Autoblog

Following the lead of Japan's other two big-time automakers, Toyota and Honda, Nissan has just announced that it too will be cutting truck production to focus on cars. At its Canton, Mississippi plant, Nissan will cut in half the number of shifts for workers assembling Titan pickup trucks and Armada full-size SUVs. On the flip-side, the automaker will add a third shift for production of the Altima mid-size sedan, which should allow it to keep its workers on the job. This move is not surprising, as passenger cars have been outselling their truck brethren handily in these days of record high gasoline prices. Ford, which has a new F-150 set to go on sale shortly, has offered employee pricing for its trucks, while General Motors recently announced that it would be idling four plants that produce trucks and SUVs and may rid itself of the HUMMER brand entirely. Dodge, for its part, is offering cheap gas and big incentives as a ploy to get consumers interested in its pickups. Unfortunately, it's not as easy for our domestic automakers to switch plants from producing trucks to passenger cars as many are older facilities that weren't built with flexible production in mind.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety just wrapped up its latest battery of batterings and most of the tested contenders in the mid-size segment faired well. The Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring, along with the Infiniti G35, Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura, Mitsubishi Galant and Kia Optima all received a grade of "Good" for front and side impacts, with the exception of the Optima, which ranked "Acceptable" during the side impact evaluation. However, problems arose in the rear crash test, where the G35, Altima, Malibu, and Aura were all rated as "Marginal," while the Avenger/Sebring received an "Average" score and the Optima walked away with a gold star and a "Good" rating. The only vehicle that received a "Poor" rating on any of the tests was the Mitsubishi Galant, which didn't hold up as well during the rear-impact test.

All the details from the IIHS are available in the press release after the jump.

click above for more images of the 2008 Nissan Altima

The Nissan Altima narrowly beat out the Honda Accord for the coveted Consumer Reports Top-Ranked, Mid-priced Sedan, which is revealed in the February 2008 issue. The V6 Accord lost to the V6-powered Altima by a scant one-point, followed by the Toyota Camry and Volkswagen Passat.

Consumer Reports tested a number of family sedans for its February issue, ranging from the base four-cylinder models and up to the range-topping V6s. The selected vehicles, which also included the Ford Taurus, Dodge Avenger, Kia Amanti and Subaru Legacy, were broken down into three categories: "Affordable," "Mid-priced" and "Large" family sedans.

The four-cylinder Altima took the top spot in the "Affordable" category, leading by six points over the Accord, with the Kia Optima EX and Passat 2.0T coming in third and fourth, respectively.

Consumer Reports is quick to point out that the Accord, which has won the publications Top Pick for five years, outperformed the majority of the players, but in the end, the Altima proved to be the best value overall.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Another big recall to report. This time it's Nissan and its bread-and-butter Altima sedan. Apparently, cars with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder have an air filter that can cause some serious problems. It seems that if something hot is sucked into the filter, like ashes from a cigarette, it can catch on fire. Four incidents have already been reported to Nissan. Notices started going out to some of the 140,000 2007 Altima owners last week. Besides replacing the air filter with a presumably less flammable one, Nissan will also add an air deflector to help prevent a potential accumulation of debris in the filter.

In all, 140,582 Altimas have been sold so far this year, making it Nissan's best-selling vehicle, and the ninth-best seller overall in the States. The recall affects Smyrna, Tennessee cars made between Sept. 25 and May 11, as well as those built from Oct. 30 through May 11 at its Canton, Mississippi, factory.

[Source: Chicago Tribune via KickingTires]

Monday, Nissan began production of its 2007 Altima at its Canton, Mississippi plant. The new sedan's base price will be $17,950 for a 2.5 liter engine and 6-speed manual. Upgrade to a 3.5-liter V6 SE for $24,000. The new Altima is available in four other models: Altima 2.5 S with 6-speed manual transmission at $19,800; 2.5 S with CVT at $20,300; 3.5 SE with CVT priced at $24,500; and the Altima 3.5 SL with CVT at $28,400. Nissan says pricing for the Altima Hybrid will be announced later.

Press release with full details after the jump.

[Sources: Nissan, Clarion Ledger]

It's crunch time in the auto industry, there's no doubt about that. The Detroit Free Press' Mark Phelan paints the picture in the simplest -- yet starkest -- terms possible when he lays out the seven models that can make or break the profits of the major automakers.

Chevrolet Silverado: Chevy's best-selling pick-up accounts for a HUGE amount of sales and market share for General Motors, and despite its class-leading fuel economy, gas prices and other factors are shifting buyers away from full-size pick-ups.

Toyota Tundra: This full-size pickup supplies jobs to thousands of people in Indiana and Texas, true, but its real significance is as a market share cannibal to the Dodge Ram, Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado. The difference is that Toyota doesn't need the Tundra to make it, but the Big 3 need their trucks to do well in order to stabilize.

Ford Edge: It's one of just a few new Ford vehicles hitting the market this year, while other automakers like Toyota and Chrysler seem to have one vehicle after another hitting the streets and infiltrating consumers' consciousnesses. More importantly, the Edge's job is to pick up those customers leaving their Explorers and other larger trucks behind.

Honda Accord: With the new Camry out, it's easy to see that Honda must step it up with the Accord to keep its status as the better-designed, better-performing alternative to the Toyota Camry. The Koreans may not be hot on Honda's heels yet in terms of sales, but with the bold(er) design of the Camry and the less expensive Hyundai and Kia models to choose from, Honda has a tall order to fill with next year's Accord.

Nissan Altima: Nissan might have experienced a comeback thanks to risky design and impressive performance. The Altima? Not so much, at least as of late. Nissan's got a lot on its plate if it wants to put itself back on the import sedan map.

Chrysler Town and Country/Dodge Caravan: It survived the SUV craze, but can it survive crossovers? And more importantly, can it survive the import minivan craze? The Chrysler Town & Country is a pillar of strength for Chrysler, but it will be hard-pressed to stay there.

Buick Enclave/GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook: They're GM's answer to the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander and Lexus RX330, and critics say they have the styling and fuel economy to be true contenders. Considering the importance of the segment, GM seems to be putting its best foot forward.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Autoblog tipster Arnold K. sent us this picture of the all-new 2007 Nissan Altima, which will debut Wednesday in New York. (I wonder if Arnold K. is a pseudonym for Carlos G?)

The new Altima rides on Nissan's new "D" platform and a redesigned suspension. It is rumored to be available with an optional CVT transmission.

Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn will be orchestrating the official world premieres of the 2007 Nissan Maxima and the all-new 2007 Nissan Altima at the New York International Auto Show Wednesday, but to whet your appetite, here are pictures of the new Maxima. No tech info yet, but we'll have the complete story tomorrow from our show team. Lots of pictures after the jump - enjoy!

[Source: Nissan] Hot tip from Arnold K!