2014 Nissan Armada

NEW FOR 2014:

Celebrating its tenth year on sale, Nissan’s jumbo-sized Armada SUV is carried over without any changes.

Developed to compete squarely with the Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Suburban, the Armada rides on the biggest variant of Nissan’s F-Alpha truck platform which is used to underpin the Titan half-ton truck. As with the Ford Expedition and Toyota Sequoia, the Armada uses a fully independent rear suspension.

Power comes courtesy of Nissan’s Endurance 5.6-litre V8 engine which develops 317 hp and 385 lb-ft of torque, and is mated to a five-speed automatic. As you can imagine, fuel economy is far from brilliant. All Armadas come with part-time four-wheel drive, and a two-speed transfer case, designed to help tow up to 9,000 lbs up slippery surfaces.

In its twilight years, Nissan has repositioned the Armada as a premium vehicle, and for 2014 it continues to be offered exclusively in Platinum trim. Last year saw the introduction of a new Reserve package trim that added real wood trim, premium leather upholstery, and chrome, chrome, and more chrome. Despite the materials upgrade, the cabin’s design – the infotainment system especially – is feeling tired. Space in all three rows is generous.

Standard features include 20-inch chrome-clad alloy wheels, automatic headlights, fog lights, skid plates, splash guards, front and rear parking sensors, front tow hooks, tow-hitch with seven-pin wiring harness, trailer brake pre-wiring, chrome grille, dual power folding heated exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals, auto-dimming driver’s side mirror, chrome roof rack, running boards, power moonroof, front solar glass and rear privacy glass, power tailgate, flip-up tailgate window, 7.0-inch navigation system with hard-drive based navigation system, reverse camera, power adjustable pedals, Bluetooth, garage door opener, proximity key with push-button start, dual-zone climate control with cabin filter, power door locks, power windows with front one-touch auto up/down, power rear quarter windows, cruise control, intermittent rear wiper, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, map lights, four 12-volt power outlets, ancillary instruments (transmission temperature), illuminated vanity mirrors, under-floor cargo bay storage, overhead console with vents and map lights, eight-way power driver’s seat, four-way power front passenger’s seat, driver memory for seats, mirrors, and pedals, 40/20/40 split folding second row, power folding 60/40 third row, heated front and second-row seats, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather-wrapped shift knob, wood-effect trim, rear-seat entertainment system with dual 7.0-nch monitors and wireless headphones, 12-speaker Bose AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo system with satellite radio, aux-input jack, USB input, and Bluetooth.

The Captain’s Chairs Package adds second-row flat-fold captains chairs with padded armrests, and a padded removable centre console.

The Platinum Reserve Package adds dark chrome-clad wheels, dark chrome grille, dark chrome mirrors, body-colour door handles, painted roof rack with crossbars, two-tone leather upholstery with contrast stitching, dark chrome interior trim, second-row captain’s chairs, chocolate-colour dashboard and steering wheel, Light Anigre wood trim, and cupholder lid for centre console.