Nissan has just unveiled an overland build of their latest Armada, called the Nissan Armada Mountain Patrol and they hope to do with their Y62 Patrol that the rest of the world hasn’t been quick to do - take it seriously as an overland vehicle. The Patrol (known as the Armada here in this iteration) has a storied history of exploration and rugged adventure and the pervious generations were highly regarded against the stiffest of competition from Mercedes with the G wagon and Toyota with the Land Cruiser. I’m a Land Cruiser guy as you know but I have boundless respect for the Patrol brand and if the 80 series was made in Toyota’s finest hour I think its completely appropriate to make that comparison to the Y61 patrol.
When Nissan came out with the Y62 in 2010 is was...not well received. Priced like a Land Cruiser 200 series but without a single solid axle and only a thirsty V8 gas engine. Compared to the dual solid axle diesel engine Y61 it was not only what many considered a poor replacement it was akin to a slap in the face to Patrol enthusiasts. Firstly the cost of fuel and range from the gas engine was hard to stomach for places like Australia where vast distances require vast amounts of fuel and then the price made it an extra hard pill to swallow. Not long after its initial reception Nissan slashed tens of thousands out of the price and the fuel lust was made more palatable.
In the US gas only really isn’t the issue it is elsewhere, for one even the most adventurous overlanding trips here can be easily accommodated by refueling locations on the standard tank (plus maybe a jerry or two) for another the price of fuel is much lower. So when Nissan needed a replacement 8 seat SUV to replace the old Titan based Armada they reached into the Patrol bag and brought us the Y62, rebadged with the Armada name. Why they renamed it “Armada” is beyond me, as the Patrol is a cooler name and Armada doesn’t really have much brand equity in the US after only 1 generation of so/so product. Even Nissan themselves would rather you think of it more like a Patrol.
So no, I don’t know why its not a Patrol but I can let the name thing slide given that what Nissan have brought us is, in essence, a discount Land Cruiser without all the frills.
While it doesn’t have the Patrol’s (and QX80 stable mate) Hydraulic Body Motion Control (HBMC) that allows for more articulation and better on road dynamics, nor does it have the rear differential lock the Patrol the Y62 is a solid platform that can and should be taken seriously. It has the space, the robustness and the off road chops to make for an excellent heavy touring wagon.
Now I think, personally, that overland jewelry is getting a little out of hand and many people in the US have mistaken overlanding for bolting as many things as possible to a 4x4 and going out of the weekend but I do respect and recognize that Nissan has, like Jeep, Figured out there is money in them to be made in the market and is willing to show the industry and their prospective clients that they get it.
To that end Nissan is chasing the exploding overland market in a way I wish Toyota could get it through their thick heads and do with the Nissan Armada Mountain Patrol. Its a Patrol with all the usual suspects for the overland build:
- 35 inch AT tires
- Rhino rack Expedition style rack
- Front and rear bumpers
- 12,000 winch
- Driving lights (galore)
- rock sliders
- ARB fridge
- Roller bearing drawer system
- Compressor
- Awning
- Icon suspension with a 6(!) inch lift.
- Roof top tent
Its the whole package and honestly its exactly how many people would build this up on their own. Its probably excessive for many but its exactly the kind of “complete” expo kit you can expect.
Its to be determined how it performs off road but it certainly looks like it has what it takes. The only things that stick out to me as a concern is the diff drop kit, required I assume to fit 35 inch tires, hang precariously low and is a giant square edge looking for a rock, a steel slider plate there would do wonders to solve that issue. The other issue that may hamper progress is a general lack of suspension flexibility, a consequence of independent suspension at the limits of acceptable CV angle plus what I can only assume is stronger springs to allow for the increased ride height and load carrying. It also appears the rear diff is left unprotected, which could be a problem.
That being said the VQ engine has the power to put the traction control system to good use and power this, what I can assume is well into the 7000 lb range (nearly 6000 without the extra gear), American Patrol through whatever comes its way.
Personally I think its overkill, as you can get 35 inch tires on a nearly stock Y62 without much difficulty but you don’t win friends with salad subtlety.
More than in this particular vehicle, which is NOT something Nissan will sell BTW, I’m excited that Nissan is starting to come around to the growth and popularity of the overland lifestyle in America. I’ve been impressed with the dated Frontier and Xterra and they’ve been popular vehicles for being good, robust platforms and Im excited and encouraged that Nissan management will not neglect the off road enthusiast in their next generation products.
Will the Armada do here what the Patrol has struggled to do elsewhere? We’ll see, Toyota still has a pretty tight hold on the overland market with the Tacoma and 4runner but there is a MASSIVE gap in the Toyota lineup where 4runner tops out at 5 seats and $45,000 and the 8 seat $85,000 Land Cruiser picks up that the 8 seat $48,000 Armada SV 4x4 could neatly fill.