2022 Genesis GV70 vs 2021 Nissan Armada

The 2021 Nissan Armada underwent a significant facelift, aligning its exterior with Nissan's new signature design. Despite these updates, the Armada retained its traditional beefy and athletic body styling, featuring a new grille, front fenders, bumpers, and LED lights. The SUV was available in S, SV, SL, and Platinum trims, with the Midnight Edition Package exclusive to the SL. The Platinum trim, tested in prototype form, showcased body-color over fenders, dark-painted roof rails, and an acoustic windshield. The Armada's wheels ranged from 18 to 22 inches, all wrapped in all-season tires. Despite the modern updates, the interior felt dated, with design choices like rouched material and abstract patterned hard plastic inlays detracting from its appeal.

The 2022 Genesis GV70, while inheriting some styling elements from other Genesis models, maintained a unique appearance. It featured quad LED strips for headlights and taillights, a large shield-shaped grille, and a sloping roofline that added a fastback touch. The Sport Prestige model boasted unique styling with 21-inch wheels and a dark chrome finish. The interior had an elliptical theme inspired by an airplane wing, with minimalistic design elements like a rotary gear selector and infotainment controller. The GV70 offered a variety of interior color options and luxurious materials, though base models had leatherette seats. The overall design combined ruggedness with sleek, car-like elements.

The 2021 Nissan Armada was powered by a 5.6-liter V8 engine, delivering 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque with premium fuel. It came with a seven-speed automatic transmission and standard rear-wheel drive, with four-wheel drive available. Despite its weight of over 6,000 pounds, the Armada was a capable off-roader, featuring a skid plate, double-wishbone suspension, and Hitachi twin-tube shock absorbers. Its towing capacity was best-in-class at 8,500 pounds. However, its fuel economy was low, with RWD models achieving 14 mpg city and 19 mpg highway, and 4WD models slightly less. The Armada's handling improved over previous models, but its turning radius and maneuverability remained typical for its size.

The 2022 Genesis GV70 offered two engine options: a 2.5-liter turbo-four with 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, and a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with 375 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque. Both engines came with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. The GV70 included a rear electronic limited-slip differential and launch control, emphasizing its sporty character. The Sport+ drive mode enhanced throttle response and transmission behavior, but the chassis lacked the sharpness of some competitors. The GV70 excelled in highway cruising but had a firm ride with 21-inch wheels. Its steering and exhaust sound were less impressive, and it didn't match the luxurious driving experience of some rivals.

The 2021 Nissan Armada, as Nissan's flagship SUV, offered practicality and functionality for families. It featured standard running boards and in-cabin handles for easy access. The interior was spacious, with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, power-adjustable front seats, and optional second-row captain's chairs. However, third-row seating was less comfortable for adults. Cargo space was 16.5 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 95.4 cubic feet with all seats folded. The high load floor made loading challenging for petite individuals. Small-item storage was limited, except for a deep center console storage bin. The Armada had nine cup holders and four bottle holders.

The 2022 Genesis GV70 offered mid-pack interior space for its segment. Despite its car-like roofline, it provided adequate headroom and legroom in both rows. Cargo space was 28.9 cubic feet with rear seats in place, expanding to 56.9 cubic feet when folded. The interior design compromised storage space, with a slim center console and thin door pockets. However, it included a covered storage cubby with USB ports. The front seats in the Sport Prestige model were heavily bolstered, offering heating, ventilation, massage, and posture-assist functions. The massage controls were buried in touchscreen menus, and the posture assist activated unexpectedly.

The 2021 Nissan Armada featured a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, the largest in its class, with navigation, a six-speaker stereo, satellite radio, Bluetooth, USB ports, a WiFi hotspot, and wireless Apple CarPlay. A wireless charging pad, 13-speaker Bose audio system, rearview camera mirror, and second-row entertainment system were available. The Armada Platinum included these features as standard. The analog tachometer and speedometer were functional but lacked sophistication compared to other SUVs.

The 2022 Genesis GV70 boasted a 14.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Its tile-based layout and crisp graphics were user-friendly. A glass rotary controller with pinch-and-zoom functionality enhanced usability. Higher trims offered a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a 3D effect and a 12-inch head-up display. The GV70 included a digital-key feature, a fingerprint scanner for starting the car, and a cloud-based driver profile. Genesis Connected Services provided remote camera activation, driver profiles, and more, free for three years.

The 2021 Nissan Armada had not been fully rated by the IIHS or NHTSA, but it received a three-star rollover rating due to a 23.7-percent rollover risk. It came standard with Nissan Safety Shield 360, including automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and rear automatic braking. Additional safety features included adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and blind-spot monitoring. However, advanced driving assist technologies like ProPilot Assist were not available.

The 2022 Genesis GV70, as a new model, lacked crash-test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA. It came standard with lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, blind-spot and forward collision-avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic alert, a driver-attention monitor, and Highway Driving Assist. The GV70 also featured eight airbags, including a front-center airbag. Optional features included Highway Driving Assist 2 with lane-change functionality and navigation-based adaptive cruise control. Highway Driving Assist provided smooth control inputs but struggled with sharp curves.