The 2019 Nissan Altima coming this fall and we’re feeling nostalgic here at Hall Nissan Virginia Beach. With years of service under our belt to the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake area at our dealership and Nissan service center, we’d like to take a drive down memory lane and take a look back at the Nissan Altima.
It all began in June 1992 with the release of the first ever Nissan Stanza Altima. The ‘Stanza’ in the first was a nod to the discontinued Stanza line, which the Altima line ultimately replaced. The first generation models were offered in four trims (XE, GXE, GLE, SE) with 150 horsepower engines. 1998 marked the beginning of the second generation. These models featured standard leather seats, a more comfortable interior, and the availability of side airbags.In 2000, Nissan surged the Altima into the new
millennium with an increased 155 horsepower engine. The line’s popularity
skyrocketed in the early 2000s with the third generation models; the Altima was
named the North American Car of the Year (2002). These models were also the
first mass-market product built on the new FF-L platform, which was unique to
North America. Third generation models also boasted increased interior volume
and new levels of speed (SE with 240 horsepower and SE-R with 260 horsepower).
The fourth generation marked the release of the first hybrid model in 2007,
however availability was limited to a handful of states and was available until
2011. Fourth generation models featured a coupe model (2008), intelligent key
technology, hands-free Bluetooth phone pairing, and a backup camera. The fifth
generation 2013 model came equipped with zero-gravity seats and the standard
“honking” easy-fill tire alert system. This generation also included the 2017
Nissan Altima.
The 2019 Nissan Altima coming later this year will begin the model's sixth generation, and we are sure it will live up to it's history.