2020 Nissan Altima expands availability of Nissan Safety Shield 360 across the entire lineup
07/03/2019
Nissan
Altima continues to bring excitement to the mid-size sedan segment with class-above styling, confidence-inspiring driving experience and Nissan Intelligent Mobility technologies
Entering its second year of production in 2020, the Nissan Altima continues as the new standard for mid-size sedan design - offering available Intelligent All-Wheel Drive, ProPILOT Assist1 and Nissan Safety Shield 360 technologies, the choice of two advanced engines and expressive exterior and interior designs.
Among the many accolades received by Altima in its debut year, the 2019 Altima SR equipped with a 2.0-liter VC-Turbo engine was named to Automobile magazine's prestigious "All-Stars" list. Altima also was recognized as one of Autotrader's "12 Best New Cars for 2019."
Enhancements for the new model year include the addition of Nissan Safety Shield 360 as standard for the Altima SR. Also new is the Driver Assist Package for the Altima S grade - making Safety Shield 360 technology available across the entire 2020 Altima lineup. Other changes include the addition of a mirror memory function to the Platinum grade and Piano Black interior finishers to SV, SL and Platinum grade levels.
Nissan Intelligent Mobility: ProPILOT Assist leads the way
When it comes to enhancing driving enjoyment, the 2020 Altima once again stands alone with Nissan's advanced ProPILOT Assist. Unique in the class, ProPILOT Assist1 eases driver workload by reducing the amount of driver acceleration, steering and braking input under certain driving conditions, such as single-lane highway driving.
ProPILOT Assist utilizes a forward-facing camera, forward-facing radar, sensors and an electronic control module to help the driver stay in the center of the driving lane and to maintain vehicle speed (set by the driver) or help maintain a gap to the preceding vehicle if the vehicle speed drops below the driver-set speed. It also can slow the vehicle to a complete stop and hold the vehicle during traffic jam conditions. ProPILOT Assist is standard on Altima SV, SL and Platinum grades.
Another key Nissan Intelligent Mobility technology is Safety Shield 360, which helps provide front, side and rear safety monitoring and intervention technologies. Safety Shield 360 includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Rear Automatic Braking (RAB), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), radar-based Blind Spot Warning (BSW), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and High Beam Assist (HBA).
The range of Altima safety and convenience features also includes standard Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Intelligent Forward Collision Warning (I-FCW) and Intelligent Driver Alertness (I-DA)2 on all grades.
Traffic Sign Recognition, standard on SL and Platinum grades, provides drivers with the most recent speed limit information detected by a camera unit located on the windshield in front of the inside rearview mirror. In addition, Intelligent Around View Monitor (I-AVM), which utilizes four small superwide-angle cameras mounted on the front, side and rear of the vehicle to provide a "bird's eye" virtual 360° view of objects around the vehicle, is standard on the Altima Platinum grade3.
Available Intelligent All-Wheel Drive
In response to the desires of buyers across all market regions, the new sixth-generation Altima features available Intelligent All-Wheel Drive - the first AWD system offered on a Nissan sedan in the U.S.
The AWD system is available in all trim levels equipped with the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. The system uses an advanced torque split control strategy that automatically redistributes torque to the wheels (0:100 front up to 50:50 front-to-rear) according to road and driving conditions4. In addition, cooperative control between the AWD torque distribution, brake limited slip differential and Hill Start Assist optimizes performance on hills starts and rough roads - adding to the sense of confidence and driving pleasure under a range of driving scenarios.
Nissan's world's first production Variable Compression Turbo engine
Replacing the previous-generation Altima's 3.5-liter V6 engine is the world's first production-ready variable compression turbo inline 4-cylinder - which generates the performance of some V6 gasoline engines but with 4-cylinder level fuel economy.
Designated as the VC-Turbo, the technology continuously transforms the engine characteristics, providing both dynamic and efficient performance. It seamlessly changes its compression ratio between 8:1 (for high performance) and 14:1 (for high efficiency) - with an advanced multi-link system continuously raising or lowering the pistons' reach to transform the compression ratio. Compared with the previous 3.5-liter V6 engine, the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo requires less space in the engine bay. The engine delivers 248 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque (premium fuel).
The VC-Turbo engine utilizes both multi-point injection and Nissan's Direct Injection Gasoline (DIG(TM)) system to balance efficiency and power in all conditions. Altima vehicles equipped with the VC-Turbo include a meter in the standard 7.0-inch Advanced Drive Assist Display so the driver can see, as well as feel, the control state of this world-first technology while driving.
Fuel economy5 (based on regular fuel) for the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo engine is rated at 25 mpg city, 34 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined - a 15% increase over the previous Altima 3.5-liter V6 (combined fuel economy).
Advanced 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine
Standard on all 2020 Altima grade levels is an advanced 2.5-liter DOHC inline 4-cylinder direct injection engine, which is rated at 188 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque FWD (182 hp/178 lb-ft AWD). The engine, introduced in the 2019 Altima, features 80% new or redesigned parts (versus the previous generation 2.5-liter design).
More than just the gains in horsepower and torque, the new engine offers improvements in noise, vibration and harshness, along with enhanced fuel economy and cleaner emissions. It also has a lower profile through adoption of a "reverse" cylinder head with integrated exhaust manifold and low engine mounting into the platform's engine bay for quieter operation. The 2.5-liter engine is assembled in Decherd, Tennessee.
Fuel economy5 (based on regular fuel) for the 2.5-liter engine is rated at 28 mpg city, 39 mpg highway and 32 mpg combined for front-wheel drive S, SV and SL models and 27 mpg city, 37 mpg highway and 31 mpg combined for front-wheel drive SR and Platinum models.
