Despite being a small family sedan, the Altima is using the same platform as the full-size Maxima. This means that the car is not as agile as many of its competitors, and it is not that easy to drive either. However, it is among the most comfortable cars in its class, and it also is quite well equipped for how cheap it is. Even though the car has been released quite recently, rumors suggest that the future 2017 Nissan Altima might be an all-new model. Move like this can be justified by the need to modernize it while bringing it closer to other models in their lineup regarding looks. This one would be using a new platform designed by Nissan in cooperation with Renault. The platform would be more rigid and quite a bit lighter than before.

2017 Nissan Altima Review

Changes would allow the Altima to become slightly better to drive as well as more comfortable. Unfortunately so far there haven’t been any information leaks, so all of these are just rumors. The interesting part is that Nissan was, in fact, saying that the Altima was going to be the first car in their lineup to receive a complete redesign for some time. At first, people suggested that the car would be based on a rear wheel drive platform. However, this seems highly unlikely at this point considering that Infiniti just released a new model. Instead, the car will remain front-wheel drive with a transverse positioned engine.

This layout usually means that there remains plenty of room inside the cabin for the passengers without compromising on anything. The upcoming 2017 Nissan Altima should make use of smaller and more efficient engines as well as a lot of other upgrades. For starters, the car should get its old 2.5 and 3.5-liter engines removed as they are pretty much obsolete in terms of technology, and we could see much better solutions delivered by competitors. In their place, Nissan will install all new Renault-built powertrains; these will also come to the US market.

Drivetrain

Even though it may not sound like it, there is great news. Instead of the old 2.5-liter engine we should get a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline four mill. This would offer 205 horsepower and well over 200 lb-ft of torque which is considerably more than what old engine pushed. The very old 3.5-liter engine, on the other hand, will be replaced by a 2.0-liter mill. At this point, it still is unclear how this will be tweaked, but some suggested it would offer close to 260 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. A great amount of torque that is available in wide range of rpm’s will certainly provide great drive dynamics and performances on a high level. Both of these new engines will come with a new dual-clutch gearbox which will replace the old and dull CVT.

Not that long ago some rumors also suggested for a high-performance version of the upcoming 2017 Nissan Altima. This would receive a 3.0liter twin-turbocharged V6 from Infiniti. Power figures haven’t been rumored, but 300 to 400 hp is something that this unit could easily offer. If this one comes to the market, it will give the car enough grunt to outrun rivals like the Fusion Sport. The only problem would be the front wheel drive platform. However, Nissan might install a new all-wheel-drive system to the car in which case there really shouldn’t be any problems.

Design

Like with most other manufacturers these days, the design of the upcoming Altima is not going to change all that much. This is because Nissan wants to be consistent and drastically changing the design could make people turn to other manufacturers. Instead, we expect the current design to be further refined. The size will likely increase slightly while the new details on the body should make for a more aggressive car in general. Same thing should also happen with its cabin. The new materials are going to be far better and will be used throughout the range. These will be needed to make it feel a bit more premium than it was allowing it to be an even better option on the market. Also, the room for the rear passengers will be slightly improved while those in the front should also benefit from headroom. It will be interesting to see how will these changes affect the price but we know that there isn’t room for large increases and in that case we expect to see sticker price still starting from under $23,000.

2016 Altima Video: