New Nissan Armada Could Get Nine-Speed Gearbox From Titan Pickup

Nissan is quickly updating its lineup as it tries to reverse its falling sales. Earlier this year, the company announced its plan to reveal 12 new models over the next 18 months, revamping nearly every vehicle in its lineup, including the Armada SUV. Still in its second-generation, the full-size brute received a thorough mid-cycle refresh for the 2021 model year. However, the update lacked any substantial tweaks to the gearbox, but that could change.

A new report from Motor Trend says that the automaker missed its development window for putting the Titan-sourced nine-speed gearbox into the Armada. However, according to Nissan product planner Brent Hagan, the extra two gears could find their way into the Armada sometime down the road. When remains the key question. Changing the gearbox is often reserved for complete redesigns; however, the updated Armada and Titan sport the same 5.6-liter V8 making the same 400 horsepower (291 kilowatts) and 413 pound-feet (534 Newton-Meters) of torque, and the Titan has nine speeds.

The updated Armada also received a thorough update in the design department, Nissan designers widening the V-shaped grille, standard LED headlights, metallic trim, and tweaks to the rear taillights and bumper. Inside, a 12.3-inch infotainment screen reapplies the 8.0-inch unit. Features include wireless Apple CarPlay, updatable maps and software via Wi-Fi, and more. A redesigned center console can be opened from the front and rear, too.

The seven-speed gearbox the 2021 Armada packs is plenty capable, with a towing capacity of 8,500 pounds – unchanged from the 2020 model. The company also added an integrated brake controller and trailer sway control. Two more forward gears will help eke up the Armada’s fuel economy, though it’ll be negligible in the real world. Without a timeline as to when this could happen, we expect the switch could be reserved for a redesigned third-generation Armada.