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Offbeat all-roader
Pathfinder Armada offers a fleet of features
Story and photos by Bradley Horn
Thursday, September 11, 2003
NAPA VALLEY, California - Nissan says it knows a dirty little secret about you rough and tumble, full-size SUV buyers out there. Despite your Greyhound bus-like proportions (of your truck that is) and your knobby tires, you really want a minivan. Now before you write an irate letter, let's clarify. According to Nissan, you want your vehicle to be a "minivan on the inside, but not on the outside." There has to be three rows of seats, tons of storage and versatility (just like a minivan), but it's got to be wrapped up in sexy, pectoral-flexing sheetmetal.
Since jacking up the new Quest minivan would be a somewhat left field solution, Nissan will soon introduce its first foray into the full-size SUV market, the Pathfinder Armada. The truck is actually an offshoot of Nissan's coming full-size pickup, the Titan.
Aside from the front end styling the two share, the Armada adapts the pickup's fully boxed frame, albeit modified in the rear to accept a 5-link independent rear suspension.
Bolted to that frame is a sculpted body of crisp lines and gentle curves. The Pathfinder Armada's chief product specialist, Larry Dominique, describes the SUV's styling as "polarizing" and admits it's not meant to appeal to everyone. Certainly a miss with us was the drab grey colours and textures in the Pathfinder Armada's interior. The schemes work on the Titan pickup but fall flat in the SUV. Nissan told us some of the patterns were not production accurate, so hopefully they'll improve. Otherwise the Armada's interior is a front runner in terms of equipment and refinement. The instrument panel is identical to the Titan's, with a centre console that can swallow a laptop. Because they're shared with the pickup, all the controls are large and easy to use. Standard on all Armadas is a multifunction steering wheel with audio and cruise controls. The front passenger seat folds down, as well as the second and third rows, meaning a 10-ft. ladder can fit inside with the rear hatch closed. The second row offers best-in-class legroom and comes as either a bench or bucket seats with a removable centre console. The third row can seat two smaller people and folds down without having to remove the headrests. A navigation system and rear DVD entertainment system are optional.
On the safety front, the Pathfinder Armada gets an 'A' for standard features like front and side curtain airbags that protect all three seat rows, 4-wheel ABS disc brakes and Nissan's Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) stability control.
Power comes from an impressive, all-new V8 engine, shared with the Titan pickup. Originally Nissan wanted to use a derivative of the Q45's engine in both trucks, but the necessary power levels couldn't be reached. New from the oil pan up, the Endurance V8 produces best-in-class power at 305 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque. That betters the Ford Expedition and Chevy Tahoe by 45 hp and 20 hp respectively. A 5-speed transmission designed to handle the Armada's inspiring maximum towing capacity of 9,100 lb is standard, as is an all-wheel drive system derived from Nissan's high-strung Skyline GT-R sports car. Usually driving only the rear wheels, the system can transfer up to 50 per cent of the engine's power to the front wheels if road conditions warrant.
Nissan has really done wonders for the dynamics of this SUV. For such a large vehicle, it tracks well and corners surprisingly flat. The V8 never seemed to struggle through the hilly country around Napa and was, at most, a pleasing growl in the ears of passengers.
Pricing hasn't been announced, but Nissan says it should be in the neighbourhood of $50,000 to $60,000. That's unusually high for a truck going up against cheaper, more established domestics. Dare we say, it even infringes on the territory of Infiniti's FX SUV. Whatever the thinking is at Nissan, it's clear that the Pathfinder Armada is a surprisingly competent first attempt at a full-size SUV. And, while a tad rough in execution, it offers a welcome offbeat alternative for full-size SUV buyers.
Immediate competition:
Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, GMC Envoy XL, Lincoln Navigator, Toyota Sequoia
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