Nissan Reloads Armada, Updates Murano

FRANKLIN, TN – From its GT-R Godzilla-derived powerplant to its completely revised skin and interior, the 2025 Nissan Armada is a family road-trip-worthy beast. Paired in Nissan showrooms with the fourth-generation Murano premium CUV packing a variable-compression turbo 4-cyl. and a new user interface, the two models are the latest evidence that the Japanese automaker is pushing fresh product despite its corporate travails.

Nissan officials don’t talk about the Japanese automaker’s plunging sales or corporate shakeups here at a two-day media test drive of the latest hulking, 3-row Armada and the relatively petite 2-row 2025 Murano. Instead, the focus is on “solutions,” in this case, the products, and they’re both quite worthy for different reasons.

All-new 4th-generation 2025 Murano.

Armada Takes Command

Starting under the hood, the latest Armada drops the outgoing model’s 5.6L V-8 in favor of a VR engine variant derived from the same family as the V-6 powering the wildly popular GT-R sports car.

In the Armada, the 3.5L twin-turbo V-6 produces 425 hp and 516 lb.-ft. (700 Nm) of torque, up 25 hp and 103 lb.-ft. (140 Nm) from the V-8 it replaces. The same engine in the Infiniti QX80 requires premium fuel, while software tuning allows the Armada to get by on regular juice, causing a minimal loss in output.

Armada 3.5L twin-turbo V-6 produces 425 hp.

The V-6 also is kin to the 400-hp, 350-lb.-ft. (475-Nm) turbocharged DOHC 3.0L VR version that picked up back-to-back Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems trophies in the Infiniti Q50 sedan in 2017 and 2018. Brent Hagan, senior manager-product planning, Nissan North America, says the latest VR engine achieves larger displacement through a longer stroke vs. any whittling of the thickness of the cylinder sidewalls.

While the latest application won’t achieve the same level of fuel economy as the small sedan, it does benefit from Nissan upgrading the gearbox to a 9-speed automatic, replacing the old 7-speed unit. Official fuel economy is still pending; we observed nearly 20 mpg (11.8 L/100 km) on our 58-mile (93-km) test drive.
Now paired globally with the Nissan Patrol, the Armada’s exterior is more chiseled and upright, deliberately projecting a more adventurous profile, and rides on a new frame offering 25% greater torsional rigidity, Nissan says.

Inside, the big SUV features significant upholstery upgrades including zero-gravity seats and highly sophisticated electronics including biometric sensors on upper trim models that adjust cabin cooling based on the temperature of passengers. The electronics suite includes an “invisible hood view” that uses cameras to project an image under and around the front of the vehicle. The image can be spread across twin 14.3-in (36.3-cm) screens on upper trim and Pro-4X models; standard dual screens are 12.3 ins. (31.2 cm).

"Invisible hood" spreads across dual screens for maximum visibility.

We particularly appreciate the Armada’s clean user interface that now features a useful combination of knobs, switches and touchscreen access to control HVAC, audio and drivetrain selections.

While severely muddy conditions limited our forays into the backwoods trails where Nissan had hoped to use to show off the Armada’s off-road chops, we were able to wade through some deep mud and water. We also sampled the aforementioned invisible hood view on a course during which our windshield view was completely blocked by a black cover.

Despite black-out cover over windshield, test driver could navigate through obstacles via camera view.

Out on the highway, the Armada is true to its name as a commanding presence in the lane, offering a smooth and quiet ride with plenty of power at launch and at speed. On two-lane highways making up a majority of the drive route, the vehicle is relatively maneuverable despite its massive size.

Nissan notes pricing for the base SV model is unchanged from 2024 at $56,520 for the rear-drive version and $59,520 for 4-wheel drive. The grade walk through SL, Platinum and the new Pro-4X trim reaches $79,900 for the 4WD Platinum Reserve trim. Prices do not include $2,010 for destination and handling.

Armada Platinum features quilted upholostery, zero-gravity seats.

Murano Makes a Move

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the new Murano is a driving delight, dropping the previous gen’s 3.5L V-6 in favor of the punchier performance of a 2.0L 241-hp, 260-lb.-ft. (353-Nm) VC-Turbo 4-cyl. paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. The engine, a 2020 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems winner in the Altima sedan, is a joy to drive especially now that it’s unshackled from the comparatively dull response of the prior model’s continuously variable transmission.

Murano gets 2.0L VC-Turbo.

Despite the change from the CVT, combined fuel economy remains unchanged at 23 mpg (10.2 L/100 km), with a slight improvement in city fuel economy to 21 mpg (11.2 L/100 km) and a similar dip in highway efficiency to 27 mpg (8.7 L/100 km). We observed 20.4 mpg (11.5 L/100 km) on our fairly spirited 54-mile (87-km) test drive.

We loved running through the paddle-shifted gears in Sport mode (affects steering and throttle response, transmission mapping), but noted a bit of powertrain vibration at low rpm.

Possibly topping the powertrain performance is the Murano’s new user interface, featuring a highly functional and user-friendly combination of controls, including backlit haptic buttons for HVAC that remain hidden until touched. We applaud the large, centrally placed audio volume knob and note that the Google-driven voice interface is highly accurate and responsive, managing temperature, audio, navigation and communications. The Murano also gets the same big screens as the Armada, depending on trim level.

Murano features backlit switchgear, proper volume knob.

Driving the VC-Turbo-powered Murano with its rack-mounted electric power steering, frequency-sensing shock absorbers and stiffer front and rear suspension gives the small CUV performance-sedan-like handling.

The Murano ranges in price from $40,470 for the base SV trim in front-wheel drive to $46,560 for the AWD SL model, reaching $49,600 for the top-end all-wheel-drive Platinum model. Prices do not include $1,390 for destination and handling.

Murano's upscale interior, with wide display screens.

The Verdict

As bookends of the Nissan premium utility offerings, the Armada and Murano provide the company with two competitive options in a market flooded with similar vehicles. The updates come at the right time for a struggling automaker in need of some fresh products while it plots its course toward an eventual tie-up with fellow Japanese automaker Honda during the coming year. 

Armada Platinum sports chiseled styling, floating roof.