Nissan Altima makes AWD, turbo, tech play

Nissan expects to challenge the recent redesigns of Altima's direct-facing competitors -- the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord -- by giving the 2019 Altima a full array of Nissan's newest technologies.

The car gets ProPilot Assist, the lane-keeping autonomous feature that Nissan says will serve as the starting point for more advanced self-driving technologies to come.

The Altima also receives what the automaker is calling Safety Shield 360, a network of upgradeable features that include front, side and rear safety monitoring and intervention technologies, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, lane departure warning and other safety features.

The redesign also gives the Altima two new engines -- both of them with smaller footprints that require less under-the-hood space.

The Altima will be the second nameplate in Nissan's global portfolio to receive the VC Turbo, the advanced powertrain that Infiniti is just now launching in its redesigned QX50 crossover. Nissan claims the variable-compression turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine pumps out the power of a V-6 with the fuel economy of a four. The Altima will no longer come with a V-6 engine.

The VC Turbo is rated at 248 hp and 273 pound-feet of torque.

The new Altima also offers a redesigned 2.5-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder that is quieter and boasts a 9 hp gain over the outgoing 2.5-liter.

The addition of all-wheel drive may be the new car's most startling change. The move pits the Altima harder against Ford's all-wheel-drive Fusion sedan while also separating itself from the Camry and Accord. The feature additionally challenges Nissan's smaller Japanese rival, Subaru, which has turned all-wheel drive into a brand cornerstone.

The Altima uses the all-wheel-drive technology of the Rogue crossover, the nameplate that has overtaken the Altima as Nissan's best-selling product.

By using the same system in both vehicles, Nissan achieves a bigger economy of scale, Bunce pointed out. The same system will now have a combined sales potential of 700,000 vehicles in the U.S. alone.

Bunce said the addition will help Nissan boost sedan sales in cold-weather markets, where consumers often buy crossovers and SUVs for safety in icy weather.

"All-wheel drive is more about making the car more relevant in markets where all-wheel drive is important," he said.