ZilviaBot

09-30-2009 03:20 PM

The 2010 Nissan Altima may look a bit more like the new Maxima, but it's still the same old Altima underneath, albeit with a slightly tweaked interior, new electronics and a $19,900 starting price.


The Altima Coupe, Altima Sedan and Altima Hybrid all make it back for the 2010 model year and all get standard VDC, a new nav system, and a new premium audio system option to go along with the visual upgrades. New surfaces and materials are being used in the interior and the 3.5 SE trim is being upgraded to the 3.5 SR, though this is nothing more than a name change.

The press outlining these minor mid-cycle changes below.

2010 Nissan Altima Offers New Look, New Tech Features; U.S. Pricing Announced for Sedan, Coupe and Hybrid Models
The popular Nissan Altima, ranked number one in segment in the 2009 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS), enters the 2010 model year with fresh exterior styling, refined interior treatments and a host of technology enhancements to its navigation and entertainment systems. Available in three distinct models – Altima Sedan, Altima Coupe and Altima Hybrid – the 2010 Altimas will be available at Nissan dealers nationwide beginning Monday, October 5th.

Now in its fourth generation, with nearly 3.2 million units sold worldwide, Altima provides a unique combination of exhilarating driving pleasure, distinctive and sporty design and exceptional quality and value in the mid-size sedan and coupe classes.

Again in 2010, Altima is available in a variety of well-equipped trim levels designed to appeal to a broad range of buyer needs and budgets, including 175-horsepower 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder and 270-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine-equipped 4-door Altima Sedan and sporty 2-door Altima Coupe versions.

The Altima Hybrid powertrain mates a specialized version of Nissan's QR25 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and standard electronically controlled CVT with an advanced electric drive motor/generator. Altima Hybrid is estimated to have a hybrid system net power rating of 198 horsepower (148 kW) while maintaining low tailpipe emissions, earning Altima Hybrid an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) rating. EPA fuel economy is estimated at 35 mpg City and 33 mpg Highway. Combined with Altima's standard 20-gallon fuel tank, the Altima Hybrid has a projected driving range of over 600 miles between fill-ups.

Among the many changes for all 2010 Altimas are a restyled hood, grille and front bumper, new wheel designs, standard Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) on all models, revised interior fabric and finishers, new exterior colors and revised option package content. In addition, the previous Altima 3.5 SE designation has been renamed the 3.5 SR.

Along with the exhilaration provided by the driver-oriented cockpit and high levels of Altima performance, the "entertainment factor" of Altima's interior has been upgraded with new available premium audio packages that include a Bose® AM/FM audio system with nine speakers, 4.3-inch color display, USB port with iPod® connectivity, Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System, MP3/WMA CD-ROM playback, XM® Satellite Radio (XM® subscription required, sold separately) and RearView Monitor.

Also available with Altima Sedan, Coupe and Hybrid models is a next-generation Nissan Hard Drive Navigation System with 6.5-inch VGA color touch-screen display (replaces the 4.3-inch display), 9.3GB Music Box for music storage and playback, advanced map data including speed limit advisories, Zagat restaurant guide, XM NavTraffic® and XM NavWeather® (XM® subscription required, sold separately), Bluetooth® Streaming Audio, DVD player and an RCA input for auxiliary audio/video connectivity.

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