Known to Chinese buyers as well as in many other markets as the Teana, Nissan’s fifth-generation Altima has been revealed there with an updated design that does a good job evolving the exterior that we first saw in 2013 and offers up some minor tech upgrades to have it keep pace with rivals.
First things first, the updated fascia receives a pair of new blackout headlamps that incorporate LED beams and LED daytime running lights. It’s a seemingly small touch that does lend the Altima an edge it has been lacking up until now.
The are now more contours that run down the side of the saloon, complementing the ever slightly more aggressive front end and topping that off with a set of two-tone 10-spoke polished wheels.
Nissan has chosen to leave the Altima’s interior as it was, for the most part. However, the touchscreen infotainment system is now a larger unit, presumably with more capable hardware powering it that enables support for Apple CarPlay connectivity in addition to the requisite Bluetooth and satellite navigation functions.
As far as we know, there have been no changes made to the Altima’s engine and transmission package, although it is possible that once this updated model reaches other markets, Nissan could have something to say about that.
For now, the 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engines remain, albeit marginally updated for 2016, producing 112kW and 138kW, respectively. In both varieties, power is sent to the front wheels via Nissan’s X-Tronic continuously variable transmission (CVT).
There isn’t any firm indication yet as to when they plan to roll it out to other markets, if at all. However, this facelifted Altima should start populating Chinese showrooms before the end of the year.
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