Fuel economy3 for Altima 2.5-liter AWD models is rated at 26 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined for front-wheel drive S, SV and SL models and 25 mpg city, 35 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined for front-wheel drive SR and Platinum models.
All 2020 Altima models, including both engine configurations, come equipped with a standard Xtronic transmission. Paddle shifters are available with the Altima SR grade.
Enhanced dynamic performance and chassis control
Along with the all-weather traction offered by the all-wheel drive system, all 2020 Altimas benefit from a range of enhanced suspension, steering and chassis control systems (versus the previous generation). Key suspension changes include monotube rear shocks, added suspension reinforcements to improve vehicle response without impacting harshness, and suspension geometry adjustments to improve steering feedback.
The steering system features a dual-pinion electric power steering design (DP-EPS), which reduces steering effort at low speeds for ease of driving. Effort is increased at higher speeds for improved feedback and control. Every 2020 Altima includes an advanced Integrated Dynamics Module (IDM). It includes two unique systems - Intelligent Ride Control and Intelligent Trace Control - similar to those found on the flagship Nissan Maxima sedan.
Three wheel and tire size combinations are available - 16-inch, 17-inch and 19-inch. The Altima SR grade features unique suspension and chassis tuning for a sportier ride and handling.
Sporty exterior, premium interior
The 2020 Altima features an athletic stance and proportions - lower, wider and more dynamic than previous generation, thanks in part to revised platform packaging and the use of the two low-profile engine designs. Compared with the previous generation, the new Altima is 1.1 inches lower in height, 1.0 inches longer in length and 0.9 inches wider - while also featuring a smaller front overhang thanks a 1.9-inch longer wheelbase and the rear wheels being pushed farther to the corners. The result is a dramatically sleeker yet more sophisticated look. The coefficient of drag is just 0.26.
Available exterior elements include the expressive V-motion grille with dark chrome finish, LED projector headlights with signature Daytime Running Lights, LED fog lights, floating roof with slim pillars and single panel moonroof.
A range of nine available exterior colors includes Scarlet Ember Tintcoat (premium color), Sunset Drift ChromaFlair(R) (orange with unique reflective pigment), Brilliant Silver Metallic, Gun Metallic, Super Black, Pearl White TriCoat (premium color), Glacier White, Deep Blue Pearl and Storm Blue Metallic.
Inside, the 2020 Altima interior offers a near-luxury feel in both design and materials - marked by the lightweight, layered and more horizontal "gliding wing" instrument panel and high-contrast colors and trim.
The uplifting interior design also offers a high level of comfort and convenience amenities and connectivity features are offered - including standard 7.0-inch Advanced Drive Assist Display, enhanced NASA-inspired Zero Gravity seat design with dual-density foam and added bolstering for improved holding and support, available perforated leather-appointed seat inserts, remote engine start6 and available 8-way driver's seat with memory.
The Altima's selection of audio and infotainment choices include a Bose(R) Premium Audio system with nine speakers, including a digital amplifier with eight channels of custom equalization. Active Noise Cancellation is available on models equipped with the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo engine.
In addition to standard Apple CarPlay(R) and Android Auto(TM), every 2020 Altima also comes equipped with standard 8-inch multi-touch color display, Bluetooth(R) Hands-free Phone System, Streaming Audio via Bluetooth(R), Hands-Free Text Messaging Assistant, and Siri(R) Eyes Free voice recognition.
Available NissanConnect Services powered by SiriusXM(R) provides compatible smartphone and smartwatch access to features such as Remote Engine Start/Stop, Remote Door Lock/Unlock, Valet Alert, and more. Additionally, certain remote features are accessible through the NissanConnect Services Amazon Alexa Skill and Google Assistant Action.
A range of advanced models
The 2020 Altima is offered in five trim levels - S, SR, SV, SL and Platinum. All five come equipped with the standard 2.5-liter engine and are available with Intelligent All-Wheel Drive. In addition, Altima SR and Platinum grades are available with the advanced 2.0-liter VC-Turbo engine (front-wheel drive only).
Altima S includes standard Automatic Emergency Braking, Intelligent Driver Alertness, Bluetooth(R) Hands-free Phone System, Rear View Monitor, NissanConnect with Apple CarPlay(R) and Android Auto(TM), 7-inch Advanced Drive Assist Display, Remote Engine Start, 12-volt DC power outlet, four front/rear USB charge ports (Type-A and Type-C), 8-way power driver's seat, 60/40 split-folding rear seat, Rear Door Alert and more.
Altima SR grade models add 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, unique rear diffuser color, sport suspension (FWD only), sport interior with sport seat, paddle shifters, leather-appointed steering wheel, LED projector headlights, dark chrome grille, Nissan Safety Shield 360, exhaust finishers, black side mirror caps and body colored door handles.
Altima SV features moonroof, LED fog lights, 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, heated front seats and steering wheel, ProPILOT Assist, Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Rear Automatic Braking (RAB), heated outside mirrors with LED turn signals, 2-way power lumbar support, High Beam Assist (HBA), rear console HVAC vents and Dual Zone Auto Climate Control.
Additional features found on the Altima SL grade include Bose(R) Premium Sound System with nine speakers, NissanConnect with Navigation and Services, Traffic Sign Recognition, leather-appointed seats and 4-way power passenger seat.
Finally, the fully equipped Altima Platinum includes 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, Intelligent Around View(R) Monitor (I-AVM), interior accent lighting, and driver memory seat and mirrors function.