Nissan Altima 2013 Review

The driving wheels are at the wrong end and there's not a V8 in sight. Getting behind the wheel of the new Altima in the US ahead of its Australian on-sale date, there was no expectation of winning pole position, more of getting into Nissan's version of the dominant medium car, Toyota's Camry.

Sporting both four-cylinder and V6 drivetrains, the front-wheel drive Altima will be looking to pick up the downsizers from large cars and SUVs and offer an alternative to the still-conservative but more than competent machinery from Toyota.

There's also a hybrid Altima in the US, but there's no firm Australian timetable for that driveline - but like the petrol-electric Pathfinder it's a shot for a ticket to Oz next year.

VALUE

Nissan is being coy about just where the Altima will slide into the medium car battleground, but you'd expect it to sit near the Camry and Aurion ranges. Given the Camry is priced at just above $30,000 the Altima base-model is going to need to match up to it if Nissan is wanting serious volume.

In its US guise, the Altima comes standard with 60/40 split-fold rear seat, 16-inch steel wheels,  cloth trim, a four-speaker sound system with Bluetooth audio and phone link (with phone controls on the wheel), a tyre pressure warning system and power mirrors.

The "S" adds access to the V6 powerplant (which all get 18-inch wheels), as well as power driver's seat adjustment, six speakers for the sound system, two-stage auto headlights that also link to the wipers.

Stepping up to the SV puts in a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 17-inch alloys, a USB input, an app function for the sound system, a rear camera and dual-zone climate control with rear vents.

The top-spec SL puts a heater within the steering wheel, fog lights, LED tail lights, leather trim, a Bose nine-speaker sound system, folding exterior mirrors and a sunroof; the SL V6 also gets HID headlights. Also available is the NissanConnect system, which controls all the infotainment via a touchscreen, including a system - phone-dependant - that can read and compose SMS messages hands-free. The optional satnav can also be linked to a smartphone and use Google POI search functions to map a route.

TECHNOLOGY

Nissan is boasting best in class fuel economy for the updated 2.5-litre four-cylinder, which has been lightened and boosted in power to 136kW and offering 244Nm of torque. The small four runs variable valve timing on both sides of the combustion process, as well as variable intake lift.

The 3.5-litre V6 will be familiar to Zed owners, as well as those currently punting Maximas, producing 201kW and 340Nm. Both engines are linked to a continuously-variable transmission that the company says has a wider gear range, as well as upgraded electronic control systems to improve response, limit flare under load and improve fuel economy.

Among its party tricks is monitoring the throttle and driving patterns to have the best ratio on offer, including a "downshift" under braking into a corner, so the appropriate "gear" ratio ready for the corner exit - when we get one in a decent series of corners, we'll tell you if it works.

DESIGN

While Australians have seen it ripping around its racetracks in V8 Supercar guise, they haven't had the chance to see an Altima in production guise on a showroom floor yet, but it's a sharper-looking device than the Maxima.

Nissan is saying the more aerodynamic model update is also more rigid, thanks to a front strut brace and structural changes across the rear, as well as being quieter thanks to the better airflow provided by underbody aero panels. It's a 36-kg lighter body now too, with an aluminium bonnet, as well some underbody components and a greater percentage of high-tensile steel.

SAFETY

There's the de rigeur airbag package - front, front-side and full-length curtain airbags - as well as stability and traction control, which includes an "understeer control" that applies brake-force to the inside wheel during cornering to quell understeer - something we'll get back on when we push it hard in a bend on home soil.

The safety features list will also have a reversing camera, blind spot, reverse traffic warning and lane departure alerts, but it's not clear yet how much of that will be standard or optional on the Australia-bound models.

The Altima is also set to offer two-stage auto headlights, which puts the headlights on earlier - but leave the dash lights off until later - as well as linking the lights to wiper use.
There's also tyre pressure monitoring that helps drivers pump the tyres up to the correct pressure by beeping the horn.

DRIVING

The local racing brand awareness influence remains to be seen on a sales sheet, but the first impressions of the Altima suggest it will impress if the racefans put bums on driver's seats.

The short drive left and impression that the Altima is a surprisingly good machine, even in a market that traditionally leans towards ride quality over handling prowess. The car feels solid and tight, delivering quiet refinement - albeit on first-rate Californian bitumen.

The ride quality feels more like a European tune, but not in a bad way, and the steering while light is far from vague. There was no four cylinder model or hybrid to drive during the Nissan event, with only the top-spec V6 to sample, but the flagship V6 is a willing and able engine.

The CVT isn't overawed by its job behind the grunty V6, with the electronics reigning in rev flare and putting the outputs to good use. There's also a seven-speed manual mode using paddle-shifters, although it can be over-ridden by the throttle going through the kickdown switch, but the CVT performed better than most of its breed.

The cabin also has a solid feel, comfortable and typically well laid-out, with rear room in the realm of typical for the segment. The same complaint for much US product applies here - Dear Nissan (among others), please get rid of the foot-operated park brake, it's a pain in the buttocks to use and also to engineer to make sure it doesn't do lower-leg harm in a crash test, ask Honda.

VERDICT

The medium car segment has been lost in a sea of SUVs and small cars, not keeling over like large car sales yet offering plenty of room for the Aussie family. Nissan's offering has qualities that should put it on shopping lists for Aussies when it gets here, as long as they price it right and match the Camry for gear.

Nissan Altima sedan
Price: from low-$30,000s
Warranty: 3 years/100,000km
Capped servicing: 6 years or 120,000km
Resale: N/A
Service interval: 6 months/10,000km (est.)
Safety: 5 stars (US NHTSA)
Engine: 136kW/244Nm 2.5-litre 4-cyl, 201kW/340Nm 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: CVT, FWD
Thirst: US - city 8.7 (V6 10.7), hwy 6.2 (V6 7.6) l/100km
Dimensions: 4.9m (L); 1.8m (w); 1.5m (h)
Weight: 1409-1521kg
Spare: temporary space saver