2013 Nissan Altima Sedan Pictures Leak Online, Looks Like a Mini Maxima

We're not sure if Nissan was planning to reveal its next-gen Altima sedan ahead of the car's world premiere at the New York Auto Show on Wednesday, April 4, but either way, a first batch of pictures along with preliminary specs and prices were unloaded online today. The new Altima sports a sleeker and crispier design than its predecessor, evidently inspired from the larger Maxima. The mid-size sedan's interior is also new, but appears to be less exciting than the exterior in terms of styling.
"The safe thing to do would be to follow other automakers' paths, conservatively evolving the Altima so as not to upset the existing owner base. But that would not be in keeping with Nissan's 'Innovation for All' philosophy," commented Brian Carolin, Vice President of Nissan N.A.
"We took our most successful model and changed nearly everything – the look, the feel, the driving experience and, of course, the technology down to even the headlights and windshield wipers."
The fifth generation Altima keeps the same wheelbase as the outgoing Altima, but features a wider front and rear track (+1.4 inches).
It will reach U.S. dealerships this summer with a choice of two engines, a tweaked version of the 2.5-liter QR25 four-cylinder unit producing 182hp (+7hp) and a peak torque of 180 lb-ft, and 3.5-liter V6 VQ35DE, which remains rated at 270 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.
A redesigned Xtronic CVT with new control logic and expanded gear ratio coverage transfers power to the front wheels on both models.
Nissan says that targeted fuel economy for the Altima 2.5L/CVT is 27 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 31 mpg combined, and for the 3.5L V6/CVT Altima, 22 mpg city, 30 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined.
Later on, the Japanese automaker will add a hybrid model to the range, which combines a new 2.5-liter supercharged gasoline engine with a compact-size CVT package incorporating a single electric motor and two clutches with energy being stored in a lithium-ion battery.
Prices for the 2013 Nissan Altima sedan start at $21,500 for the base 4-cylinder model rising to $30,080 for the top V6 variant.
Photo Credits: Nissan via VWVortex

2013 Nissan Altima Sedan Prices:
Altima Sedan 2.5 CVT $21,500 USD
Altima Sedan 2.5 S CVT $22,500 USD
Altima Sedan 2.5 SV CVT $24,100 USD
Altima Sedan 2.5 SL CVT $28,050 USD
Altima Sedan 3.5 S CVT $25,360 USD
Altima Sedan 3.5 SV CVT $27,780 USD
Altima Sedan 3.5 SL CVT $30,080 USD

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2013 BMW X1 Facelift Photos

The automotive forecast for today predicts many leaks from all fronts, as the earlier photo showers of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class and 2013 Lincoln MKZ continue now with the refreshed 2013 BMW X1, which will be joining the two other models at the New York International Auto Show. If you're reading this from the U.S., the first thing you'll need to know about the facelifted X1 is that BMW has confirmed that it will be available in showrooms across the country this summer, with prices to be announced soon.
For the new model year, the X1 receives some subtle visual tweaks. On the outside, you'll find a redesigned front bumper, a larger double-kidney grille, revised headlamps and more sleeker mirror housings.
There are no photos of the rear end, but previous spy shots suggest that the changes will be limited to the re-sculptured bumper and tail light graphics.
Inside, we didn't notice any differences, but BMW may have added new colors and trim options.
For the U.S. market, the Bavarian company has confirmed the availability of its new 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder gasoline engine.

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Nissan Altima Teaser No4 is All About the Profile

Another week, another teaser clip from Nissan for its brand-new 2013 Altima mid-size sedan that will be fully revealed at the New York Auto Show in April. After showing us the front, rear and top views of the Altima in the previous videos, Nissan is now completing the exterior set with a glimpse of the car's profile, which as you can, is distinguished by the more sculpted bodyside surfaces.
We're still not getting any additional information on Nissan's proposal in the mid-size sedan segment, but we reckon that aside from the already confirmed hybrid drivetrain featuring a 2.5-liter supercharged four-cylinder engine, the Altima will most likely get a regular four-cylinder variant as well as a flagship V6 model.

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