Nissan's all-new Altima gets variable-compression engine, AWD

The Altima sedan is an important product for Nissan, what it calls its “brand ambassador.” Long a solid choice in the midsize sedan segment, its typically conservative sheetmetal over the nameplate's five generations has set benchmarks for inoffensive design. For MY2019, Nissan has moved the all-new sixth-generation Altima onto an updated, autonomous-capable global platform and is providing two new powertrains, its first all-wheel-drive system for a sedan in this market and styling that is clean, handsome and sharp.

Nissan obviously has invested heavily in its new sedan and as a package, the latest Altima looks and drives the business. Pricing and content also appear set to compete with longtime and recently refreshed competitors including the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. All good, save the almost startingly recent industry-wide decline in U.S. sedan sales.