These days, not having a hybrid or eco-friendly model in your vehicle line-up is a sin. Nissan wants to become part of the green club and decided to electrify the popular Altima sedan, which rivals the
Toyota Camry and
Prius , the
Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Aura as well as the brand-new
Ford Fusion .
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| Nissan bought Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology and applied it to their 2.5-litre engine. |
Nissan has quite a few small, fuel-efficient cars in its line-up, including the upcoming cube, but vehicles with electric powertrains are a must nowadays, especially since the company also offers a significant number of trucks.Obtaining a hybrid powertrain for the Altima was relatively easy, as Nissan bought Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology and applied it to their 2.5-litre engine.
EV mode The Altima's battery pack and electric motor can launch and pull the car up to about 45 km/h before the engine cuts in. So if you slowly creep away from a standstill, you can drive down a flat road for a kilometre or so before the 4-cylinder fires back up to do its job.Combined, the 2.5-litre engine and electric motor produce 198 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque, which provides 0-100 km/h acceleration times of 7.8 seconds. The CVT automatic features quiet operation at normal cruising speeds, but the powertrain can get noisy during more vigorous throttle inputs.Testing the car during a cold winter week makes for varying
fuel economy figures. During a couple of mild days, the average was 6.9 L/100 km, which isn't bad. But colder days prevented the electric motor from working independently, the EV mode rarely kicked in, and the average was 8.7 L/100 km.Unlike the Camry and Malibu, the Altima Hybrid is a sportier alternative, with tighter body motions and a more dynamic feel.
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| Combined, the 2.5-litre engine and electric motor produce 198 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. |