Nissan has unveiled the 2025 Armada, a three-row, body-on-frame SUV that enthusiasts from the rest of the world knows as the Patrol. But does the Armada name really have more cachet than Patrol, which is pretty much recognized globally as an off-road beast rivaling the almighty Toyota Land Cruiser? Nissan itself seems to wish they could call it the Patrol, introducing the 2025 Armada alongside a 1967 Patrol and hiding easter eggs in the Armada’s design that recognize the Patrol’s status as a global legend.
The first prototype of the Nissan Patrol was completed in September 1951 as a response to the Japanese government’s request for a small 4WD vehicle for the National Police Reserve Force. The Mitsubishi Jeep ended up winning that bid, but Nissan produced it anyway, and managed to find customers in national and local police forces. A radio communications vehicle was also developed.
Nissan introduced the second-generation Patrol in 1960 and sold it in the US from 1962 to 1969. It was the most prominent Nissan-badged model in America — the rest were sold as Datsuns — until the Nissan name change in 1983.
Actor Roy Rogers, famous for his role in westerns, was a spokesperson for the Patrol, pitching it as having enough torque to “climb trees.”
In 2016 Nissan began building the second-gen Armada on the global Patrol platform in order to save costs. That would have been a good time to change the name, but the Armada name, carried over from the Titan pickup-based SUV for the North American market, soldiered on.
Now Nissan is trying to retcon the Armada with its Patrol ancestor. It even introduced the third-gen Armada with a 1967 Patrol from its Heritage Collection. According to senior Nissan communications specialist Eric Ruble, this particular example was discovered on an Iowa farm by an Infiniti tech specialist, who bought it and sold it to Nissan USA when he left the company.
Ruble says that the L60 Patrol had been used as a farm truck but was in good running condition when Nissan purchased it in July 1997. The exterior was given a fresh coat of paint in its original blue-with-white-top color combo. Its 4.0-liter straight-six didn’t require a rebuild, nor did the interior need restoring.
In the Patrol’s 47-year absence from the US market it became a globally recognized SUV, famous for its rugged off-road capabilities. That’s particularly true in the Middle East, where the Patrol is considered on par with the Land Cruiser and is a favorite for customizers, drag racers, and dune climbers. And you know the Patrol is a name that carries weight when there’s a Hot Wheels version, in this case a Y60.
To link the new Y63 Armada with the classic Patrol, Nissan has included some easter eggs alluding to the latter. In the center console and in flood lights, the phrase “Since 1951” appears, an allusion to the original Patrol. A rubber mat for the wireless phone charger has textures inspired by sand dunes, a reference to the Patrol’s prowess in the Middle East. And though not directly related to the Patrol, three slots above the grille hint at the D21 Nissan Hardbody and Pathfinder on the off-road Pro-4X trim level.
Ironically, the new Armada’s engine actually displaces less than the 1967 model’s. But the 3.5 liter twin-turbo V6 is significantly more efficient, making 425 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. Mated with a 9-speed automatic, that’s good for a towing capacity of 8,500 pounds if you want to rescue a barn find classic Patrol of your own.
Will all the Patrol references pay off? We don’t expect many customers to get the easter eggs. What does “Since 1951” mean? The Armada name has only been around since 2003, and Nissan has been around since December 1933 (a “Since 1933” under the Nissan badge might be more impressive) and is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. To get the clues you’d have to really get into the weeds with global market trivia that only nerds like us care about. Why not just name it Patrol and be done with it?
Armada is fine for this market. The only “patrolling” that thing will do here is dropping the kids off at the soccer field on the way to the mall…
Didn’t Nissan initially call it Pathfinder Armada when it first came out? Were they trying to tag along with the Pathfinder fame so that it can give this vehicle a push-start in the States?
Yes, they did indeed! 810 Maxima, Stanza Altima, Versa Note. They have a history of doing this!
I work at a Nissan dealership. I asked a Rep from Nissan about this one time long ago, and his response was that it helps to avoid new model crash testing, and emissions testing.
Keep armada nameplate for the 3-row version, lose some bells&whistles for the 2-row and, harken back to the Patrol’s old color palette and, tou might have something.
I’m not from the USA so I’m not entirely sure how the “Armada” name is perceived but from where I’m from, we have the Nissan Patrol Safari, Nissan Patrol, Nissan Patrol Super Safari, and the most recent Nissan Patrol Royale, which in the US is branded as Armada.
But looks like the Marketing team there is desperately trying to associate the Armada with the Patrol brand so it’s kinda weird that they don’t just call it like how most of the world is calling it, a Patrol.
Then again, like I said, I wouldn’t know how that name affects sales there so…
Most people in the US have never heard of the Patrol name plate. I’ve never seen one in my 70 years on this rock. Whereas everyone knows what a Land Cruiser is.