In keeping with the make family cars more expressive, Altima uses the “Energetic Flow” design language introduced on the all-new 2015 Murano and 2016 Maxima.
José Muñoz unveiled the extensively redesigned 2016 Nissan Altima at the Automotive Press Association in Detroit. The EVP of Nissan said it goes on sale in November with a starting MSRP of $23,525, with fuel economy of 39 miles per gallon highway for Altima 2.5-liter engine models. It’s up against two of the best family sedans in the world – Honda Accord freshened for 2016 and Toyota Camry, which are also products of continuous improvement.
This is a significant car for Nissan, not only in North America but also globally, so it did much more than just the expected mid-cycle refresh. (See: Family Car Wars Revived as Nissan Ships New 2013 Altima) The interior and exterior have significant changes, while the suspension and steering are re-tuned for a what’s said to be a quieter ride.
Optional Altima safety features are also expanded and now includes what is – thus far – a class-exclusive safety package with Predictive Forward Collision Warning, radar-based Blind Sport Warning, Forward Emergency Braking, Intelligent Cruise Control and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
All other automakers are very close here with existing optional equipment and adding more, so how much of an advantage this is, remains to be proven in the marketplace.
“No other mid-size sedan has shown consistent fuel economy gains over the last decade like Altima has, including a 26% increase since 2006,” Muñoz said.
He left out that the new 39 mpg highway rating is only 1 mpg better on the EPA highway cycle the 2013 Altima posted. So CVT technology and the use of existing conventional materials might be reaching the end of the road.
With the addition of the new SR model, the 2016 Altima is available in a choice of seven models – 2.5, 2.5 S, 2.5 SR, 2.5 SV, 2.5 SL, 3.5 SR and 3.5 SL. The five 2.5-liter models have a 182-horsepower DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine. The 3.5-liter Altima sedans come with a 270-horsepower 3.5-liter DOHC V6, although historically they have sold few of them. It is rated at 22 mpg city, 32 mpg highway and 26 mpg combined.
“Altima has experienced five consecutive years of sales growth in the segment, a feat that no other mid-size car can claim,” added Muñoz. “And, Altima sales have grown more than 60% since 2009, the start of the economic recovery. We have every reason to believe that with the arrival soon of this new 2016 Altima, those trends will continue upward for the foreseeable future.”
The Altima, which has been produced at Nissan’s Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant in Tennessee since the first generation rolled off the line in 1992, is now also produced at Canton, Mississippi because of the high volumes involved. It has also become a strong export product from the U.S.
