KING OF THE FLEET
It seems that Nissan has been listening to its customers and decided to make sure that the new Armada wins hearts. writes Malcolm Xavier CRASTA

The Armada was originally created for the American market, trying to capitalise on America’s love for big SUVs and for the most part it succeeded. It had what was needed to make it big (no pun intended); a generous and spacious cabin, large towing capacity and a powerful V8 under the hood. But unfortunately it was less than perfect and did come with its share of flaws one of which was the bland and hard plasticky interior. But it seems that Nissan has been listening to us and it has corrected this for the better. While the cabin still retains some of the hard plastics of the previous model, for the most part, it is a huge improvement. It now features a new dash with an integrated 7-inch display which is used as a vehicle information centre of sorts, while in the two higher end models, it also doubles as a DVD based Navigation system. The interior also features a lot of soft-touch materials and wood accents, making for a much more welcoming cabin. One look at the Armada and any concerns of the interior space will dissolve like coffee in hot water.

There are three rows for seating. The first two rows beat almost all of its competitors for space and only the Ford expedition has more room in the third row thanks to its lower floor. To add to the feeling of space, Nissan has included a ton of storage cubbies all over the place even overhead to make life a little bit easier. Unfortunately though, in giving so much attention to passenger space it loses out a bit in the luggage department. With both the rear rows folded down (third row is power folding in the two higher-end models) it offers a total of 97 cubic feet of space. While this may seem more than adequate for those weekend trips and monthly shopping, which it definitely is, it is still 10 cubic feet short of the class average.

There are three trim levels in total available but regardless of what you buy almost all of the features are available even on the base model. The 7-inch display, Bose sound system, intelligent key, rear view monitor, power driver and passenger seats are all standard. The only major upgrades in the options is the addition of a bluetooth handsfree kit, navigation system and power folding third row seating on the mid-range model and, in addition to this, a rear DVD entertainment system and a sunroof on the high-end model. On the safety front, all models come with ABS, TPMS, stability control and all-round airbags are standard throughout the range. The only thing we were wondering is why Xenon headlamps were not included in such a high end vehicle either as standard or an option?

The Armada is big, brutish, heavy and extremely powerful and this is exactly how it behaves on the road. Powered by a 5.6l V8, producing a gross 360hp and 385Nm of torque, the Armada shoots of the line as if its weight was for nothing. But as soon as you reach a corner or during an emergency stop this weight becomes very obvious. The soft suspensions don’t really help the matter here but on the other hand these same suspensions are the reason the Armada has such a smooth and comfortable ride. It soaks up bumps and ditches quite easily. While we didn’t test the vehicle off-road we will be hard-pressed to believe it won’t excel there as well, with its good ground clearance and prodigious power.

Anyone in the market for a really big SUV with tons of space should really consider the Armada. But you have to keep in mind that you will be getting exactly what you see. The Armada has tons of power on tap but suffers a bit through corners because of its girth and soft suspensions. But overall it is a great vehicle if you exploit its strengths!