2013 Nissan Altima

Even though we’ve already seen this car already through leaked photos yesterday, the official debut of the fifth generation Nissan Altima has to be taken seriously. The new mid-size contender still seems to follow Nissan’s budget and economy focused mentality, but it’s much better designed than the Versa.

This car is going to be their bread and butter, their main focus point in the sales charts, for the next few years. The Altima name now dates back 20 years, during which time it’s been their money maker in America.

The new 2013 model year midsize sedan is actually based on the old model’s platform. Of course we’re not saying it’s identical underneath, but the wheelbase or overall length have not changed.

The base car will come with a 2.5-liter 182hp inline-four, starting at $21,500 and the top-of-the line model will have a 3.5-liter V6, in SL trim, it will grab just over $30,000.

Let’s talk styling first! This is not a no-thrills car by Nissan standards. The light clusters are well curved and the addition of wheel arch curves is obvious.

The mid-size battle is lost or won in the equipment list, so Nissan added ConnectSM which offers Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System and Streaming Audio via Bluetooth. The Altima is available with Hands-Free Messaging Assistant, Pandora integration, USB connection for iPods and satellite radio with a 5-inch display.

In between the instrument clusters, Nissan has fitted their new 4-inch Advanced Drive-Assist Display, which displays information on cruising speed, temperature, range and other useful information.