1 / 5

The exterior of the new 2022 Nissan Armada.

Courtesy photo

2 / 5

The exterior of the new 2022 Nissan Armada.

Courtesy photo

3 / 5

The interior of the new 2022 Nissan Armada.

Courtesy photo

4 / 5

The digital dashboard inside of the new 2022 Nissan Armada.

Courtesy photo

5 / 5

The new 2022 Nissan Armada is a capable off-road vehicle.

Courtesy photo

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In 2021, Nissan redesigned its flagship SUV, the Armada, adding a huge amount of technology as well as family-friendly features that are giving many parents a reason to take a second look at this full-size SUV.

Even we, as empty nesters, would enjoy having an Armada in the garage as it proved to be extremely easy to drive and, more importantly, maneuver around, even with its loads of extra cargo space.

With the new redesign, the exterior has changes that include a new grille, hood, front fenders and rear bumpers along with all-new LED headlights and taillights. With this new look comes a far more rugged personality. We might go as far as to say it has gone back to the look of the Nissans of yesteryear.

This is by no means a bad thing as we loved the new look. The company has moved away from some of the curves that have dominated many of their past products. The new Armada is set to appeal to a larger demographic, having that ruggedness while still maintaining an upscale vibe.

A side note to the launch of the 2022 Armada is it will be the first of Nissan’s new vehicles to carry the all-new Nissan logo up front. The new design is sleeker and will be easier to read on a flat surface, especially with all the space afforded it on the large Armada.

Nissan has done a great job of incorporating the LED headlights into the body and coming up with some great angles and a fierce look at night. This look really moves one’s eyes around the vehicle instead of constantly attracting the focus to the large lights up front.

The new Armada comes as one of the last body-on-frame SUVs on the market and is more than ready to take on any challenge. It’s equipped with 5.6-liter Endurance V8 engine providing a class-leading 400 horsepower and 413 foot-pounds of torque.

All that power brings the ability to tow up to 8,500 pounds, with a standard integrated trailer brake control on trim levels SV and above. This just goes to show how dedicated Nissan is to making their SUV a complete package for any family. We purchased a couple of different full-size SUVs when our kids were still at home, and we would have loved having the trailer brakes come included on those vehicles.

Higher trim levels, like the SL we were given for a week, also add a standard tow hitch receiver and trailer sway control that will automatically apply the brakes if the trailer starts to move around. This gives the driver more confidence in his or her ability to pull a trailer behind the Armada.

Inside, the designers have really stepped things up with a new standard 12.3-inch center display screen that dominates the front console. We found this high-definition screen to be awesome as it was easy to see and use, and it provided great graphics when we were backing up or getting into tight parking spaces.

This screen is definitely the largest we have ever seen in a Nissan, and we loved it throughout our week with the Armada. Even though it was stretched across the dashboard, it was easy to use and navigate with the rotary knob Nissan has included in the center console.

Our favorite part of the technology was the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that come with this new system. Also, our test ride came with a compartment below the screen that opened up to reveal a wireless charger. This compartment could be closed with a phone on the charger, keeping the phone safe and secure no matter what we were navigating in the SUV. This would be especially helpful while you were up in the mountains doing some off-roading.

Of course, the rest of the interior was top-notch in our SL test drive. The seats were clad in leather and heated, of course, to make those cold winter mornings easier to cope with. Our only wish was to also have a heated steering wheel.

Other creature comforts included the second-row captain’s chairs. These were easy to fold down to allow access to the third row of seats, as Craig found out when he loaded the Armada with boys for a night out at the bowling alley. Dual-zone temperature control along with a premium Bose audio system also came in the Armada.

Over the past few years, Nissan has made safety a priority by moving its Safety Shield 360 into all its vehicles, and this year it made its way into the Armada. This system includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, high beam assist and rear automatic braking. All of these are great safety features to have and are included standard.

Also standard were forward collision warning, intelligent cruise control, intelligent lane intervention, intelligent blind spot intervention, rearview monitor and intelligent driver alertness.

Since our week with the new Armada was a frigid week in January, we took the chance on Saturday to head up Spanish Fork Canyon. We continued up Diamond Fork as far as we could go before the closed gates stopped us from getting into some real snow.

The new Armada handled extremely well, even when we got onto snow-packed roads. With the four-wheel drive engaged, it was almost like being on pavement. It was a beautiful day for a ride that was made even more so with the new SUV.

The Armada would make a great addition to any family. It would hold everything necessary for any adventure and keep Mom or Dad even more in control during everyday driving adventures.

Base price: $59,710

Destination charge: $1,495

Price as driven: $64,630