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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Ford to Charge $295 for Auto Start-Stop System

 Ford to Charge $295 for Auto Start-Stop System on 2013 Fusion, Says Improves Fuel Economy by 3.5%

We believe that auto start-stop systems are one of those features that should be standard across the range of any model these days, as switching off the engine when stuck in traffic has proven to be an effective and fairly inexpensive way to improve the fuel economy of any type of car. However, instead of making it standard on its new 2013 Fusion sedan, Ford decided to offer Auto Start-Stop system as an option when the car launches in the States this fall. On the other hand, Ford has priced the fuel-saving technology at a reasonable $295.
Ford said that the system will be available in conjunction with the 179hp 1.6-liter EcoBoost gasoline engine, improving fuel efficiency by about 3.5 percent on average.
“We expect the average Fusion driver with the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine and Auto Start-Stop will save about $1,100 more than other midsize sedan owners during five years of driving,” said Samantha Hoyt, Fusion marketing manager.
Ford did not clarify if the auto start-stop system will be offered as an option on the other two launch engines as well, the 170hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit and the 237hp 2.0-liter turbo EcoBoost.

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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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