Autoblog

Nissan Altima V8? Only for Australia's touring car series

Zach Bowman — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Videos, Nissan, Australia, Specialty, Racing

By all accounts, the 2013 Nissan Altima is an excellent vehicle, but that doesn't mean it couldn't benefit from the addition of a heady V8 under the hood. Nissan Motorsport has cured that ail by constructing four Altima racers for the Australian V8 Supercars Championship, each with their own 32-valve VK56DE engine in the nose. The bruisers will start campaigning next season, and will mark the first entry in the series from any brand outside of Ford or Holden in nearly twenty years. Nissan has already produced the first of its race engines, and the team is currently working on whipping up another 14 examples for the next season.

Nissan Motorsport is set to unveil the actual race cars next week, but until then, you can check out the video below. In it, the team shows off the progress that's been made so far, including cranking out body molds and building cage structures. Looks like fun.

Continue reading Nissan Altima V8? Only for Australia's touring car series

Nissan Altima V8? Only for Australia's touring car series originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai Sonata caused Nissan to reassess 2013 Altima development

Chris Tutor — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:44:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, Design/Style

When Hyundai rolled out their outrageously styled Sonata three years ago, car buyers took notice. It's eye-catching exterior styling, well-appointed interior and affordable price was just what a lot of family sedan buyers wanted.

Few will admit it, but carmakers sat up and paid attention, too. However, Andy Palmer, Nissan executive vice president for global planning, doesn't mind telling the world that his company certainly saw the significance of the midsize Korean sedan. So much so that they briefly halted design work on the 2013 Altima.

"We even delayed development by a short amount just to check that the (new Altima's) proportions were right, the (package) was right (and that) the product overall was right," Palmer tells Ward's Auto. "I'd say they (Hyundai) are our major point of reference."

But with the Altima as the second-best selling car in its segment, Nissan is focusing not on the Sonata, but on Toyota and the No. 1 best seller: Camry.

"If you keep coming with better cars and better communications, telling better stories, over a period of time," Palmer says. "I guarantee you'll be talking about Toyota and Nissan."

Hyundai Sonata caused Nissan to reassess 2013 Altima development originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Nissan Altima is ready for the midsize sedan showdown

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:23:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Sedan, Nissan, Design/Style

Harmless as it may seem, the new-for-2013 Nissan Altima actually packs quite a punch. Rated at an estimated 38 miles per gallon, it boasts the best four-cylinder fuel economy of any midsize sedan, and that's without the use of any electric motors, turbochargers or even direct injection. Impressive stuff, and considering that the sleek new Altima starts at a cool $21,500 (not including $760 for destination), it should prove to be a worthy opponent for rivals like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

The engines - a 2.5-liter inline-four and 3.5-liter V6 - carry over without many changes, but the big powertrain news is that the Continuously Variable Transmission has been heavily massaged. It's the smoother-running transmission's revised gear ratio spread that is largely what allows for that huge fuel economy win. The fact that the Altima is 79 pounds lighter than its predecessor - the lightest car in its class, actually - certainly helps, as well.

With the Altima, Nissan also debuts its new infotainment platform, Nissan Connected, which seems to be like, well, just like every other new infotainment system that's come to market lately. The Altima is also available equipped with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and moving obstacle detection that's all wrapped in to one single wide-angle camera mounted on the car's rump.

Check out our live shots of the Altima direct from the New York show floor, and click here to read our in-depth deep-dive of Nissan's new midsizer.

Continue reading 2013 Nissan Altima is ready for the midsize sedan showdown

2013 Nissan Altima is ready for the midsize sedan showdown originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan teases new Altima's headlight and grille

Zach Bowman — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Budget, Sedan, Nissan, Design/Style

Nissan has given the world another glimpse of the upcoming 2013 Altima in the form of the video after the jump. While we've already seen a quick glimpse of a test vehicle thanks to a previous clip and an overhead shot via the very first official teaser, the newest video gives us our best look yet at the front fascia and headlight array. Judging by the quick peek, the 2013 Altima will rock a much more stylized front end than in the past, complete with design elements borrowed from the likes of the Maxima and 370Z.

Word has it Nissan will also make use of the same character line we've seen on the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. Look for the next-generation Altima to debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show next month. In the meantime, see below for the newest, albeit brief, teaser.

Continue reading Nissan teases new Altima's headlight and grille

Nissan teases new Altima's headlight and grille originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Nissan Altima accidentally revealed in official video

Zach Bowman — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Nissan, Design/Style

It looks as if Nissan may have inadvertently revealed part of the 2013 Altima ahead of its debut. The keen-eyed crew over at Inside Line spotted a completely undisguised version of the four door in a promotional video on Nissan Japan's YouTube channel. While we've seen test vehicles in various states of disrobe for a few months now, this is the clearest view yet of the next-generation Altima. We can clearly see the vehicle's 370Z-inspired headlights and the hint of a more pronounced grille as well as more emotive bodywork.

You may recognize that character line as the similar to the one found on the 2013 Pathfinder. Were we the betting types, we'd say we can expect to see that detail crop up on other Nissan offerings soon as well.

Will the new lines be enough to help the Altima keep its momentum up in the family sedan marketplace? We're going to hold off judgement until we see the final product in the flesh, but we will say the vehicle will find itself nose to nose with some increasingly threatening competition. With redesigned versions of the Ford Fusion, Volkswagen Passat and Toyota Camry intent on carving out larger slices of the mid-sized pie, the 2013 Altima will have its work cut out for it.

As you might expect, Nissan has since nixed the video with the Altima in it, but Inside Line was quick enough to grab a few screen shots. Head their direction for a closer look.

2013 Nissan Altima accidentally revealed in official video originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Altima prototype gives up more of the goods, including interior

Zach Bowman — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Hybrid, Sedan, Etc., Nissan, Design/Style

Nissan is busily putting the 2013 Altima prototype through its paces ahead of the vehicle's debut later this year and spy photographers spotted the vehicle on public streets wearing a new vinyl wrap designed to obfuscate the model's lines. Even so, we can clearly see a few more details about the upcoming sedan.

From the looks of things, the vehicle received more than a little inspiration from the Nissan Ellure Concept. With a contoured body line and headlights borrowed from the 370Z, the vehicle looks to have quite a bit more personality than in years past. Additionally, the same boomerang line found in the headlight housings also look to be transposed on to the vehicle's C pillars and tail lamps, though the look isn't as exaggerated as we saw on the Ellure.

The photogs also garnered a glimpse into the vehicle's cabin, giving us the first look at the dash in the 2013 Altima. The sedan will likely come with the same intelligent key system found elsewhere in the Nissan line, and the center stack and steering wheel have seen some love as well. Word has it the Altima will debut with a new hybrid drivetrain that makes use of a an electric motor paired with a supercharged four-cylinder engine and a lithium-ion battery pack.

Nissan Altima prototype gives up more of the goods, including interior originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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