Nissan

The Altima has been one of the Nissan Motor Co.'s hot selling cars since its introduction in 2001. The second generation, introduced in 2006, toughened the sedan's popularity. To broaden its overall appeal, Nissan introduced a hybrid version of the car in January. And now the much-awaited coupe has arrived.

Compared to other coupes, the Altima is not just a two-door version of the sedan. Nissan engineers has shortened the wheelbase by 101 mm, cut the overall length by 185 mm and lowered the height by 66 mm. The modifications gave the coupe a handsome look that could turn heads.

How distinct is the coupe from the sedan? Well, the only sheet metal shared between two- and four-door Altimas is the hood. The Coupe has been endowed with a pair of idiosyncratic bucket seats with striking side bolsters for extra lateral support. In the back, a 60/40 split rear bench extends the cargo space. The feature is ideal for a weekend of skiing or to hold few odds and sods from the store. Also, a more conventional parking-brake hand lever has also been added to the Coupe, substituting the sedan's foot-operated control. Read more

April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Nissan today announced its plans to launch its first clean diesel engine in the United States for use in the Nissan Maxima in 2010. The passenger car will be powered by an all-new Alliance engine co-developed with its partner, Renault, and will clear stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier II Bin 5 emissions requirements. Further details about the car, including its launch date, will be announced later.

"Nissan is fully engaged in reducing emissions and improving fuel economy and efficiency. Launching a clean diesel engine in the U.S. will offer customers the benefits of fuel economy, CO2 reduction and a satisfying, fun- to-drive performance that is a hallmark of the Nissan brand," said Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., in a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations. "You can expect to see more diesel engines in our product lineup in Europe, Japan, North America and China by fiscal year 2010." Read more

April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Nissan North America, Inc. today announced pricing on the all-new 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe, which goes on sale May 25, 2007 at Nissan dealers nationwide. The newest extension of Nissan's best-selling Altima lineup offers dramatic styling, a sport-inspired interior and a choice of two advanced powerplants -- a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder or 3.5-liter V6 -- and 6-speed manual or Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) transmissions. Read more

When Nissan introduced its most recent makeover of the Altima, I knew something was up. This far more upscale Altima was everything the Maxima had previously represented. I figured that could only mean one thing: The brand new 2004 Maxima was destined to move up a level, too. Or, as I now understand, two or three levels.

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April 17, 2003--Nissan today unveiled three all-new vehicles at the New York International Auto Show -- the 2004 350Z Roadster sports car, Titan Crew Cab pickup, and the company's first-ever full-size sport utility vehicle, the Pathfinder Armada.Read more

I remember vividly my last encounter with a Nissan 300ZX. It was back in the early ‘90s, not long before Nissan retired the revered “Z” designation The car was bright yellow, and it was not at all what I expected. Instead of the sleek, fast, affordable fun I recalled from the first Z cars of the ‘70s, this 300ZX was big, bloated and expensive. It was more touring coupe than sports car, an aging relative of the little hatchback both daily drivers and weekend racers loved. I wasn’t surprised to see it go.Read more

January 2003 (Newstream) -- The Nissan division of Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today unveiled the all-new 2004 Maxima sports sedan and redesigned 2004 Quest minivan at a press conference at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Both of these vehicles will be available later this year as 2004 models. Read more

The brand new Nissan Sentra SE-R finds itself in the unenviable position of trying to follow a great act. That great act was the original Sentra SE-R. Introduced here in 1991 with a 2.0-liter twin cam four cylinder, the original SE-R quickly became the darling of the affordable-racer set. Its all-around great performance landed the 140-horsepower compact a coveted spot on Car And Driver magazine’s “10 Best” list every year the car was available in this market, as well as other such accolades. Autocross and street racers ate it up. Read more

I can’t remember a time when the Nissan Maxima wasn’t on my favorites list. Compared to its biggest competitors – the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry – the Maxima has always been the most fun to drive, a family sedan that isn’t afraid to party. These attributes don’t appeal to everyone apparently, since the Maxima hasn’t enjoyed the radical success either Accord or Camry has. But Nissan stays the course, and updates for 2002 in all the right places might change some minds. Read more

In the dozen or so years I’ve been reviewing new vehicles, refinement has been a steady march. Whether it’s a truck or an economy sedan, simply doing its job in a reasonable, affordable way no longer cuts it. Competition has pushed expectations ever upward to where today’s Mercury sedan exceeds yesterday’s Lincoln and the average pickup truck has a “sound system.” Years ago, who would have thought we’d take power windows for granted in even the lowliest of econoboxes? It’s this environment that gives us the new 2002 Nissan Altima, a third generation sedan assembled in Tennessee. In its case, refinement hasn’t been just a steady march; it is suddenly a long, significant stride.Read more