2026 Nissan Armada NISMO Gets 35-HP Boost To Give Full-Size Some Fast

Nissan is betting it all on big performance with the new Armada NISMO SUV. Based on the company’s full-sized three-row body-on-frame SUV, the Armada NISMO is a family-and-ass-hauling monster with more power, sportier suspension and steering, a louder exhaust, and “signature NISMO design,” says Nissan. It seems that every company with a full-size SUV is jumping to launch a performance variant following the success of Cadillac’s Escalade-V. The Armada was hardly a slouch before with a twin-turbo direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 under the hood, in spite of its 6,000-ish pounds. If you wanted something quicker and sportier, but still capable of pulling a trailer and driving a typical three-generation family to dinner in style, then maybe the Armada NISMO is for you. 

Nissan

The first thing you’ll notice when you roll up to an Armada NISMO on the dealer showroom floor is that it has a bunch of black trim with red accents. Nissan calls this a “comprehensive makeover” with NISMO-specific fascia front and rear, a new grille, standard side entry steps, and a rear hatch spoiler. The biggest thing you may notice, however, is the truck’s wider fender flares wrapped around a larger 22-inch wheel and tire package. Does it look sporty? Absolutely it does. Does it look good? Not really, but the Armada wasn’t exactly a looker before it was hit with the NISMO stick. Nissan will offer the Armada NISMO in black, white, or grey. 

Open the hood and you’ll see the same VR35DDTT engine that has served the Armada, Patrol, and Infiniti QX80 well in the current generation. The VR family of engines has proven itself dating back to 2007 in the R35 GT-R, and lives on in the current Nissan Z, albeit with different displacements. The Armada typically gets a 425-horsepower version, while the QX80 is pumped up to 450 ponies, but the new Armada NISMO is imbued with a full 460 horsepower. That extra 35-hp jump for the NISMO is due to a retuned exhaust system, “careful fine-tuning of valve clearances” and revised engine programming, which is fancy talk for cams, a cat-back, and a tune. 

Nissan

In addition to the power improvements in the engine bay, Nissan has seen fit to make the Armada’s handling dynamics a bit less Interstate 80 and a bit more Tsukuba Circuit. You’ll find “NISMO-exclusive tuning” of the electric power steering rack, and the rack itself has been reworked “for a sportier feel.” The big truck’s adaptive air suspension has also been retuned to provide better handling and a “more responsive driving experience.” It would be absolutely silly of Nissan to fit this truck with summer-only tires, but it’s got a higher-performance all-season and standard 22-inch wheels to improve all aspects of the road holding equation. Nissan doesn’t mention anything about the braking system, aside from the calipers having been painted red, so presumably the standard Armada’s brakes were deemed sufficient. 

Once you open the doors and step inside you’ll see red accents and stitching aplenty. There’s an entire herd worth of quilted leather for you to touch, grab, and sit on, each truck finished with the same charcoal and red color scheme. Nissan says the front seats have been upgraded with adjustable side bolsters that “help snug occupants in place during spirited driving.” I’m not sure how spirited you’re going to get on a twisty road in a giant SUV, but the bolsters might be helpful on highway onramps or something. To add to the sporty boy-racer interior look, the pedals have been upgraded to aluminum with little rubber grippers, and the ambient lighting in the cockpit can now change color with your mood. 

If Nissan was serious about taking on the performance SUV market, it probably should have used the GT-R’s now-dead 3.8-liter version of the VR engine, because that made up to 710 horsepower and would have been a slap in the face of things like the Dodge Durango Hellcat or Escalade V, and it wouldn’t have taken much extra engineering to make happen. Unfortunately Nissan gave its admittedly well-put-together SUV a mild makeover at a premium price. Speaking of price, Nissan hasn’t announced one for the Armada NISMO yet, but considering the base Armada starts at $57,520 and tops out close to $80,000, it isn’t going to be an inexpensive proposal. The 2026 Armada NISMO will hit dealerships this fall.