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| 2007
Nissan Altima Hybrid |
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| Overview |
On
Sale Date
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Summer 2006 |
| Body Style |
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4-Door Sedan |
| Category |
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Hybrid Vehicles |
| Drivetrain |
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Front-wheel drive |
| Engine |
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Gas-Electric Hybrid |
| Estimated Price |
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Not released |
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 It’s
still a few years away from arriving in showrooms,
but Nissan has already begun to build prototypes
of the 2007 Altima Hybrid.
In September 2002, Nissan and Toyota signed
a basic agreement in which Toyota will supply
Nissan with the hybrid system components (transaxle,
inverter, battery, and control unit) allowing
Nissan to produce 100,000 hybrid vehicles
within a five -year period.
However Nissan will be supplying the gasoline
engine and electric motor which means that
the Altima will drive quite differently than
the Toyota Prius that uses the same hybrid
components.
Nissan will be focusing on performance with
the Altima Hybrid. The prototype combines
the powerful 2.5-liter engine used in the
current Altima, with a 100kw electric motor.
For comparison, the Prius uses a 50kw electric
motor. Still, the Altima Hybrid is expected
to get high fuel economy and produce very
low emissions.
MSN Autos had a chance to get behind the wheel
of the Altima Hybrid prototype. The sedan
accelerates strongly, with the transition
between pure electric propulsion to combined
electric and gas engine very smooth. There
wasn’t any readout of fuel economy,
however engineers suggested that the car should
achieve around 40 mpg. |
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