- The new Infiniti QX80 serves as the perfect base when imagining what the new Nissan Armada and its global Patrol twin will look like.
- The new Patrol is expected to ditch the V8 for a twin-turbocharged V6, promising improved performance and likely better fuel efficiency.
- Built on a ladder-frame chassis, the new Armda and Patrol will retain their off-road and towing capabilities.
It’s been 14 long years since the current-generation Nissan Patrol debuted, and eight years since it arrived virtually unchanged in North America as the second-generation Nissan Armada. That’s quite a stretch, but fortunately, the brand is in the process of developing a new-generation model. Could it bear some resemblance to this independent design study?
These renderings of the upcoming model were crafted by Kelsonik for Kolesa and are based on the 2025 Infiniti QX80. As such, the overall shape of the full-size off-roader is identical to the more luxurious QX80, but it has received vastly different front and rear fascias.
More: 2025 Infiniti QX80 Drops V8 And Embraces Modern Luxury To Battle Cadillac Escalade
The front of the 2025 Patrol is rocking a massive front grille, even larger than that of the outgoing model. Sitting on either side of this grille are new headlights, each adorned with two C-shaped LED daytime running lights.
Compared to the QX80, the Patrol will be more rugged and a hair more utilitarian. As such, Kelsonik has rendered it with traditional door handles, rather than ones that sit flush with the bodywork like they do in the Infiniti. Found at the rear of the new model is a tailgate similar in shape and size to that of the QX80 but accompanied by a pair of revised LED taillights and a full-width light bar.
Illustrations Kelsonik / Kolesa
Like its predecessor, the new model will ride on a ladder-frame chassis. However, it will swap out the 400hp 5.6-liter naturally-aspirated V8 for a twin-turbocharged V6, which delivers 50 hp (336 kW / 456 PS) and 516 lb-ft (699 Nm) of torque in the new QX80.
While Nissan isn’t currently developing any diesel powertrains for the new model, there’s a possibility that one of the brand’s ePower hybrid systems could be introduced to the lineup in the future, particularly in markets where the Patrol is offered.
Read: 2024 Nissan Patrol Needs Armada’s Interior But Gets Aftermarket Screen Instead
Nissan’s global head of product strategy and planning, Ivan Espinosa, confirmed late last year that the 2025 Patrol will have vastly improved “overall performance” and better “driving dynamics,” thanks to improvements made to the chassis and steering. It should also be more capable off-road than the outgoing model.
In the U.S., the Nissan Armada competes with the Chevy Tahoe and Toyota Sequoia in the full-size segment. Outside of North America, its primary rival is the Toyota Land Cruiser 300, which is not sold here where we get the slightly smaller and less upscale Land Cruiser (200 in Japan).
Both the Armada and its Patrol twin are expected to make their debut just before the end of the year.
Note: This story includes renderings that are not affiliated with nor endorsed by Nissan.