The facelifted Altima now sports a more athletic front end and has more tech
For the 2016 model year, the Nissan Altima mid-size sedan has been facelifted and now has new looks on the outside, inspired by the same “Energetic Flow” design language that debuted with the 2015 Murano SUV and was carried on by the 2016 Maxima.
Up front, the refreshed Altima has new headlights, a new V-shaped grille, new hood, new fenders and a redesigned spoiler. The new stuff continues at the back, where the taillights have been changed from the old two piece design to a new four-piece layout.
These changes aren’t just aesthetic, though – according to Nissan, the 2016 Altima has a 10 percent improvement in coefficient of drag, from 0.29 Cd in last year’s model to 0.26 Cd. There’s some tech that helps the sedan achieve this value, also, with an active grille shutter doing its thing in front of the engine.
Comfort-wise, the upgraded model should be quieter inside, with added noise insulation and a laminated glass windshield that helps keep wind noise out of the cabin.
Inside, there’s a slightly redesigned center stack, new cup holders next to the gear lever and the same Zero Gravity front seats that are still standard on all trims.
The 2016 facelift brings a new trim level – SR – that comes with its own suspension setup, stiffer stabilizers, sport interior accents, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, paddle shifters and a leather-wrapped gear shifter.
In the engine department, there are two options available, the same as before but a bit more efficient. The 2.5-liter unit makes 182 horsepower and 180 pound-feed of torque and is good for 39 mpg on the highway (1 mpg better than before; 31 mpg combined, 27 mpg city) while the 3.5-liter V6 develops 270 hp and 251 lb-ft and is rated at 32 mpg for highway driving (26 mpg combined, 22 mpg city).
The only transmission available is the Xtronic CVT which supposedly has a new shift logic that creates a “more responsive acceleration feel”, although this remains to be seen in the real world.