Now that Nissan has built the final R35 GT-R and no formal successor has been announced, there are only two vehicles available in the US from the company's Nismo performance division: the 2026 Nissan Z Nismo sports car (which will finally get a manual transmission option) and the 2026 Nissan Armada Nismo SUV (a new addition for the US market). These models are almost nothing alike, although they do share a twin-turbocharged V6 engine, albeit with different displacements.CarBuzz recently spent a week driving the Armada Nismo, a week which included a friend's staycation that required a large car with three-rows of seats. The Armada's massive footprint made it an easy choice for people hauling, and the Nismo added some flare above and beyond other trim levels. Does Nissan's largest Nismo model ever live up to that badge's sporty legacy without compromising practicality? The Most Aggressive Full-Size SUV Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet There's no mistaking an Armada Nismo for a standard Armada, as it pulls styling cues from past and current performance models like the GT-R and Z. That includes a Nismo-specific front fascia and grille, 22-inch wheels, red brake calipers, side steps, flared fenders, rear spoiler, and an aggressive body kit with the iconic Nismo red accent line. Those bold looks can be paired with three colors: Black Diamond Pearl, Stealth Gray, and Everest White TriCoat. The black and white hues are the same ones available on the Z Nismo, and the gray and white options can be paired with a black roof.Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet Nissan is not the only automaker to offer a sporty version of its full-size SUV, but it is one-of-a-kind. The Chevrolet Tahoe RST doesn't offer any additional performance from a standard model, nor does it do much to stand out visually. Every other "performance" model in this segment focuses on off-road capability, not on-road driving like the Nismo.Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/ValnetUnless you are willing to spend a lot more on a luxury-branded SUV like a Cadillac Escalade-V or a Rivian R1S Quad Motor, the Armada Nismo is in a class by itself. Our friends were split on the styling, with some commending Nissan for going so bold and others thinking the body kit was too aggressive, especially at the back. Luxury, But Not To The Max Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet The Nismo is the most expensive Armada trim level, but it's oddly missing a few features found in the Platinum Reserve trim. Instead of the Platinum's quilted leather, the Nismo comes with quilted Charcoal Red suede with black leather and Nismo logos on the headrests, giving the interior a bold look that matches the outside. These seats include adjustable bolsters that hold front occupants in during spirited driving as well as a massage function, but unlike the Platinum Reserve, they are only heated, not ventilated.Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet Nissan at least kept the red suede pattern going in the second row with the captain's chairs, which have a center console on the floor to store cups and other items, but are not heated. There's more suede in the third row, too, but only on the upper portion of the seat.Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet Nearly all of Nissan's best technology is packed in here on the 14.3-inch touchscreen, which is paired with an excellent 12-speaker Klipsch audio system that wouldn't sound out of place in an Infiniti (because the QX80 has a similar system). But like the ventilated seats, Nissan skimped out on a few tech features found in the Platinum Reserve, such as the in-car camera, intelligent dash cam, head-up display, and ProPilot Assist 2.1 hands-free driving. The Biggest Nismo Yet Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/ValnetThis is the largest and most spacious vehicle to ever wear the Nismo badge in the US. Prior to this, the Juke and Sentra were the only Nismo models with more than two doors sold in North America. While the Armada is big, for a Nissan, it doesn't quite measure up to the giants offered by the Big Three American brands. With the third row up, the Armada has 20.4 cubic feet of space, enough for a few carry-on bags stacked up cleverly.Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet Thankfully, the Armada has a digital rearview mirror, so you can block the rear glass without impeding the driver's vision. Folding the powered third-row opens up 56.3 cubic feet, and dropping the second-row brings a total of 97.1 cubes. For comparison, all three American competitors from Ford, General Motors, and Jeep pack well over 100 cubic feet of space, but the hybrid Toyota Sequoia only has 86.9 cubes.Our Friends Weekend required a lot of stuff, and the Armada was completely stuffed on the drive over to our AirBnB. Nissan's largest SUV squeezed everything, but only just. On the way home, we needed to drop off two of our friends at the airport, and despite eating most of the food (but gaining their luggage), the Armada still managed to barely accommodate everything safely thanks to the digital rearview mirror.If you frequently plan to carry seven or eight passengers plus cargo behind the third row, the American SUVs in this segment are superior, especially in their extended wheelbase configurations. During our long weekend, we never needed to carry that many people and boxes at the same time, so this was never an issue. The Armada's interior volume is not class-leading, but adults have enough room in all three rows, even with seven adult passengers onboard. It's only as a cargo-hauler that the Armada could improve. Is It A Proper Nismo? Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/ValnetNissan's Nismo-branded models aren't just an appearance package, they have the performance to match their hotter looks. In this case, the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 is tuned up from the standard 425 hp to 460 hp; that's 10 more horses than you get from the Infiniti QX80, the Armada's luxury sibling with the same 516 lb-ft torque rating. With 35 more horsepower on tap, we expected the Nismo to be the quickest Armada variant, and based on our testing, that appears to be true.Though it doesn't have launch control, the Nismo's nine-speed automatic and full-time four-wheel-drive system enable it to reach 60 mph in 5.93 seconds in Sport Mode. That's quicker than the times we recorded in the 2025 Armada Platinum Reserve RWD (6.16 seconds) and the 2026 Armada Pro-4X (6.17 seconds) as well as the ones we clocked in the 2026 QX80 Sport (6.48 seconds) and 2025 QX80 Sensory.At the launch event for the QX80, we measured a 2025 Autograph 4WD from 0–60 mph in just 5.75 seconds, but this time now seems like an abnormality compared to the others. Aside from the Ford Expedition and Jeep Wagoneer, which we have not tested from 0–60 mph, few vehicles of this size (excluding EVs and luxury models) can keep up with the Armada Nismo in a straight line.2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV 3X: 3.98 seconds2024 Cadillac Escalade-V: 4.76 seconds2025 Lincoln Navigator Reserve: 5.3 seconds2025 Lexus LX 700h Overtrail: 5.72 seconds2026 Nissan Armada Nismo: 5.93 seconds2026 Chevrolet Suburban High Country: 6.22 secondsTo go along with the extra boost, the Nismo division tunes the Armada with sharper steering, firmer adaptive electronic air suspension, and a throatier exhaust note, some of which is piped in through the speakers. The combination of Nismo's efforts doesn't suddenly make the Armada feel more like the Z, but it's slightly more enjoyable without ruining daily usability.No one should expect their 5,800-lb, seven-seat behemoth to be track-capable, especially when the brakes are the same as a standard Armada despite being painted red. We like the enhanced howl from the exhaust, which doesn't wake the dead like an Escalade-V but reminds you the Nismo is sportier. History Of The Patrol Nismo Nissan It might seem strange for Nissan to slap the Nismo performance badge onto its largest SUV, but the idea is older than you might think. It dates back over a decade to 2015, when Nissan launched the Nismo brand for the Middle East market. Customers could buy sports cars like the GT-R Nismo and 370Z Nismo, but they also got a sporty version of the Patrol, their version of the Armada. Back then, the Patrol was powered by a 5.6-liter V8 engine, and the Nismo version was tuned to deliver 428 hp.Some of the details found on the current Armada Nismo were there over 10 years ago, including the retuned engine and red tachometer. Nissan continually made the Nismo trim bolder, bringing more red accents for both the body kit and the interior, making this one of the most attention-grabbing SUVs in the world.We never thought Nissan would bring this kind of vehicle to the US, but given how Americans love large vehicles, it seems like a match made in heaven. With 17,465 units sold last year, the Armada is not a volume player in the full-size SUV segment, but the Nismo trim may give shoppers one more reason to consider it over its American competitors from Ford, GM, and Jeep. Being The Cool Parent Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet Plenty of automakers offer a full-size SUV with some level of off-road capability; there's the Chevy Tahoe Z71, Ford Expedition Tremor, GMC Yukon AT4 (and AT4X), Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro, and Nissan's own Armada Pro-4X. But if you want one of these massive vehicles with a truly bold look for the street, the Armada Nismo is the only thing that comes close.Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet Starting at $79,530, the Nismo trim is technically the most expensive in the Armada portfolio, but the Platinum Reserve, which comes with rear-wheel-drive as standard, is technically more expensive ($80,550) when you add 4WD. As we mentioned, the Nismo misses out on a few goodies found in the Platinum Reserve, including ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a built-in dash camera, and hands-free driving, but if you want to stand out with an Armada that looks more unique and will draw more attention, it's a no-brainer for the exclusivity and the additional performance.Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet Every time your kids have friends that come over and ride in the family car, the flared body kit, red suede, and louder exhaust will let them know you are the cool parents.
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