When the 2013 Nissan Altima was unveiled at the New York International Auto Show, the hope was that the new Altima would maintain its position as the top selling vehicle in class in Canada. The Altima has been a robust midsize sedan for the Nissan brand since its inception over two decades ago and has since received many redesigns and upgrades, including the current redesigned 2013 model. With some clever engineering magic, Nissan was able to give the Altima a slightly wider stance yet still managed to shave off 120 pounds of overall weight.
Along with the back end modifications, fans of the Altima will notice sleeker lines on the front end, headlight design changes and the addition of the new Nissan corporate grille.
UNDER THE HOOD
Unlike the competition (Kia Optima, Chevy Malibu and Hyundai Sonata), Nissan managed to resist the temptation to follow its competitors in replacing their V6 engines with a turbocharged 4 cylinder engine. Instead the 2013 Nissan Altima maintains a quiet and smooth ride with its 270 horsepower 3.5L V6 engine.
Although the 3.5L V6 is the exciting way to go, Nissan also offers a peppy 4 cylinder 2.5L on base models. The base model 4 cylinder engine delivers impressive fuel economy with a consumption of 7.4 L/100km (city) and 5.0 L/100km (highway), while the 6 cylinder delivers high performance with a still impressive 9.3 L/100km (city) and 6.4 L/100km (highway), considering it has almost 100 more horsepower. Partial credit for this notable fuel economy comes from Nissan’s Xtronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), featured on both engines.
INSIDE AND OUT
The 2013 Nissan Altima comes in many variations, as it’s available in both a coupe and sedan model with several levels of interior and exterior trim. You can choose from either the 2.5L 4 cylinder S, SV, SL or the 3.5L 6 cylinder also in S, SV or SL.
Nissan has spared no expense with the luxurious look and feel of the inside of their flagship midsize sedan. From the quality of materials, the zero-gravity seating, bluetooth and premium Bose sound system to the very advanced Drive-Assist Display system with other built in technology, Nissan has set a high standard in the mid-size sedan market.
Nissan has gone one step further with connection technology and offers NissanConnectSM and NissanConnectSM with Navigation so you can stream audio using Bluetooth or send and receive text messages completely hands-free. You can also send maps from your computer or cell phone to the car.
The exterior’s redesign is most notable on the front and back end of the 2013 Nissan Altima sedan. Both front end and rear end were widened, giving it a more aggressive stance without affecting the dimensions of the traditional wheelbase. The front end also features a seamless bumper incorporating the new style of grille. A nice finishing touch is the projector style headlights giving a bolder and more executive look. The rear end aerodynamics benefit from the sloping rear roofline and slightly raised trunk.
Finishing off the exterior look are 16” steel wheels with 215/60R16 tires and wheel covers or 17” aluminum-alloy wheels with 215/55R17 V-rated tires for the 2.5L 4 cylinder model or 18” aluminum-alloy wheels with 235/45R18 V-rated tires for the 3.5L 6 cylinder model.
With Nissan constantly updating and redesigning the Altima to keep it current with the times, this new generation 2013 Altima is sure to turn lots of heads visually while at the same time providing all the present day comfort and conveniences. If you are in the market for a new mid-size sedan, the 2013 Nissan Altima sedan with go above and beyond your expectations.
