Nissan
Altima SR
When
Nissan rolled out a series of futuristic auto show concept vehicles a few years
ago, few people believed that the boldly styled designs would ever see the
light of a Nissan showroom. Yet against the odds they started coming.
The
new Nissan design language is making its way into more and more vehicles -
including Nissan's best-selling vehicle in the United States, the Nissan
Altima.
For
the new 2016 Altima the design team adopted key aspects of both the exterior
and interior styling themes to give the popular mid-size sedan a fresh new
appearance, including the "Energetic Flow" exterior styling theme and
"Gliding Wing" interior layout.
The
front end of the 2016 Altima offers the most dramatic change, since all panels
and pieces forward of the A-pillars are new - fascia, bumper, fenders, hood and
lights. Two key elements are the redesigned V-Motion grille and boomerang-shape
headlights, similar to those found on the Murano and Maxima. The look is
dramatically different from the 2015 Altima design, with a wide, deeply
sculpted lower bumper, integrated fog lights (SR, SV and SL models) and
prominent chrome-trimmed grille.
The
reshaped headlight units incorporate halogen high beam and projector low beam
lights. LED projector low beam lights and LED signature Daytime Running Lights
that sweep into the wide raised hood are standard on Altima 3.5 SR and 3.5 SL
grades (late availability) and available on 2.5 SR and 2.5 SL. Altima SR adds
smoked headlight bezels.
The
rear of the new Altima is marked by a new sculpted bumper with a dark lower
accent, a new trunk lid - with integrated rear spoiler on Altima SR models -
and lower, wider boomerang-shaped combination lights that help provide a more
expressive, higher quality appearance when approaching the vehicle from behind.
The four-piece combination lights incorporate the tail- and stop lights, turn
lamps and backup lights.
Along
with the revised appearance, the new Altima also offers a 10 percent
improvement in coefficient of drag - to 0.26 Cd from the previous 0.29 Cd. The
changes come from the addition of an active grille shutter (three percent
gain), underfloor aero cover additions (three percent) and the new front and
rear fascia and windshield designs (four percent).
The
already extensive Altima color palette adds a new Deep Blue Pearl color for
2016, along with Java Metallic, Brilliant Silver, Gun Metallic, Super Black,
Cayenne Red, Pearl White, Glacier White and Storm Blue.
Finishing
off the new exterior appearance are dramatic new 17-inch and 18-inch
machine-finish aluminum-alloy wheel designs.
The
2016 Altima's refined interior design follows the new "Gliding Wing"
design language, shared with Murano and also the new Rogue. Central to the new
look is the revised C-stack with available 5.0-inch and 7.0-inch displays for
the NissanConnectSM with Mobile Apps and available NissanConnect Navigation
with Mobile Apps.
In
addition, the standard Zero Gravity front seats have been reshaped and the
woven cloth seating and door panel materials feature a more open weave pattern,
providing a premium look and feel throughout the Altima interior. The steering
wheel has also been refined for 2016. The twin cupholders on the center console
now accommodate mug handles in response to customer input.
The
new Altima SR grade includes blue sport interior accents on the steering wheel,
door panels and seats - to contrast the Charcoal interior color. The SR also
features a leather-wrapped steering wheel, paddle shifters, and leather-wrapped
gear shifter.