We all remember the Nissan Bluebird right? It was a classic from the eighties and if you had one, you were considered the posh one of the neighbourhood. Actually, the Bluebird dates back to the late fifties and evolved throughout the following decades. In 1992, Nissan replaced the Bluebird with the Altima which was still a mid-sized sedan and was designed to go head-to-head with the likes of Honda, Toyota and Hyundai.
In 2018 Nissan sold only just over 5,000 Altima’s in Canada, so in response, the 2019 Nissan Altima offers increased value for money with all-wheel drive as standard and excellent technology levels which promise to leave the competitors in the dust.
SPORTY EXTERIOR
To say the 2019 Nissan Altima is a good looking car is an understatement. From the first glance you’ll notice the 2019 Altima has received the latest corporate Nissan look, extreme points and angles around the front, great curves along the side of the car and a subtle spoiler and angled LED lights all come together to create a really special design. If you had to compare the 2019 Altima’s exterior design to another vehicle, then Lexus would be at the top of the list – there’s a lot about it that seems familiar with the Japanese competitor’s car designs.
From the side, a dramatic, elongated line from back to front with the two door handles on different levels which gives the whole car a bold stance. A contrasting strip along the top of the window line give the Altima a floating roof and when paint is a light colour, this will really stand out as a feature. From the front, you’ll get an extremely deep grille almost touching the ground, along with wide and long LED lights giving it a real dramatic look. The 2019 Nissan Altima could certainly be one of the best looking vehicles Nissan has produced in recent years.
ELEGANT INTERIOR
When you first step into the 2019 Nissan Altima’s cabin, you’re greeted by an elegant design with warm features like the wood grain finishes and soft touch materials. A large, easy to reach touch screen navigation and entertainment system is featured on the centre column along with a very simplified row of quick keys and climate controls.
Taking design cues from the 2019 Nissan Maxima, the interior of the 2019 Altima brings together double stitched leather, wood grain trims, chrome highlights and a simple yet ergonomic dash to create a welcoming and elegant interior space.
Of course, you can expect the 2019 Altima to have all the toys and gadgets any new model can offer and with any Nissan, comfort comes as part of the deal. Front and rear seats are equally comfortable with great quality leather. Rear passengers get air vents and deep contoured seats with a center arm rest with good sized cup holders. Overall, the 2019 Altima is a great sized car with excellent levels of equipment and technology.
PERFORMANCE AND DRIVE
The 2019 Nissan Altima comes equipped with a 2.5L four cylinder engine, which outputs 182hp through its continuously variable transmission (CVT). Nissan has kept things simple by making this the only choice for engine and transmission. It’s a bit surprising that Nissan has put in a relatively lower horsepower engine into the 2019 Altima when compared with the 2019 Maxima which comes equipped with a powerful 300hp V6 engine. Despite the lower number horsepower, you’ll find the 2019 Altima packs plenty of fun into the punchy and responsive accelerations and smooth and quiet cruising.
Superb handling and an overall smooth ride await in the 2019 Altima, which is packed full of the latest driving technology. As standard you’ll get some great safety features such as blind spot warnings, forward collision warnings, intelligent braking and intelligent ride assist just to name a few. The CVT helps to reduce the fuel consumption to a very respectable 9.1 L/100km in the city and 6.5 L/100km on the highway.
One of the major benefits of the Altima is that it comes standard with an all-wheel drive system. Not only will this improve the driving experience but will give you some extra traction when you might need it in adverse weather, particularly applicable to Canadian driving.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Priced from $27,998, the 2019 Nissan Altima offers some great value for money, with the base model coming very well equipped. There are few vehicles in the market that offer this amount of looks, quality and safety and driving technology in the same price range. The 2019 Altima will join the Subaru Legacy and the Ford Fusion Sport by offering all-wheel drive, separating it from direct competitors like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Overall, Nissan fans will love the new Altima as it promises to not disappoint.
