Nissan Uncovers Altima Hybrid, Coupe, and SE-R

2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid

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Nissan’s mid-size line-up is about to grow. The automaker provided a sneak peek at two new additions on Tuesday evening, the Altima Coupe and the Altima Hybrid.

The two-door emphasizes “aggressive styling,” explained Nissan’s Chief Creative Officer, Shiro Nakamura, with the use of significant amounts of new sheetmetal, as shown here. The sporty exterior is matched by an equally performance-oriented cockpit. Designated a 2008 model, the Altima Coupe will hit the market next summer.

Meanwhile, the long-awaited Altima Hybrid will go on sale in the coming weeks. The new hybrid uses Nissan's 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine coupled to the Xtronic CVT and battery and motor technology that’s been licensed fromToyota. The package develops a combined 198 hp. In an unusual move, Nissan intends to market the Altima Hybrid, at least initially, in just eight states: California, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, and New Jersey. The automaker’s entry into the hybrid segment is late, with CEO Carlos Ghosn openly skeptical of the benefits of the technology that has been more aggressively embraced by arch-competitor, Toyota.

During a background briefing for media prior to the L.A. Auto Show press days, Nissan officials outlined their product strategy for the coming year, while highlighting recent successes. Nissan Division General Manager Bill Bosley noted that sales of the latest version of the Altima sedan have been exceeding supply during the four-door’s first month on the market. Demand has been equally strong for the Versa, Nissan’s smallest and lowest-priced model. “The biggest challenge with Versa, right now, is availability,” the executive said, adding that there’s barely a 15-day supply of the subcompact at U.S. dealer showrooms right now, a situation not likely to change soon. A 60-day supply is generally considered normal.

Putting an emphasis on affordable performance, Nissan officials also announced plans for their new SE-R. “There’ll be no shortage of power,” declared Nissan Division General Manager Bill Bosley. The original SE-R, launched in 1991, helped launch the sport compact segment, often referred to as “rice burners,” by fans and foes alike. The third-generation SE-R will go on sale next March, in base and Spec-V trim. The latter version makes 200 horsepower, while the “base” SE-R makes 177 hp. Bosley defends Nissan’s choice of a CVT for the car’s transmission insisting that “CVTs are not just for smoothness and fuel economy – they can be tuned for performance also.”

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