SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Car sales in general continued to plummet in 2019, as Canadians moved to crossovers. In the midst of this shift in market preferences, mid-size family cars continue to be a viable, albeit smaller segment. Camry and Accord still dominate, but the Nissan Altima is holding up well, continuing to outsell entries from other Japanese manufacturers as well as those from Europe and the South Korea.
One of 14 different models in your local Nissan store, the sixth-generation Altima was completely redesigned last year and comes with all-wheel-drive. The Altima thus joined the Subaru Legacy as the only vehicles in the class with this winter-friendly feature.
As we struggle through the snow and slush of another winter, I realized how suited the new Altima is to our climate. I recently drove a new 2020 Altima from Needles, on the California/Arizona border, 600 km west to the pier at Santa Monica where the historic Route 66 comes to an end. There wasn’t much opportunity to put the AWD system to the test, other than the occasional foray off the well-beaten path to check out some interesting scenery. I was able to test the system on sand! I can report that it switches seamlessly between front- and all-wheel drive as the demand for more grip surfaces.
There isn’t much different about the 2020 Altima, compared to the 2019 model, other than the full suite of safety features appears deeper into the lower trim levels. In addition to the all-season traction and the inherent safety of all-wheel drive, the 2020 Altima I drove features a wide array of active safety features.
It was capable of warning of an impending collision, automatically applying the brakes should the driver fail to do so in time. You are notified of pedestrians in your path and vehicles in the blind spot on either side. Rear and 360-degree cameras take the worry out of tight quarters and alerts warn if an object is approaching from either side when reversing.
The Pro Pilot Assist program is Nissan’s approach to semi-autonomous driving. It uses the brakes, throttle and steering to maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead and within a well-marked lane, even around corners. The occasional tug at the wheel can prove annoying, but the feature would be useful for those who might find their attention elsewhere on occasion. It is also a boon when crawling through stop-n-go traffic.
The 2020 Altima rides on a new platform that boasts a rock-solid chassis. The independent rear suspension helps it soak up bumps in corners that usually upset vehicles with a solid rear axle. The exterior design is non-obtrusive, but thick C-pillars leave blind spots at the rear corners. Thankfully all the aforementioned camera and warning systems negate that concern.
The interior is well laid out and offers plenty of comfort in both front and rear seats. The front buckets proved not only supportive, but comfortable over eight hours at the wheel. The 20-cm colour touchscreen has both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto pairing. A little slow to respond it also boasted actual knobs for volume, tuning and climate control, a bonus! The rear seats fold, but not flat, for additional cargo space.
Canadian Altimas come with a normally aspirated 2.5-litre, four-cylinder engine paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Our neighbors to the south also get front-drive and turbocharged variants. The 188-horsepower four we get is sufficient for all but the most challenging loads or roads. The CVT mimics gear changes and the engine gets a bit rowdy under full throttle conditions.
Fuel economy is surprisingly good. Granted, the weather was warm and roads relatively flat, but I easily averaged 6.5L/100 km during the day-long run.
The new Altima makes a pleasant alternative to a crossover. The lower centre of gravity makes it a far more pleasant drive; the fuel economy is appreciably better; and there is plenty of room for four good-sized adults.
The specs
Model: 2020 Nissan Altima Platinum AWD
Engine: 2.5-litre, four-cylinder, 182 horsepower, 178 lb.-ft. of torque, regular gas
Transmission: continuously variable automatic (CVT)
NRCan rating (litres/100km city/highway): 6.7 / 9.3
Length: 4,900 mm
Width: 1,852 mm
Wheelbase: 2,825 mm
Weight: 1,570 kg
Price: $28,098 (S), $35,098 (Platinum) base, $36,057 as tested, plus freight
Competition: Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Mazda 6, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Camry
Significant standard equipment: LED headlights, power heated mirrors with memory, rear view camera, 19-inch alloy wheels, power sunroof, 20-cm colour touch infotainment screen with voice control and hands-free messaging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Satellite radio, dual-zone automatic climate control, power windows, seats and locks, heated steering wheel and front seats, remote keyless entry, push button ignition, intelligent cruise control, tilt/telescope steering wheel
Standard safety features: (Platinum trim) intelligent forward collision warning and emergency braking, Pro Pilot Assist, lane intervention, navigation, Bose audio system, leather seats, around vie monitor, blind spot warning, traffic sign recognition, rear sonar system with emergency braking
Options on test vehicle: Accessory Service Connector (2), $73.90; Interior Accent Lighting, $ 299.95, All-Season Floor Mats, $ 164.95, External Ground Lighting, $ 419.95
