The year was 1992 – the average cost of a gallon of gas was $1.05, Boyz II Men were all the rage and Married with Children was on television. It was also the year the Nissan Altima was born.
HISTORY OF THE NISSAN ALTIMA
The Altima is a front-wheel drive, mid-range compact car. The first generation Altima, dubbed the U13, was available only as a rounded, jellybean-like sedan. It came with a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine was produced until 1997. After that, the second generation Altima, the L30, took over. The L30 still resembled an oval-shaped piece of candy, and was still only available with a 2.4L engine. The L30 was produced between 1998 and 2001.
The next generation Altima, the L31, was still orbicular and humdrum, however, it did get some mechanical renovations. A choice of either a 2.5L 4-cylinder or a 3.5L 6-cylinder was made available. A sport SE-R version was also released with a more powerful version of the 3.5L tucked between the fender wells. The L31 was produced between 2002 and 2006.
Fourth Generation Altima (2007-2012)
The fourth generation is when the Altima really came into its own. Referred to as the L32A (D32 for the coupe), the Altima finally got edgier styling and oodles of new technology. Engine options were either the 2.4L or the 3.5L, both producing more power than the previous generation. A continuously variable (CVT) transmission was also standard on most models. A hybrid model was also made available and a coupe debuted in 2008.
Fifth Generation Altima (2013-Present)
_Ti-S_sedan_(2015-12-06).jpg?resize=1080%2C695&ssl=1)
The final year of the fourth generation Altima, 2012 didn’t see any changes. Nissan was saving all of their tricks for the brand new fifth generation, the L33. For 2013, the Altima got a brand new interior and exterior, both with a more luxurious feel. Various engineering improvements increased fuel economy, and a revised steering and suspension upped the fun-to-drive factor.
In 2014, Nissan killed the sporty Altima Coupe. However, the remaining sedan got updated with the NissanConnect infotainment system. A technology package was also made available.
Finally, in 2015, only a few tweaks were needed to bring the Altima near perfection. The remote ignition system was updated to detect ambient temperature and activate the HVAC system. An eight-way power driver’s seat was also made available.
The Nissan Altima went from an indistinctive blob to a sporty, high tech machine. It’s amazing what 23 years will do.
Thanks Giphy for the .gifs!
