Nissan’s Tankiest SUV Just Got a First-Ever Tuner-Worthy Performance Upgrade

With an interior suitable for eight adults, the Armada was already beastly. Now, it has sporty styling and a power boost to match.

2026 Nissan Armada Nismo SUV side panel badging closeup

By Sean Tirman

Published June 25, 2025

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Typically, giant SUVs and performance tuning don’t really go hand-in-hand. Far more often than not, big sport utility vehicles are relegated to serving as comfort cruisers while smaller, sportier coupes and sedans get all the fun bits.

Need proof? Nissan’s largest SUV, the Armada, was launched in 2003. For 22 years, it has never been offered with an in-house tuning package … until now. For the 2026 model year, Nissan has finally given the Armada the Nismo treatment. And it is glorious.

2026 Nissan Armada Nismo SUV on racetrack at sunset — With Nismo styling, this might be the best the Armada has ever looked.

Performance tank

The 2026 Nissan Armada Nismo is just as big as ever. That means it has an eight-seat interior, a 209.7-inch exterior (with a 121.1-inch wheelbase), a height of 76.6 inches (with at least 9.6 inches of ground clearance) and so on.

It’s still Nissan’s largest SUV by a pretty wide margin. However, the Nismo package has also changed quite a lot about it. That starts with its styling.

Altogether, this Nismo version may be the best-looking Armada ever. But that’s only half the story.

The outside has been given the in-house tuning brand’s signature blue-gray paint job with red accents on the borders of the grille, down around the lower edges, on the side mirrors and more. In fact, even the engine gets Nismo’s signature red highlights.

That styling also extends to the interior, although the blue-gray is swapped for black (but the red is still all over the cockpit). Other details include 22-inch Nismo Rays forged-alloy wheels and performance tires and performance seats.

Altogether, this Nismo version may be the best-looking Armada ever. But that’s only half the story.

2026 Nissan Armada Nismo SUV on street at sundown — The Armada is just as beefy as ever, but now it has the power and style to back it up.

These are the voyages of the starship Armada

The most important and exciting change in the Nismo-tuned Armada is under the hood. After all, it wouldn’t be a true Nismo if it didn’t have a performance-tuned engine.

As such, it boasts a twin-turbo 3.5L V6 powerplant that’s good for 460 horsepower (up from 415) and 516 foot-pounds of torque. It also gets a retuned exhaust for a burlier growl.

2026 Nissan Armada Nismo SUV interior — Even the inside of the Nismo Armada looks fast.

But that’s not all; this Armada also gets a sportier suspension and retooled steering for better overall response and handling. Pair that with the new wheels and tires, and this SUV offers exceptional overall grip, stability and control.

Of course, it’s still loaded with comfort and convenience features, too. It has a fully-equipped infotainment system, a 9-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and all the other modern conveniences we’ve come to expect.