Published
on 22
Nov 2018
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All rights reserved.
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Bold
new styling and innovative VC engine are new weapons of the 6th
generation Altima.
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Sales of mid-size family
sedans might be shrinking across the globe, but it is still a
significant segment in the USA. Last year, Toyota sold 387,000 Camrys
and Honda shifted 323,000 Accords there. Even the aging,
soon-to-be-replaced Nissan Altima found 255,000 buyers to warrant it
the third place on the sales chart. While fourth position Ford decides
to give up its Fusion for more SUV crossovers, Nissan thinks it would
be foolish to do the same, especially when it can catch another 100,000
or so sales in China. However, that doesn’t mean the car can keep the
same old formula. The 6th generation Altima brings a few surprises.
First of all, to eliminate excess costs, it is now sold in both North
America and China under the same name. Previously, the car was revamped
and rebadged as Teana for the consumption of Chinese buyers. That is no
longer deemed necessary, because the new Altima gains optional faux
wood trims to please Chinese taste. We like diversity in design,
mechanicals and character, but there is absolutely no point to waste
money on building two cars so similar to each other. Unifying them into
one Altima is the last smart decision taken by the just ousted Le Cost
Killer.
The second change is the bold styling. The exterior design of new
Altima is inspired by the Vmotion 2.0 concept debuted nearly 2 years
ago at Detroit show. It employs a sportier shape, sharp crease lines
and a bold U-shape front grille. While the treatment in details are not
quite as elegant as some European products, it is still a head-turning
design, and it should please male drivers more than ever. The angular
C-pillar has a hint of Kia Optima (K5), but otherwise the exterior
design of Altima is original and unique.
Inside, the dashboard has been simplified and material quality is
improved – even though no better than the class average. An 8-inch
touchscreen is positioned high on the center console for easier reading
and access. Its graphics and resolution are no match for the class
best, but the user interface is intuitive and response is passable. The
dash top is made of soft plastic while hard ones occupy the lower half.
It can be decorated with artificial stitched leather or faux wood trim,
which looks pleasant if not luxury. Big and soft chairs provide superb
seating comfort for both rows. The cabin is also roomy for six-footers,
especially if you opt out the panoramic roof.
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The
cabin excels in space and seating comfort.
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The Altima feels spacious because it grows in size – 35mm longer, 20mm
wider and 50mm longer in wheelbase. The chassis is yet another
evolution of the D-platform, which means strut and multi-link
suspensions are carried over, but it has added 4WD option to the
2.5-liter base engine, and the old electrohydraulic steering has been
replaced with dual-pinion electric power steering, which is speed
sensitive. Unlike Honda Accord or European Volkswagen Passat, the more
cost-conscious Nissan offers no adaptive dampers, but that doesn’t
matter to most buyers in this class. More worrying is NVH engineering.
Nissan does not talk much about chassis rigidity, structural adhesives
or sound deadening measures, and it shows on the road: when cruising on
highway, you can hear more road and engine noise than all of its latest
rivals. The premium 2-liter Turbo engine also transmits more vibration
to pedals and steering wheel. If you chase refinement, this is not the
car for you.
The smallest engine is a 2-liter naturally aspirated unit with 159hp.
It is offered in China only. In America, the Altima lineup starts with
a 2.5-liter unit, which is an improved version of the long-lasting
QR25DE. It gains direct injection and reduces friction and noises.
Output is lifted by 9hp to 188hp, while torque inches up from 177 to
180 lbft. Predictably, it is mated exclusively to Nissan’s (Jatco’s)
Xtronic CVT. Equally predictably, the Xtronic is the best of its kind
but it still exhibits a little bit weaknesses compared with
conventional automatic, namely, a slower response and drone under hard
acceleration. Admittedly, in most situations, a family car driver won’t
notice them. That said, the 2.5-liter engine fails to match the small
turbo motors of its rivals for performance, flexibility as well as
smoothness. It feels a little outdated.
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High
on value, space and performance, but not polished enough.
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Star of the lineup is the 2.0 VC-T engine, codenamed KR20DDET, which
replaces the long-serving 3.5-liter V6 as the premium choice for Altima
drivers. Debuted on Infiniti QX50 last year, it is the world’s first
variable compression engine. Its construction is quite complicated (see
AutoZine
Technology School) but the result is quite effective. Its
compression ratio can be varied between 8:1 and 14:1 – the lower ratio
is used in combination with high turbo boost under heavy load, while
higher ratio is employed accompanied with lower turbo boost in cruising
to enhance efficiency. Mated again with the CVT, its EPA combined fuel
economy is 29mpg, 3mpg higher than the old Altima V6 and 2mpg better
than Honda Accord 2.0T. It produces only 248hp (detuned 20hp from the
QX50) but maximum torque is a remarkable 280 lbft, and the latter is
available from 1600 rpm. As a result, the car is just as quick as the
top Accord and Camry, or faster than anything else in the class. It can
hit 60mph from standing start in 6 seconds flat. The slower response
and drone of CVT are also better concealed by the thick low-down torque
of the engine.
The sporty pretention can be made stronger with SR trim, which sports
235/40R19 tires and 10-percent stiffer suspension. However, even in
this setting the Altima’s chassis is far from memorable. Apart from
excellent grip and good steering precision, there is not much to
remember. The steering is light on feel, especially on the straight
ahead. The body control is reasonable but at the cost of ride
composure. Switch to non-SR model with the same 19-inch wheels, you
will find less harshness (if not noise) on rough surfaces, but it rolls
more than keen drivers like. The handling and ride balance is just not
right. Perhaps this is the outcome of an old platform whose roots can
be traced back to 2001. In comparison, Honda Accord, Mazda 6 and Ford
Fusion feel more enjoyable to steer and to glide over a variety of
roads. The new Altima, despite a fresher look, does not change its
character. It is still high on value, space and performance, but
overall speaking not polished enough to be a class laurel contender.
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Verdict:  |
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