2022 Nissan Armada vs 2021 Volvo XC40

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a traditional SUV styling with a tall, flat roof and upright rear hatch, fitting seamlessly into the Volvo lineup with its “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlights and simple oval grille. Gasoline models offered a white contrasting roof for a retro look. The XC40 Recharge featured a blanked-off grille, subtle “Recharge” badging, and model-specific alloy wheels, with a gloss black roof and mirror caps, and a unique Sage Green Metallic color. The interior was minimalist yet premium, with real metal trim and a combination of Nappa leather and Nubuck textile upholstery, creating a coherent and pleasing design.

The 2022 Nissan Armada was a large SUV, measuring 208.9 inches long, 75.8 inches tall, and 79.9 inches wide, with a minimum ground clearance of 9.1-9.2 inches. Its exterior had sculptural details, standard LED lighting, and tasteful chrome accents, including sharp-looking vents on the front fenders. The Armada's tailgate featured a large expanse of convex glass and big taillamps. Available in seven colors, the Armada was beautifully finished with deep, rich paint and lustrous chrome. Wheel sizes ranged from 18 inches on the S and SV models to 22-inch diamond-cut aluminum-alloy wheels on the Platinum trim, which added a touch of sparkle to the large SUV.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 offered a three-tiered powertrain lineup. The base FWD T4 had a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with 187 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, while the AWD T5 had 248 hp and 258 lb-ft. The electric Recharge model featured dual electric motors for AWD, producing a combined 402 hp and 486 lb-ft, powered by a 78-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The Recharge could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, while the T5 and T4 took 6.1 and 8.1 seconds, respectively. All versions were electronically limited to 112 mph. The Recharge emphasized quiet and comfort, with excellent ride quality even on rough roads, and was capable of one-pedal driving. It also had a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds.

The 2022 Nissan Armada came with a naturally aspirated 5.6-liter V8 engine, producing 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. It was available in rear-wheel drive (RWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) configurations, both using a seven-speed automatic transmission. RWD models had an EPA rating of 14 mpg city/19 mpg highway/16 mpg combined, while 4WD versions had 13 mpg city/18 mpg highway/15 mpg combined. The Armada could carry up to eight passengers and tow up to 8,500 pounds. It featured a four-wheel independent suspension with double wishbone front and rear, providing a supple, controlled ride even on rough roads. The Armada's brakes included 13.8-inch vented disc brakes with hydraulic brake assist and electronic brake force distribution.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had no difference in passenger or cargo space between the Recharge and gasoline models. However, it had less legroom and headroom compared to competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E. The XC40 Recharge's frunk was small, with much of the space occupied by powertrain hardware. Despite the limited space, Volvo included clever storage solutions, such as a removable trash bin in the center console, a bag hook in the glovebox door, and extra-large door bins. The storage cubby ahead of the shifter was designed to hold a phone securely, and a wireless charging pad was optional.

The 2022 Nissan Armada was designed to transport seven to eight people comfortably. The first row had two bucket seats with 10-way power adjustment for the driver and six-way power adjustment for the front passenger. The second row offered a fold-flat 60/40-split bench seat or available captain's chairs with an optional removable center console. The third-row 60/40 split bench seat could accommodate three passengers and had power folding and reclining functions. The Armada had nine cupholders, four bottle holders, and numerous storage cubbies. It could carry up to 16.5 cubic feet of luggage behind the third row, 49.9 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 95.4 cubic feet with the second row down. A power liftgate was standard on SL and Platinum models.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge featured the Android Automotive OS infotainment system with Google apps, including Google Assistant and Google Maps. The system included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity, with a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The Recharge also had OTA update capability for the infotainment system and other vehicle functions. It lacked a start button, allowing drivers to simply get in and shift out of park.

The 2022 Nissan Armada came with standard NissanConnect technology, featuring a 12.3-inch color touchscreen with a customizable split-screen option. Standard tech features included a Wi-Fi hot spot, wireless device charging pad (except on S models), NissanConnect telematics services, navigation, hands-free text messaging, rear-view monitor, satellite radio capability, and proximity key with push-button start. The audio system ranged from a basic setup with four speakers on the S trim to a Bose system with 13 speakers on the SL and Platinum models. All models had USB-A and USB-C ports, Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, and wired Android Auto.

The gasoline 2021 Volvo XC40 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA. Standard safety features included lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, rear parking sensors, hill-start assist, and hill-descent control. Optional features included traffic-sign recognition, reverse automatic emergency braking, a driver-alertness monitor, run-off road mitigation, oncoming lane mitigation, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist driver-assistance system. The Recharge model had Volvo’s latest sensor suite, scalable for future advanced driver aids.

The 2022 Nissan Armada included a comprehensive list of standard safety features, such as high beam assist, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear automatic braking, and rear cross-traffic alert. Other active safety systems included adaptive cruise control, intelligent forward collision warning, intelligent lane intervention, and rear-door alert. The Armada had dual-stage front supplemental airbags, front-seat-mounted side impact airbags, and roof-mounted curtain airbags. A trailer brake controller was standard on SV, SL, and Platinum models, while trailer sway control was standard on the SL and Platinum. Safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available for the 2022 Armada.