armada fan in the past, but consider me a convert. Nice job!