2008 Nissan Altima Review

Specifications

Joining the Midsize Coupe Foray

It probably wouldnt surprise you to find out that the Nissan Altima is the Japanese brands best selling car in the United States. Its a remarkably reassuring sign for those of the anti-SUV brigade that midsize vehicles are still a popular vehicle choice, given the continued success and even market share growth of freshly redesigned models like Toyotas Camry and Hyundais Sonata. Over the past four generations, the Altima has grown from being a fairly small player in the segment to one of the biggest. The jelly-bean proportioned, economical original has sprouted into a stylish four-door range that consists of value-leading economical Altimas, performance-oriented versions and now even a hybrid model. The next phase in expansion comes from the surprise introduction of a two-door coupe, which debuted at this years LA Motor Show last week.

Much like the sedan side of the business, the midsize coupe segment seems to be on a roll. Its  been consistently in the headlines, with the eye-grabbing likes of Pontiacs G6 Coupe plus the Mitsubishi Eclipse, based off of the brands Galant sedan. Also midsize sedan based, the long-time competitors are Hondas Accord Coupe and Toyotas Camry Solara.

Turning a four-door family sedan into a two-door coupe is a task that requires a great deal of structural work, and in the case of the new Altima two-door it can be quickly confirmed by glancing at the cars spec sheet. Compared to the sedan, the coupe is shorter in length and lower in height. Some 4.0 inches has been taken out of the wheelbase for a total length of 105.3 inches, while overall the car is 7.1 inches shorter for a total length of 182.5 inches. To capture a sportier look, the Altima Coupe sits 2.5 inches lower than the sedan for a total height of 55.3 inches. With so many changes made to the Coupes frame, Nissan effectively created a whole new body for the car, which means that very little in terms of body work is shared with the sedan. In fact, its only the hood that is common between the two vehicles. The headlights, fenders, grille, doors, and bumpers are completely unique to the Altima Coupe.

Itll be a tough task to find people that wont think fondly of the new two-doors styling. The redesigned sedan is a good looking midsize car, so itd be expected that the one with two fewer doors would be endowed with similar genes. Even with two doors removed, its easy to identify the Altima Coupe as an Altima, unlike the Eclipse to a Galant, or a Solara to a regular Camry, but whats bound to make people fall head over heels for it is the rear end. The roofline itself plunges into a steep angle that trails off towards its backside, diverging into very visible shoulders that wrap around the rear fenders. Its similar to Infinitis G35 Coupe, a favorite amongst automotive enthusiasts, but in some ways the Altima Coupe is a little more reserved. The curves on the fenders and tail section are more pronounced, bolder and, well, less reserved.  Though it could very well be a fastback, the Altima Coupe has an actual trunk. How useful it will be is debatable; it looks to have a high liftover point, and, due to the diagonal angle of the taillights, a narrow aperture.

As with quite a number of competitors, Nissan will be offering a choice of engines, including a fuel-efficient inline-four and a more powerful V6.  Nissans 2.5-liter inline-four provides decent power for an entry level car. For the fourth-generation Altima, the engine was reworked to include an equal-length intake manifold, a higher compression ratio, and new internal components that reduce friction. The result of these changes means the engine is capable of making 175 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque. Performance isnt the only language of personal sport coupes, however, as in this segment at least they need to be laid-back and smooth. Thats where the 2.5 should excel, with NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) improvements. The engine features a silent chain drive with a balancer system that works to counteract the buzziness that inline-fours can make.

The gem in Nissans engine range is the VQ-series V6, which is used extensively in the brands product portfolio. Its also a favorite amongst consumers and the media alike, with a powerful and smooth nature earning it the title of Wards 10 Best Engines twelve years in a row. But even without the trophies, this engine is still worthy of admiration, as it generates an impressive 270 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Its also a very efficient powerplant, with variable valve timing, lightweight pistons and electronic throttle. Though the power produced isnt as much as in the G35 Coupe, its more than enough to out-pace the entry-level competition with a 0 to 100 km/h time in the low six-second range.

Nissan has learned that lots of power makes a spec sheet look good, but not if it corrupts the handling of the vehicle. As a part of the 07 redesign, the Altimas chassis was heavily revised in order to cure the cars Achilles Heel, torque steer. A completely new suspension design, which features a lower-mounted engine plus equal length and equal angle half-shafts, works to reduce unwanted torque steer. The rear end of the car also features a revised multi-link suspension setup that includes separate springs and dampers for better damping with less road harshness. Uprated structural rigidity not only gives the Altima Coupe a stronger feel, but it helps the car resist noise, making the ride smoother and quieter. The tuning of the springs and dampers is unique to the Coupe, allowing for a sportier feel.

The Coupes interior is more or less identical to the new Altima Sedan. The only notable differences between the two-door and four-door cars before the B-pillars are the front seats. The coupes buckets have more aggressive bolstering than the sedan. Seeing as the 07 Altima was only introduced earlier this year, Nissan felt no need to overhaul it for the lower-volume two-door model. Compared to the old car, the center console has been cleaned up, a new, oddly shaped steering wheel has been added, and new Fine Vision instruments have been fitted. Though the Altima Coupe may be classified as a midsized vehicle, were not too sure about the accommodations in back. The swooping shape of the roof line in combination with the shorter wheelbase looks to be rather confined, and appropriate for smaller adults and children.

Regardless of the engine that buyers choose, there is an option of a manual gearbox and an automatic gearbox. The manual transmission for both has six ratios, while the automatic isnt really an automatic. As per Nissans trend of smoothening things out, the XTronic CVT is available for those who have an aversion to clutches. Because the Altima Coupe is perceived as a sportier vehicle, there is a manual mode which enables the driver to toggle through artificial ratios via a Tiptronic-like gate on the gearshift lever. When the shiftless gearbox is equipped with the V6 engine, the gearbox gains a Sport mode which has quicker upshifts, plus a computer processor which analyzes the drivers inputs for improved response.  Unique to the Coupe with the CVT gearbox is a hand brake, as opposed to the foot brake on the sedan model. <
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All Altima Coupes come very well equipped with standard equipment including intelligent key with push-button start, a 9-speaker Bose stereo system with auxiliary input jack, Bluetooth handsfree cell phone connectivity and dual-zone climate control. In terms of safety equipment, all cars get standard active headrests (anti-whiplash), four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, plus front, side and curtain-type airbags. The options list for the Altima Coupe is actually quite short, the major two being a navigation system and an integrated rearview reverse camera. The latter is only available if the navigation system is ordered.

The Altima Coupe will be produced alongside the sedan at Nissans plant in Tennissee, and is expected to arrive in showrooms during the summer of next year. Pricing will be announced closer to its on-sale date, but in Nissan tradition, it will be extremely competitive.