First Drive: 2025 Nissan Armada Pro-4X Is Finally a Patrol in All but the Name

Product planning for a massive global automaker in the current U.S. market can be tricky. A nameplate that carries massive appeal and a sterling reputation across several markets worldwide can fall flat here in the States and Canada. The other side of that issue is that die-hard fans of your brand will start exploring the models you sell elsewhere and then start badgering you as to why they can’t have it here in the States.

“What we have heard over and over from customers is, ‘Why do they get the Patrol over there and we don’t get it here? Why can’t I get those goodies? Why can’t I get the durability and the capability of the Patrol?'” explained Brent Hagen, product manager for the Nissan Armada, the body-on-frame SUV sold by the automaker here in North America.

The “Patrol” that customers were alluding to is the Nissan Patrol, a body-on-frame SUV with staunch off-road credentials and a Land Cruiser-like cult following in other parts of the world. Since 1951, Patrols have been sold new somewhere in the world, they just never gained a footing here. Beginning in 2025, North American buyers will have that choice, too; they just have to call it an Armada.

The third generation of the Armada is all-new for 2025, underpinned by a new frame that offers better torsional rigidity and lateral stiffness (25% and 57% gains, respectively). New bodywork sits atop the frame, with some handsome angles and others that might take some getting used to. A twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 derived from the heart of the vaunted GT-R powers the new ute, replacing a 5.6-liter, free-breathing V-8 found in the prior version. Power output is up in both departments, with the new model pushing 425 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque—increases of 25 and 103, respectively. Commendably, those power figures are on regular 87 octane, which will be a huge plus at the pump. A new nine-speed automatic replaces the second-gen’s seven-speed box.

But the most important thing about the third-gen Armada is this: The model is finally making an earnest effort at an off-road trim with the arrival of the Armada Pro-4X. That last part of its name is akin to Chevy’s Trail Boss trim for the Colorado and Silverado, or Ford’s Tremor version of the Maverick, the Ranger, and the F-150. It brings real off-road equipment—an electronic locking rear diff, adaptive air suspension that adjusts ground clearance by 4.1 inches, underbody skid plates, and a unique front fascia with a tucked chin, additional protection, and red tow hooks.

This is a brilliant move for a North American market that cannot get enough of the idea of adventures without pavement. Just look at the proliferation of off-road trims, packages, and models within the North American market over the past five years. From the Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+ to the return of the Toyota Land Cruiser to the long-awaited Ranger Raptor to milder models like the new Honda Passport Trailsport, every automaker is giving dirt a go. Nissan’s decision to bring a full-fat Patrol here as an Armada means it’s serious about bringing its A-game to a crowded arena.

Specs: 2025 Nissan Armada Pro-4X

• Price: $75,750/$80,445 (Base/As-Tested)
• Powertrain: 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-6, 9-speed automatic transmission, 4×4
• Output: 425 hp, 516 lb-ft of torque
• Layout: Front-engine, four-door, 7–8 passenger sport utility
• Weight:  6054 lbs
• EPA Fuel Economy: Not yet rated
• Competitors: Ford Expedition, Jeep Wagoneer, Toyota Sequoia, Chevrolet Tahoe

That said, the Armada’s exterior styling does not stand out as much as I’d expect. You get whiffs of other vehicles—the Chevy Tahoe in the connected taillamps, for example—and it feels like the package lacks the impactful cohesiveness of something like the Toyota Sequoia. That brute is all lines and angles, nary a curve to be found. Here, there are many lines and plenty of angles, but also just enough curves to erode the perception that there’s one motif carrying the entire package. Despite that criticism, the Pro-4X is by far the most handsome rendition of the new Armada.

If the outside left me a bit cold, the inside more than made up for it. Previous versions of the Armada had an air of large components and modules bundled together with thin plastic appliques, feeling thoroughly behind the competition in the overall vibe of the cabin. The new one suffers no such shortcomings. There are buttons galore—which we’re always going to celebrate—and the new center stack and infotainment system feel much better incorporated into the overall feel of the front cabin area.

