CHANGES FOR 2008:

Click image to enlarge Images courtesy: Nissan

- New headlight and fog lamp designs
- New front fascia
- New one-piece roof rack design
- Revised rear fascia
- 20-inch wheels replaced 18-inch wheels
- Power-operated third-row seat
- New standard auto-close tailgate
- 8-inch rear-seat DVD screen replaces 7-inch screen
- New heated leather wheel and woodgrain interior accents
- Available navigation system includes optional XM Nav-Traffic function (late availability)
- Two new colours: Pebble Beach and Timberline

For 2008, changes to the Nissan Armada are mostly cosmetic, with slight alterations to the face and nose, and a new one-piece roof rack design. Inside, the Armada becomes even more luxurious, with a power-folding third-row 60/40 seat, heated wheel and upgraded stereo; only a navigation system is optional, which can be further enhanced with live traffic reports in major cities, courtesy of XM Satellite Radio.

Based on the Nissan Titan pickup truck, the Armada also appears at Infiniti as the QX56. While it’s sold in the U.S. in two trim lines, it’s strictly a top-line LE in Canada, using the Titan’s 5.6-litre V8 with five-speed automatic transmission, and four-wheel drive with two-speed electronic transfer case.

Standard features include 20-inch alloy wheels, side and curtain airbags, automatic headlamps, back-up camera, front and rear proximity sensors, power sunroof, tire pressure monitoring system, BOSE six-CD stereo with compact flash slot and XM Satellite Radio, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, cruise control, eight-inch rear-seat DVD system with two wireless headphones, garage door opener, Intelligent Key, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, heated auto-dimming exterior mirrors with turn signals, eight-way power driver and six-way power passenger heated leather seats, fold-flat second-row seats, power-folding 60/40 split third-row seats, leather-wrapped heated wheel, power rear quarter windows, speed-sensitive variable intermittent wipers, intermittent rear wiper, auto-dimming rear-view mirror with compass, garage door opener, dual-zone automatic climate control, power-adjustable pedals, fog lamps, privacy glass, power liftgate with flip-open glass, roof rack with crossbars, and power sunroof.

The sole available option is a Technology Package, which adds a hard-disc-drive navigation system with 3D view, touch-screen controls, voice recognition, single-disc CD player, 9.3-GB Music Box and compact flash slot for MP3/WMA files.

The Armada is a huge vehicle, although its steering and handling make it easier to drive than its size would appear; still, the back-up camera and proximity sensors are welcome additions when parking in city spots. The upgrades turn it into one of Nissan’s most luxurious vehicles, and its full-length boxed frame gives it a towing capacity that increases slightly from 8,900 lbs to 9,000.