Nissan alters the Altima

Nissan's design team started fresh when conceiving the significantly re-engineered 2002 Altima-and added a V6 to the lineup.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., under the reigns of President and CEO Carlos Ghosn, is operating through its Nissan Revival Plan (NRP), a comprehensive three-year strategy initiated in October 1999 and designed to revive the company by reallocating resources to its core automotive business. Plans for the NRP involved investing in 22 new products-10 in the U.S., and among them the recently introduced 2002 Altima.

The ‘02 Altima, on an all-new platform, was designed “to go head-to-head against the long-time class leaders (in the midsize sedan category),” said Bill Kirrane, Vice President and General Manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA). According to the company, inspiration was found literally in its own backyard with Xterra, a vehicle that Nissan claims has been successful because it found and filled a critical “unmet need” in the market. With Altima development, Nissan targeted the nearly 16% of midsize sedan buyers that its research indicated were unsatisfied with design, roominess, and performance of current offerings in this market and so were turning to SUVs and crossovers.