Nissan Altima 2016 News

The Nissan Altima was revealed this week at the New York Auto Show, and will go on sale in Australia in the second half of 2013. Before that it will be seen on Australian racetracks as Nissan’s challenger to the dominant Holden and Ford V8s. Nissan is still firming up local specification, but we can expect the 136kW 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine in a range of models with a starting price under $30,000.A 200kW V6 model may also be offered as a sporting variant to capitalise on Nissan’s V8 supercar participation. But not even the race-car will be as advanced as its road-going sibling. The American version revealed in New York includes the following among its technology highlights:- Seats designed by NASA, that are said to reduce fatigue on long trips and relieve pressure points on the occupant’s body no matter what shape or size.- An ‘Advanced Drive-Assist Display’ 3D-effect digital screen located between the speedo and tacho that puts key information in front of the driver and is said to improve cognition and reduce distraction.- NissanConnect which integrates with Internet music service Pandora, offers handsfree text messaging, and voice-controlled, Google-enhanced satellite navigation.- Tyre pressure monitoring system with ‘Easy-Fill Alert’ that does away with the need to trust dodgy petrol station gauges because it honks the horn when the correct pressure is reached during refilling.In addition to these features, the new Altima has a reversing camera that integrates lane departure warning, blind-spot warning and moving object warning systems, some of which are not currently offered on medium cars in Australia.Questions remain as to whether any or all of these features will be available on Australian models, Nissan saying it comes down to infrastructure support and Australian Design Regulations as much as customer demand.

Nissan believes the Altima has the potential to overtake the Mazda6, Honda Accord Euro and Subaru Liberty to be Australia’s favourite mid-size import, and second only to the locally-built Toyota Camry in the mid-size market.The Nissan Altima sedan is scheduled to arrive in Australia in the second half of 2013 in a range of specification levels and possibly priced below $30,000. The front-drive Altima is classified as a mid-size car and will sit below the Maxima large car even though, at 4.86m x 1.83m, it is longer and wider than the Maxima.  “There’s definitely a place for both cars , at least initially” said Nissan sales boss Ian Moreillon. “They’re two totally different offerings that will appeal to different buyers”. Australian models will get a 136kW, 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol version coupled with a continuously variable transmission. A 200kW, 3.5-litre V6 is offered on American models, and could come to Australia as a sporting variant to leverage Nissan’s V8 Supercars participation.But it would then raise questions over the sales viability of the Maxima which has the same engine. Moreillon admitted this could be a concern: “We don’t want to have cars overlapping.” Because Nissan Australia is aligning itself with the American market for Altima, there’s little chance of a diesel variant, at least in the first few years.  Nissan believes new car buyers will be attracted to the Altima’s design, packaging, space efficiency and technology. The Altima has what Nissan is calling “NASA-inspired Zero Gravity seats that help relieve pressure points no matter the occupants body shape or size”. Nissan Australia could not confirm whether the Altima’s advanced entertainment and satellite navigation system - which integrates with Internet-based subscription music service Pandora and Google’s POI search - would make it to Australia.

Nissan says it also plans to overtake Mazda as Australia’s favourite full-line importer in the next 12 months. But wait, there’s more. Nissan expects the unknown Altima sedan to become Australia’s favourite mid-size import in 2014, vanquishing established players like the Honda Accord Euro, Mazda6, Hyundai i45 and Subaru Liberty in the process.  “Our stated goal is to be Australia’s number one full-line importer by March 2013,” Nissan’s sales chief Ian Moreillon told Carsguide, “and we are still on target to achieve this".  “With the plans we have in place, we certainly have the potential to grow our sales significantly over the next 12 months.” Moreillon said car companies that “pulled their development horns in” during the 2009 Global Financial Crisis will be at a disadvantage. “Unlike some of our rivals, we continued to spend on product development during the GFC at the expense of other areas of the business.”  So far in 2012 Nissan has sold 19,902 new cars, up nine percent on the same period last year, but still a long way behind Mazda’s 26,513. Moreillon believes a flood of new models from July this year will sweep Nissan past Mazda by this time next year.  The Leaf electric car arrives first followed by the Micra-based Almera compact sedan in August, and the next-generation Patrol large four-wheel drive near Christmas. Early next year, Nissan’s weak passenger car portfolio gets a huge lift with the Pulsar’s return after a six-year absence. The new Pulsar debuted at the Shanghai show in April last year and will replace the under-performing Tiida as Nissan’s rival to popular small cars like the Mazda3, Toyota Corolla and Holden Cruze.  Moreillon echoed outgoing CEO Dan Thompson’s statement that “Pulsar (will) be number one in its segment”. For Nissan, that could mean a twelve-fold increase in its small car sales from the Tiida’s 270 per month to more than the 3,500 per month that the Mazda3 consistently achieves.  Pulsar will be followed by the Altima mid-size sedan which will also form the basis of Nissan’s V8 Supercar racing entry. “The Altima is a critical car for Nissan both in Australia and globally,” said Moreillon. “It’s the second-best selling passenger car in America and we believe it can be the best-selling imported car in its segment in Australia.”  In a global first for Nissan, the Altima race car will debut at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide some six months ahead of the production car’s expected arrival in showrooms in November 2013. “Our participation in V8 Supercars will help us create a profile for the Altima,” Moreillon told CarsGuide at the Altima’s global reveal at the New York motor show this week.  Moreillon believes the Altima can carve 600 sales a month from the medium-car market, which would make it the best-selling import model, and second only to the locally-built Toyota Camry.