2005 Nissan Altima
When the third generation of the Nissan Altima came out a couple of years ago, it snapped up the prestigious North American Car of the Year award and rocketed to wide appreciation and bigger sales.
But that was like two years ago, and cars seem to have a shorter shelf life than ever before, because here is a significant revision for 2005 that is obviously meant to strike a more upscale tone and start sales going up again.
''For the past few years, Altima has been an absolute all-star in the mid-size sedan segment,'' says Mark McNabb, vice president and general manager of the Nissan Division for North America, ''and the dramatic improvements now feed that momentum. The enhancements made to Altima's exterior and interior bring a new excitement and even higher quality to an already great car.''
Using the word ''dramatic'' might be, well, a little too dramatic a way to describe the changes to Altima, unless you think a car's interior is a lot more important than its exterior shape or performance attributes. It is inside that hot exterior shape that most of Nissan's effort went, after all, with the remainder going to the exterior and the mechanical bits.
The interior upgrades for the 2005 model are designed to ''emphasize the harmony between driver and machine,'' McNabb says. That means a new instrument panel design, center console, trim finishes, three-spoke steering wheel, seat material, headliner and added chrome accents and chrome door handles.
The instrument panel is a high tech design with a three-gauge ''cockpit'' instrument pod with added chrome accents for 2005, and now includes a multi-function trip computer. For the first time, Altima offers an optional DVD-based navigation system.
Additional features include a power port inside the center console storage area for a mobile phone, large cup holders that can hold up to a standard size one-liter bottle, a roof-mounted map light, and sunglass holder.
In McNabb's view, Altima's facelift gives it a more athletic, bolder look, resulting from new smoked headlamps and taillights, a restyled smooth front fascia with a distinctive raised hood design, a Nissan family grille, chrome accents on SL trims, and new wheels.
No changes to the 2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve, inline-four, meaning it produces 175 hp and 180 lb.-ft. of torque and sends it through a five-speed transmission to the front wheels. A four-speed automatic is of course optional.