For 2021 the Nissan Armada has been given a mild face-lift to freshen it up in showrooms along with a number of feature adds to keep buyers interest as competitors have been rolling out all-new models.

Based on the global Nissan Patrol which has been around for over 10 years and also the twin in its luxury variant Infiniti QX80, our North American market Nissan Armada gets its first re-fresh with a new face sporting a redesigned V-Motion grille, new hood and front fenders and new LED headlights.

The look is more squared off and chiseled as Nissan says. They are correct. Headlights in particular are sharper in their look, but seem pasted on along with the sharp new grill when viewed in composition with the side profile which still has many rounded and curved forms.

Wheel arch trim is now standard in body-color. There are dark-painted roof rails with a 220-lb weight rating and acoustic windshield and front side windows are now standard .New bumpers are added front and rear along with all-new wheel designs to complete the stylistic fresh cake. It is also the first vehicle to carry the a Nissan logo that will be coming to other products soon.

A new Midnight Edition trim package includes black exterior logos, black painted mirrors, black painted roof rails, blacked out LED tail lamps, black painted grille, and black skid plates.

The interior while based on the same bones across the board gets a few tweaks here and there starting with a center stack now housing a larger and standard 12.3-inch infotainment display. Standard now is also Wi-Fi, wireless Apple CarPlay and available is wireless smartphone charging.

A new instrument cluster features a 7.0-inch digital display which offers full color and higher resolution for improved visibility. Armada SV offers a new vinyl or “Prima-Tex” seating surfaces, while leather seating comes on SL and Platinum getting a quilted leather.

Carried over is the venerable 400 horsepower 5.6-liter V8 engine and 7-speed automatic transmission. Given, its EPA estimated fuel economy remains in the thirsty column at best with a 14 mpg city, 19 mpg highway and 16 mpg combined set of ratings

It might be old but offers best in-class t owing at 8,500 pounds in both two and four-wheel drive models. To that, now added are an integrated trailer brake controller, tow hitch receiver and trailer sway control.

It’s ladder frame chassis carries on unchanged but with healthy specs some American made competitors have just caught up with. An independent double-wishbone front and rear suspension with twin-tube shocks keep it real and world class in its handling.

The 2021 Nissan Armada is built in Japan and comes at first in the current trim grades of SV, SL and Platinum. A lower priced entry level S grade has been announced however and will be available at a later date.