Don’t count the Nissan Altima out just yet. Our spy photographers caught something running around Nissan’s Michigan headquarters that we didn’t expect to see—an Altima-sized sedan wearing a camouflage wrap.
This is very interesting, because the last we heard, the Altima was dead after this year. Granted that was an unofficial word, and the automotive landscape has shifted some since those rumors appeared. Nissan has nothing official to say one way or another, but clearly, something is happening, because this wrapped Nissan is way too big to be a Sentra. And the Maxima is officially dead.
Photo by: KGP Photography
Photo by: KGP Photography
Photo by: KGP Photography
Our photographer tells us this car was caught rolling with a current Altima in tow, further giving credence to this being a next-generation sedan. There is a similarity in the profile, notably in the curve from the front fenders and the beltline reaching to a short trunk lid. The camo wrap is deceptive at the C-pillar, but if you look closely you can see a telltale notch on the bottom of the glass—another Altima feature.
We believe Nissan is injecting some design language from the new Murano, especially at the front. Headlights look much smaller compared to the current sedan, and they appear to connect to a thin bar spanning the width of the fascia. There’s a split motif happening here like the Murano, with a smaller grille positioned entirely below the bar. It appears to retain a V theme but it’s not a full-on V-Motion grille as we currently know it. Nissan is moving away from that trend, it seems.
13
KGP Photography
It’s also clear this is not the new electric sedan Nissan is working on. An exhaust system is clearly visible at the back. We aren’t just talking about some tailpipes—a discolored muffler is tucked behind the rear fascia, confirming a combustion engine under the hood. Is it a hybrid? A continuation of the Altima’s current 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder? Alas, these are questions we cannot yet answer.
We can say this much, however. Despite rumors of the Altima’s demise, the sedan was Nissan’s second-best-selling vehicle in 2024. The Altima and Rogue were the only models in the automaker’s fleet to crack 100,000 sales. Given Nissan’s current financial state, there could be no choice but to launch a new generation. And if it’s done right, it just might save Nissan’s bacon.
When will we know for sure? We originally thought the current Altima would die for the 2026 model year. A next-generation debut could happen later this year, but don’t be surprised if the wrap isn’t removed until sometime in early 2026.
Read the full article here