Road to Recovery

Automotive Industries, August, 2001 by John McCormick

Nissan's bigger, better Altima is poised to take a chunk out of North America's midsize sedan market. Here's what Accord and Camry have to fear.

After years of trying to push the small Altima uphill in a losing battle with the mid-size kings Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, Nissan is admitting defeat. The answer for 2002: an all-new Altima with the size and power to meet, if not beat the competition.

The latest Altima emerges as the first product to be developed under the much vaunted Nissan Recovery Plan, the scheme hatched by company president Carlos Ghosn to put the ailing Japanese automaker back on track.

Already Ghosn's NRP has transformed the company's financial situation from precarious to acceptable; now comes the first test of a product born under his leadership. Though the existing Altima has struggled in the U.S., requiring large incentives to attract buyers, Nissan still regards the North American market as potentially the most profitable in the world. Thus, a great deal of effort was expended on developing the latest version.

Joint development of the 2002 model took place at the Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi, Japan, and Nissan's two North American technical centers in Michigan and Arizona.

Dimensionally the new Altima is actually slightly larger than its senior sedan sibling, the V-6-engined Maxima. While that fact appears to make a mockery of Nissan's two-sedan strategy for attacking the mid-size market, the company marketers have an answer: Give the Maxima even more power and luxury accoutrements and position it as the brand's flagship contender. The heavy lifting in the battle with Honda and Toyota will be done by Altima. Though the 2002 model offers a V-6 engine for the first time, Nissan anticipates 80 percent of buyers will opt for the four-cylinder base engine.

The expected result in terms of sales is that the Tennessee-built Altima will increase dramatically from 140,000 to 190,000 a year, while Japan-sourced Maxima will decrease from 130,000 to 80,000. It seems like a reasonable plan, but it depends heavily on the designers and engineers having got their sums right on the look and performance of the Altima.

According to Masami Yagata, chief product specialist at Nissan Motor Co., "spirit" was the key word for the development of the new car. Yagata says the design is supposed to look like a cat with a rounded back. "It is a cab forward type design with a shortened rear," he explains. "I particularly like the C-pillar design, which is complicated and beautiful. Also the taillights, which have the look of a superbike exhaust"

Based on Nissan's new FFL platform, the Altima is for North American consumption only but the 4x4-capable platform will spawn several different models, including a new minivan destined for markets in Europe and Japan.

Overall length is 191.5 inches, up 5.7 inches from to the previous generation Altima, while the wheelbase increases by a substantial 7.1 inches to 110.2 inches. Height has also increased, gaining 2.0 inches to total 57.9 inches. Track has been increased by 1.8 inches in the front and 2.4 inches in the rear. A first for Nissan and Altima is the use of aluminum panels for the hood and trunk. Body and structural improvements deliver a 170-percent increase in overall body stiffness versus the 2001 model.

The predicted volume seller in the Altima line-up will be powered by an all-new four-cylinder 180 hp, 2.5L dohc 16-valve four-cylinder. With 181 pounds-feet of torque, the engine delivers an extra 25 hp and 25 pounds-feet of torque over the previous generation's 2.4L engine. The new QR25 motor features continuously variable valve timing, a silent chain drive and a balancer system to reduce vibration.

As for the V-6 Altirna, its 3.5L engine produces 240 hp and 246 pounds-feet of torque. Part of Nissan's VQ engine series, this is the same V-6 that powers the Maxima, although in the latter car output has been bumped up to 260 hp. Both Altima engines come with a choice of 5-speed manual transmission or 4-speed automatic. Traction control is available on V-6 Altimas. Common features on Altima V-6 and I-4 engines are microfinished crank journals and cam lobes, molybdenum coated lightweight pistons, and electronically controlled throttles.

Nissan has upgraded the Altima chassis to keep up with the power boost. The car now features an all-new front suspension, which is eight-percent lighter due to extensive use of aluminum parts. The design incorporates a cradle-type frame with an offset coil spring and lower transverse links. At the rear, a multi-link independent set-up is adopted from the Japanese-market Nissan Skyline.

Inside, the Altima's cabin now boasts a volume of 103.2 cubic feet, claimed to be superior to Accord and Camry.

When it goes on sale this September, the 2002 Nissan Altima will be available in four different models -- the base 2.5, mid-grade 2.5 S, 2.5 SL and the V-6-powered 3.5 SE. Options range from an automatic transmission to leather-appointed seats, audio systems, front seat side-impact air bags and roof-mounted side-impact curtain air bags.