Altima repositions Nissan ahead competition
If the description given to the 2015 Altima by Edmunds.com, an American journal for automotive information is used as a metric to describe well built automobiles, then Nissan, the owner of the model should be enjoying some measure of public attention. The online publication had described the sedan as a favourite choice among family sedans, delivering excellent fuel economy; a rare blend of comfort and exceptional capacity that compares to most premium sedans.
The online resource described Nissan Altima as stylish, bold and aggressive with long body lines that distinguishes the Japanese engineered sedan from rivals like the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima.
Emerging from a total model change, the car offers exceptional premium experiences and high technologies that could give mid-size sedans better value proposition and keep it fresh against rivals.
Edmunds.com says while many manufacturers are offering different 4-cylinder engines with hybrids and diesels, Altima goes the traditional route by offering a base 4-cylinder and a V6, reaffirming its innovative features to reposition the car way ahead of competition.
The Nissan Altima is mated to a lighter weight 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine with improved efficiency while the 3.5-litre V6 version delivers better fuel economy, placing the car way ahead of competitions.
Both engines however drive front wheels through Nissan’s next generation Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drives engine revs ahead of vehicle speed during strong acceleration and helps both specifications achieve tremendous fuel economy.
It is distinctively tailored for stylish and confident individuals as well as responsible adults seeking personal and professional fulfilment. This class of people want more out of life and do not want a conservative or dull midsize sedan.
Popular Mechanics, a United States classic magazine affirmed this claim in one of its recent publications that “the new Altima remains one of the most engaging family sedans, and its fuel economy approaches 16 kilometres per litre of gasoline (PMS) for the 2.5 litre engine and 13 kilometres per litre of gasoline (PMS) for the 3.5 litre engine, on highway driving.”
Kelley Blue Book (KBB) said that; “Nissan Altima is no doubt a driver’s delight and should have no problem attracting the most discerning family-sedan buyers.” Another UK-based Auto Trader described it succinctly: “With its Maxima-like good looks, and unique features such as the NASA-inspired zero-gravity seats, the Altima really does give shoppers a viable alternative to the Camry and Accord.”
Altima’s driving dynamic which rarely sacrifices its mainstream family-sedan features conveys a measure of driving fun that’s uncommon in the mid-size segment reaffirms AutoTrader.
The distinctive features of Altima’s “multilink independent suspension and best-in-class continuously variable automatic transmission is a testimony to Nissan’s ingenuity, especially when benchmarked against premium sedans like the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series.”
It could as it is have one of the biggest slices in the coming few months, beating rivals like Toyota Camry and Honda Accord in a segment described as the toughest, where every automaker wants a slice of the pie, the analysts said.
Altima has a fantastic sporty handling, making it more fun to drive than most affordable midsize cars. The standard four-cylinder engine provides plenty of power for passing and merging highway even as engine delivers robust acceleration with a responsive automatic transmission (continuously variable transmission) that operates seamlessly, giving a smoother and lag-free drive when viewed against competitions.” The modern and attractive styling with first-rate materials make the car’s cabin one of the nicest in class with features like ‘Nissan intelligent key and NASA-inspired zero gravity seats – proven to reduce fatigue
Simply explained, the intelligent key lets the driver tap a button on the door handle or trunk to unlock while the key stays in your pocket or purse, and subsequently allows you start your car from up to 100 feet away with the air-condition powered on to cool down the car before it’s time to get in. Inside the car, the rear seats have generous legroom, while the trunk size of 436 litres is ambitious for the class.
Other features include Bluetooth, USB/iPod input, leather upholstery, a rear-view camera, premium BOSE audio x 9 speakers, 3D display, Xenon Lamps, anti-lock brake system (ABS), electronic brake force distribution (EBD), brake assist (BA) and vehicle dynamic control (VDC).
MIKE OCHONMA