The head of design describes it as a ‘beast.’
Back in 2015, Nissan made a bold move by introducing a Nismo-badged SUV. The Patrol (known as the Armada in the U.S.) was given a high-powered upgrade with aggressive styling specifically for the Middle Eastern market. This full-size, body-on-frame performance SUV received a facelift in 2021, and reports suggest the next-generation model will continue with the Nismo treatment—and it promises to be a “beast.”
In an interview with Australian magazine Drive, Nissan’s senior vice president for global design, Alfonso Albaisa, shared his excitement about the upcoming Patrol Nismo: “When I first saw it, I didn’t sleep for four days. When I saw the milled clay—because when you see sketches, you lose a sense of its scale—it’s a beast.”
It’s uncertain if the new Patrol Nismo will have an Armada variant, as the previous generation did not. What is confirmed is that the naturally aspirated 428-horsepower V8 won’t be making a comeback. Instead, Nissan will equip it with a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6, similar to the standard Patrol/Armada models. Notably, in some markets, the new Patrol is also available with a base 3.8-liter V6 that doesn’t use turbocharging.
The 2025 Armada will share its six-cylinder engine with the Infiniti QX80. In the standard version, it delivers 425 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque—already 25 hp and 103 lb-ft more than the previous naturally aspirated 5.6-liter engine. It’s likely that the high-performance Nismo variant will be even more powerful. While Albaisa didn’t disclose exact figures, he did confirm there will be “obviously more power and torque.”
On the other hand, Albaisa acknowledges that some may miss the V8’s distinctive sound. He hinted that Nissan might consider adding artificial sound through the speakers, though he remained vague: “I’m not saying we’re doing that, but of course, there are synthetic sounds that people use.” If they go this route, let’s hope there will at least be an option to turn it off.
The new, more powerful Patrol will join the fully electric Ariya in Nissan’s Nismo SUV lineup. Previously, Nissan also offered a Juke Nismo and even a Juke-R with a GT-R engine, though only a limited number were ever sold.
