By Andrew GanzMonday, Nov 21st, 2011 @ 3:08 pm
Nissan’s strong-selling Altima has been a hit for the Japanese automaker since its mid-1990s debut, but a fifth-generation model is just around the corner.
Our spy braved a torrential downpour to discover a a bright red Altima sedan covered in camouflage. But despite the presence of the camo, it’s not hard to make out the new Altima’s curves.
From the rear, we can easily see that the back fenders and the tail lamps will closely mirror the larger Maxima brother. Unlike the current car, which traces much of its design to the third-generation model, the new Altima will be much less angular.
Up front, a familial tie to the recently-released Nissan Versa is evident. But where the Versa is necessarily downmarket, the Altima gets a little more playful with complex designs to its headlamps and lower light package.
The black wheels on this car are likely painted such to distract from their appearance; a black wheel trim package seems an unlikely Altima option.
We don’t know what’s under this Altima’s hood, but rumors suggest that a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder will serve as motivation for most Altimas. The current 2.5-liter four is expected to be put out to pasture, but Nissan is expected to follow in the footsteps of Toyota by keeping a V6 option for range-topping models. Hyundai and General Motors have been slicing V6s from their midsize sedan lineups.
Putting the turbo four’s power to the front wheels will be a new CVT, which has been reengineered to deliver better fuel economy and a higher level of refinement.
A version of the 2.5-liter four is expected to show up alongside an electric motor for a homegrown hybrid inspired by the Infiniti M Hybrid. The last Altima Hybrid was a limited-market model built using Toyota’s hybrid technology and it was discontinued for the 2012 model year.
Look for the new Altima to debut at the New York International Auto Show in early April before going on sale by the end of the summer. The current Altima coupe will likely stay on for another year before being redesigned in an effort to become more emotional and evocative.
From the rear, we can easily see that the back fenders and the tail lamps will closely mirror the larger Maxima brother. Unlike the current car, which traces much of its design to the third-generation model, the new Altima will be much less angular.
Up front, a familial tie to the recently-released Nissan Versa is evident. But where the Versa is necessarily downmarket, the Altima gets a little more playful with complex designs to its headlamps and lower light package.
The black wheels on this car are likely painted such to distract from their appearance; a black wheel trim package seems an unlikely Altima option.
We don’t know what’s under this Altima’s hood, but rumors suggest that a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder will serve as motivation for most Altimas. The current 2.5-liter four is expected to be put out to pasture, but Nissan is expected to follow in the footsteps of Toyota by keeping a V6 option for range-topping models. Hyundai and General Motors have been slicing V6s from their midsize sedan lineups.
Putting the turbo four’s power to the front wheels will be a new CVT, which has been reengineered to deliver better fuel economy and a higher level of refinement.
A version of the 2.5-liter four is expected to show up alongside an electric motor for a homegrown hybrid inspired by the Infiniti M Hybrid. The last Altima Hybrid was a limited-market model built using Toyota’s hybrid technology and it was discontinued for the 2012 model year.
Look for the new Altima to debut at the New York International Auto Show in early April before going on sale by the end of the summer. The current Altima coupe will likely stay on for another year before being redesigned in an effort to become more emotional and evocative.
Source (with more pic's);