The dual 14.1-inch screens, placed ahead of the driver and over the center stack, are crystal clear, responsive, and heavily customizable. There are a few things you’d want to sort out at the dealership before you roll away—one being the widget for activating the massaging seats, if you splash for those (you can get them on the Pro4X and the top-level Platinum Reserve model, which we also drove at this event). We welcome configurability in this regard—with so many things to adjust on new cars, it’s nice to be able to set up the screens to your preferences.

Nissan’s seating engineers might be the unsung heroes of this car. There is real, comfortable give to these seats and plenty of soft material that makes them some of the most impressive in this class. You end up not bothering with a lot of the adjustments because right out of the gate, they have an above-average receptiveness to your behind—sort of like old-school ’90s GM seats did. Coupled with sublime padding on the door sill and the center console, this was the comfiest I’ve been in a body-on-frame vehicle in quite some time.

On the go, the Armada’s new powertrain handles the vehicle’s heft with ease. There’s not a lot of exhaust noise—turbochargers will do that to an engine note—and the nine-speed automatic goes about its business largely in the background. On the tight, winding roads in and around Franklin, Tennessee, where the event took place, the Armada still wiggled to and fro a bit more than we would have hoped. However, the new system is still a marked improvement over the outgoing model, which could occasionally feel like a boat at sea.

A few days before our time in Franklin, torrential rains transformed the red clay into a pasty, muddy mess, putting a noticeable damper on what we’d be able to attempt off the beaten path in the Armada Pro-4X. This trim gets unique all-terrain tires from Yokohama, but the tread pattern and small sipes had a rough go of it in the mud. Lest you think that’s a knock, we’re not sure anything short of paddle tires would have been able to handle the trails we visited.

Still, it was fun to give it a shot regardless, and despite the conservative tires, we came away impressed with what this thing could do. With something different underfoot—sand, rock, gravel, even snow to an extent, we’d bet that the Pro-4X could hang with just about anything in this mega-ute segment.

Neat camera tech like an Invisible Hood view stitch together shots from the front camera and those under the side-view mirrors to give you an unobstructed view of what’s directly ahead of you. That front camera stitches a slightly time-delayed image together with real-time ones from the side mirrors, essentially removing the entire front of the vehicle from the field of view.

All this capability and brawn won’t come cheap, however. Although the 2025 Armada starts at $58,530 for the base, 4×2 Armada SL (getting a 4×4 version runs you $3000 extra across the lineup), the Pro-4X variant will start just north of $75,000. That’s a few thousand north of the Ford Expedition Timberline, which similarly trades this off-roader space. However, that price tag also rings in below the starting price of a Sequoia TRD Pro, which begins at $81,990 and lacks a steel skidplate (it has an aluminum one) and adaptive air suspension. Regardless of how you slice it, it seems like $70K is the minimum ticket to this party, and by that standard, the Armada Pro-4X fits neatly within the pricing window.

Hand up, I love when a global nameplate known for durability and reliability is offered in the North American market. I’m a big fan of the new Land Cruiser, even if that one’s technically the Prado and not the whole-hog Cruiser the rest of the world gets. With the 2025 Armada, the company can finally say with no caveats that potential buyers are getting their hands on the world-renowned Patrol. And before you jump into the comments about the name: Nissan would have had to spend an exorbitant amount of money in marketing to get prospective buyers to become familiar with a new name—the Patrol—versus just working through the brand equity that Armada already had here in North America. Sure, we as enthusiasts might be deeply familiar with what the Patrol represents abroad, but your average car buyer is not.

You’ve been hearing about Nissan’s troubled road ahead for some time now, and to be sure, their product lineup does raise questions (like why aren’t there any hybrids?) about the brand’s trajectory. But in the Armada, there are signs of an automaker that still has plenty of know-how in designing something that feels intelligent, capable, and well-suited to the tastes of American buyers who love their big rolling couches with an optional dose of off-road capability.

2025 Nissan Armada Pro-4X

Highs: At long last, a real off-road trim. Truly some of the best seats anywhere. Redesigned cabin feels much more contemporary, but there are still plenty of buttons.

Lows: Not the most striking vehicle in the segment, style-wise. Would have liked to see more aggressive A/T tires on the PRo-4X model.

Summary: It’s a Patrol in everything but the name, which should mean vaunted capability and dependability.