Nissan Debuts Altima Hybrid, Company's First

Nissan took the wraps off of its first hybrid today at the Orange County, Calif., Auto Show. The Altima Hybrid features the same four-cylinder engine as the base 2007 Altima, but it’s matched to an electric engine to pump out 198 horsepower. More importantly, the hybrid’s mileage is rated at 41 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway. That competes directly with the Camry Hybrid at 40/38 mpg city/highway. The projected range with the Altima Hybrid’s 20-gallon tank is 700 miles.

The electric motor produces 199 lbs.-ft. of torque from a standing stop, so the car doesn’t engage the gasoline engine during takeoffs. This is why city mileage is usually higher in hybrids than the highway mileage. Its continuously variable transmission, an automatic transmission, also helps improve gas mileage.

Standard features for the Altima Hybrid include stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes,16-inch alloy wheels and dual-zone climate control. 

No prices have been announced, but we should hear more as we get closer to the 2007 Altima Hybrid’s on-sale date next month.

Update: It’s true, the Altima Hybrid will only be on available in eight states when it goes on sale in early 2007. We just received word from Nissan that there are no plans for expanding beyond California, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine and New Jersey where emissions regulations are more stringent than in the rest of the country. 

Related:
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Hybrids in the Real World