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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nissan to reinforce Japanese plants in defense of earthquakes

Chris Shunk — Thu, 19 May 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Nissan

The March 11 earthquake in Japan left the country's auto industry with a broken supply chain and a few serious plant problems. Bloomberg reports that Nissan is looking to strengthen some key plants in an effort to minimize harm from any future quakes, starting with the heavily damaged Iwaki engine plant in the Fukushima prefecture.

The plant, which has been repaired ahead of schedule, will receive a reinforced foundation at a reported cost of $37 million. CEO Carlos Ghosn reportedly stated that the facility will be repaired first out of necessity, but added that other plants will be fortified in the future. Ghosn added that the precautions could limit the cost of future calamities.

And while the cost to strengthen the foundation of plants is high, studies show that the next big quake could come sooner than later. Prime Minister Naoto Kan recently shut down the Chubu Electric Power Co. nuclear plant in response to studies that show an 87-percent likelihood of a high-magnitude quake in the next 30 years.

Nissan to reinforce Japanese plants in defense of earthquakes originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 May 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments