Nissan Armada test drive since 2003 SUV

An error with a resident

This formidable SUV is officially sold only in the States. In Russia, the brand new Nissan Pathfinder Armada is possible only in a gray dealer, unless, of course, you have 100 thousand dollars.

The history of this car is very similar to the biography of almost all American and Quasserican SUVs. Initially, he was conceived as a pickup and was called Nissan Titan. However, the cunning Japanese, focusing exclusively on the star-striped market, simultaneously developed an SUV. As a result, Armada was born almost simultaneously with Titan.

The techno made in the still fashionable style, the powerful SUV is striking not only with design, but also with dimensions: two meters width, almost the same in height and more than five in length. There are few of them on our roads. However, if you recall that the older brother of this jeep is a truck, everything falls into place. What, in your opinion, there was a SUV if it were made of GAZ-53?

The front of Armada is the same as Titan, the rear, of course, is different. It is made in the same style as the front line: faced, as if cut down with an ax, relief, like a hood, the fifth door. The roof also supports this topic, although her break is nothing more than an illusion created by a peculiar slope of the window of the second row door.

Torpedo is an exact copy of Titanovsky. Although it was developed primarily for the truck, its appearance should be recognized as acceptable for such an expensive car. You can describe for a long time what is located on the central console, the instrument shield or in general in the cabin, but much is traditionally for machines of this class, and it is enough to state that all this is. It is more interesting to talk about what favorably distinguishes Armada from other SUVs.

The pedal node has an electrical adjustment. You feel that the pedals are far away, click on the key, and they move closer to the feet under the even buzz of the servus. Lent to get out of the car to help his wife put things in the trunk? Press the button, and the fifth door opens itself. You can also close it using an electric drive, you just need to poke the corresponding key on the torpedo or at the door itself, on the rear rack. Is the rear passengers tired of the landscape running around the windows? No problem! A monitor is installed on the ceiling console, which receives an image with a DVD player located in the central armrest between the front seats.

Seats in Armada are five: two in front, two in the second row and another sofa in the luggage compartment, designed for two people. The trunk is large 566 liters. If you remove the same sofa, the volume intended for baggage, will reach 1606 liters, while folding the second row seat, we get all 2750 liters with a maximum load capacity of 768 kg. In a word, the truck is a truck.

At the same time, Armada suspension is completely different than Titan is completely independent (although the front also rests on double transverse springs). A steel frame looks a little different. By the way, the designers refused to create a new platform from the supporting body almost immediately. At the same time, the car body performs not only a decorative function: the revised design has acquired a more rigor for twisting and bending.

As for the engines, they are identical. Both Armada and Titan are installed by a 5.6-liter V8, developing 305 hp. and possessing a breathtaking torque of 522 N.M. A 5-speed automatic helps to dispose of such a stronger.

The all-wheel drive system is partially taken from the Passenger Nissan Skyline GT-R. Skeptics will doubt the advisability of such borrowing, but we hasten to assure you: everything is done correctly, which we have seen one hundred percent.

I took it, remembering that the car had such a powerful engine, went to the gas station: a 106-liter tank was filled for about a quarter, and what splashed in it would clearly not be enough for a full-fledged dough. At the gas station, they enlisted under warning gestures of alarmed tankers, who considered that without their help we would not moor on the column. They would know how easy you feel behind the wheel of armada! Huge external mirrors, parking sensors, light steering, informative brakes all this allows you not to strain even when performing very complex maneuvers in constrained conditions.

It is easy to drive a car and at speed. Equipped with a target stability system, it worthy of behaving on the highway. The suburban road on the day of the dough was covered with bare ice, which did not interfere with the constantly holding the speedometer arrow at 7080 miles per hour. There were a lot of envious of our swift march on the regional highway. They would also know that the car was shod in summer tires!

On the way, they noted only two negative points. First: a ceiling console vibrating on bumps; Apparently, the monitor is too heavy for her. Second: a sufficiently confusing circuit, according to which the heater of the rear row of seats is regulated; It was not possible to achieve uniformity of blowing between the lower and upper zones.

By turning the handle on the central console, we turn the transmission in advance into a permanent all -wheel drive mode and turn it on to the snow target. Honestly, they did not hope to go far, however, contrary to our distrust, the car goes forward.

We complicate the task: We slow down. You can’t do this in deep loose snow in any case, but we did. What was the surprise when Mastodont, as if nothing had happened, moved on!

After conferring, we decide to bring the complexity of the mission to the obvious impossible: the assault on the snow -capped hill with a slope of thirty -five degrees. We turn on the lowering and almost at idle we set off. There was a moment when we doubted the successful end of the ascent of the wheel began to break into the southwest. But then a powerful engine helped out: gas to the floor, and Armada, throwing a couple of cubic meters of snow from under the wheels, triumphantly jumps out to the top.

Yes, impressive. But at first it seemed that this car was intended only for scaring cars and throwing show -offs, that it can run along asphalt and, at best, on a good country. Mistaken. Pathfinder Armada a real SUV.

Technical characteristics Nissan Pathfinder Armada

All -metal body, on the frame
Number of places, people. 7
Equipped mass, kg 2402
Dimensions (length/width/height), mm 5255/2000/1953
Base, mm 3130
Control consumption of fuel (city/suburban cycle), l/100 km 18.1/13.1
Engine:
- Type V8
- working volume, cm 5598
- Power, L.S. at MIN-1 305/4900
- Torque, N.M at MIN-1 522/3600
The transmission is automatic, 5-speed, with the front-wheel drive disconnected
Tire size 265/70r18
Wheel suspension (front/rear) independent
Brakes (front/rear) disk, ventilated/disk
Steering gear-rake, with gur
Fuel tank volume, l 106
Trunk volume, l 566
Price, $ 99500

Text: Oleg Kalaushin
 

Source: Magazine 5 wheel [02/2004]