Refreshing or Revolting: 2019 Nissan Altima

The Nissan Altima faces the same dilemma it did when it entered the U.S. in 1992. It is constantly battling the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, although it has managed to threaten their sales dominance at times over the years. Both its rivals have recently been redesigned, and now it’s Nissan’s turn to show off. Does the Altima’s new design help it stand out in its segment? We take a look at the styling changes below.

The 2019 Nissan Altima receives a taller grille that spans all the way from the headlights to the very bottom of the front fascia. The headlights on the old Altima were indented at the top, but the new Altima has rectangular-shaped lights. We have to admit it’s a cleaner look. The hood appears as if it has been pulled downward, and the corners encasing the foglights have also changed.

As you can see from the side profile, the Altima doesn’t look dramatically bigger than its predecessor. But it is 1 inch longer, 1.1 inch lower, and 0.9 inch wider. A bold character line runs from the hood across the body through the top of the doors. Much like the Maxima, the new Altima receives a “floating roof.”  The back end appears to drop off more sharply on the new model compared to the old one. New, larger 19-inch wheels are available.

Replacing the chunky taillights of the previous model are slimmer lights. The silver bar that ran just below the Nissan logo on the old model is gone now, and Nissan also revamped the entire license plate area. Certain models have a new “VC-Turbo” badge signaling their new variable compression engine. It’s subtle, but new character lines below the license plate area as well as those running down from the rear lip into the taillights give the back end more structure. The bumper also looks completely new.

Inside, you’ll notice a new 8.0-inch touchscreen that comes with every Altima. This thin screen is mounted higher on the center console than the screen on the previous model due to the repositioning of the air vents. Nissan also changed up the HVAC area, giving it its own small screen for displaying temperature. Both the old and New Altima have cupholders positioned to the right of the shifter, but on the new model, they are shifted back a little bit so drivers don’t bump their hand against the stalk while reaching for their drinks. Also notice Nissan put in a new instrument cluster display and the latest version of its Zero Gravity seats with additional bolstering.

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