2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid Review

These days, not having a hybrid or eco-friendly model in your vehicle line-up is a sin. Nissan wants to become part of the green club and decided to electrify the popular Altima sedan, which rivals the Toyota Camry and Prius, the Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Aura as well as the brand-new Ford Fusion.

Nissan bought Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology and applied it to their 2.5-litre engine.

Nissan has quite a few small, fuel-efficient cars in its line-up, including the upcoming cube, but vehicles with electric powertrains are a must nowadays, especially since the company also offers a significant number of trucks.

Obtaining a hybrid powertrain for the Altima was relatively easy, as Nissan bought Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology and applied it to their 2.5-litre engine.

EV mode
The Altima's battery pack and electric motor can launch and pull the car up to about 45 km/h before the engine cuts in. So if you slowly creep away from a standstill, you can drive down a flat road for a kilometre or so before the 4-cylinder fires back up to do its job.

Combined, the 2.5-litre engine and electric motor produce 198 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque, which provides 0-100 km/h acceleration times of 7.8 seconds. The CVT automatic features quiet operation at normal cruising speeds, but the powertrain can get noisy during more vigorous throttle inputs.

Testing the car during a cold winter week makes for varying fuel economy figures. During a couple of mild days, the average was 6.9 L/100 km, which isn't bad. But colder days prevented the electric motor from working independently, the EV mode rarely kicked in, and the average was 8.7 L/100 km.

Unlike the Camry and Malibu, the Altima Hybrid is a sportier alternative, with tighter body motions and a more dynamic feel.

Combined, the 2.5-litre engine and electric motor produce 198 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque.