Nissan says that there really is a market for its huge truck-based eight-passenger SUV, called the Armada, and thus, won’t make it any smaller with the new upcoming generation. Speculated to arrive in 2015 or 2016, the redesigned model will simply be an evolution of the current model in every way, without changing the formula too much – it will be just as big, and almost just as heavy.
We bring you this news, courtesy of Edmunds, which spoke with Nissan North America’s chief product specialist for the Nissan Titan pickup truck and Armada, Rich Miller. He explained that there’s still a customer based for the Armada the way it is, and that “this customer needs the size and the towing.”
So, they will have to “get innovative” with their approach to make the vehicle perform more efficiently, and well, there are a lot of options out there to choose from, but they don’t need to interfere with the core values and capabilities that the truck/SUV was bought for in the first place.
Still, for those looking for a classic body-on-frame vehicle of the more modern kind, then the wait for the new Armada may just be worth it. Thing is, returning 12 mpg (19.6 l/100km) in town (for the all-wheel drive model) is appalling, and they’ll have to get really creative if they want to improve that without actually changing the vehicle in any major way. It’s a very challenging task for them, but development on the vehicle is reportedly halfway done, so they must have done something in this time…
I say just throw away the V8 and give it a V6 diesel, or at least offer it as an option.
By Andrei Nedelea
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