Discuss this story in the forum at CarTalkCanada

Photo Gallery: 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid

North Vancouver, British Columbia - Introduced late in the 2007 model year, the all-new Nissan Altima Hybrid sedan joins the newly redesigned Altima sedan and Altima Coupe in the Canadian Nissan line-up.

The Altima Hybrid is Nissan’s first gasoline-electric hybrid, and like the Toyota Camry Hybrid, is a hybrid version of an existing mid-size sedan rather than a dedicated hybrid design like the Toyota Prius.

Also like the Camry Hybrid, and unlike the defunct Accord Hybrid, the Altima Hybrid is a “full” hybrid that uses a four-cylinder gasoline engine mated to a continuously variable transmission, electric motor/generator, and electronic controller. Electricity is stored in a large 245-volt nickel metal hydride battery pack behind the rear seat. This hybrid technology is actually licensed from Toyota - I guess Nissan figured they should get in the hybrid race now with a proven design rather than wait a few years to develop their own.

2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid. Click image to enlarge

As a “full” hybrid, the Altima Hybrid can run on electric power only, gasoline-engine power only, or both at once, depending on engine load, temperature, and driving conditions. Everything is completely automatic, controlled by sophisticated hybrid powertrain software.

In the Altima Hybrid, Nissan’s 2.5-litre four cylinder engine produces 158 horsepower at 5200-6000 rpm while the permanent magnet AC synchronous motor adds the equivalent of 40 hp between 0 and 1500 rpm for a total of 198 hp - that’s 23 more horsepower than the Altima 2.5S four-cylinder sedan. But as the Hybrid’s electric motor develops maximum torque between 0 and 1500 rpm, the Altima Hybrid is more responsive at low speeds - more on that later.

Nissan quotes fuel economy numbers of 5.6 L/100 km City, and 5.9 L/100 km Highway for the Altima Hybrid. Compare that to 8.9 L/100 km City and 6.3 L/100 km Highway for the four-cylinder Altima 2.5S equipped with the continuously variable transmission. Still, as you will see, the Altima Hybrid isn’t quite as fuel-efficient as advertised.

2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid. Click image to enlarge

It’s certainly nicer to the environment, though: the Altima Hybrid is rated as an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV), which is one step above SULEV (Super ultra low vehicle emissions vehicle) and one step below ZEV (zero emissions vehicle).

To charge the battery while in motion, the Altima Hybrid uses regenerative braking technology which converts kinetic energy into electric energy, plus a generator which places resistance on the driveshaft during braking to further charge the battery. The Altima Hybrid is completely self-sufficient and self regulating - there’s no need to plug it in to external 115-volt current.

As with other full hybrids, the Altima Hybrid’s electric power steering, power brakes, air conditioning and other electrically powered features continue to operate when the gasoline engine shuts off - they’re powered by the 245-volt nickel metal hydride battery.

Standard equipment includes Nissan’s all-aluminum 2.5-litre DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder engine with continuously variable valve timing; the CVT and hybrid components mentioned above; stability control (VDC); traction control (TCS); four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, brake assist and electronic brake differential; electric power rack-and-pinion steering; four-wheel independent suspension; and P215/60R16-inch tires and aluminum-alloy wheels.

Inside, the five-passenger Altima Hybrid comes standard with soft cloth seats; power driver’s seat; front seat heaters with two temperatures; push button ignition with keyless start; power/charge meter, battery indicator, “Ready” light, and “EV Mode” indicator; trip computer distance to empty, and instant and average fuel consumption readouts; driver/passenger automatic climate control, AM/FM/CD stereo with auxiliary input and six speakers; power windows with automatic up/down feature and anti-pinch protection; power door locks with remote unlocking including the trunk; power heated outside mirrors;

2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid. Click image to enlarge

cruise control with steering wheel controls; four front cupholders and two rear cupholders; and two 12-volt outlets.

Standard safety features include dual-stage front air bags, front seat side airbags, roof-mounted curtain airbags for front and rear outboard occupant head protection, front seat active head restraints, rear child door locks, upper tether anchors and lower anchors for child seats.

The Altima Hybrid is not available with leather seats, sunroof, six-disc CD changer, or navigation system.

There are some differences between the Altima Hybrid’s interior and the standard Altima. The Power Meter, just to the left of the central speedometer, replaces the tachometer. It shows two things: the amount of electric power assist in Kilowatts directed from the battery and electric motor to the drivetrain during acceleration (in white), and the amount of charge going to the battery during deceleration and braking (in blue). There is also a small green “Ready” light that indicates when the ignition has been turned on and the car is ready to go. As well, when the car is running on the electric motor alone, an “EV Mode” light illuminates in the centre digital display.

To the right of the speedometer is a small Battery Charge Level meter that shows how much electricity is stored in the big battery. There is also a digital display in the speedometer which can be toggled between different functions, such as Range, Instant Fuel Consumption, Average Fuel Consumption, Average Speed, and Trip Odometer.

Unlike the Camry Hybrid and Prius, the Altima Hybrid’s instrument panel doesn’t have a pictograph display showing the real-time distribution of power from the battery to the engine, electric motor to drive wheels, generator to battery, and so on.

2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid. Click image to enlarge

While this feature is great for seeing how the hybrid system works, it’s more of a novelty than a useful readout, and I don’t think future hybrids will include it.

As a mid-size, front-wheel drive sedan, the Altima Hybrid is very roomy inside, at least for front occupants. I found the soft cloth front seats comfortable on long 700-km round trip from Vancouver to Kelowna, B.C., but would have liked a driver’s lumbar adjustment for lower back support. For cold winter mornings, the front seats have standard seat heaters with a choice of two temperatures

The rear seat, while wide enough for three passengers and offering plenty of legroom, has limited headroom for adults over 5′ 10″ tall. Back there, I found myself brushing my head on the Altima’s sloping roof. As well, there are only two fixed rear head restraints and no centre head restraint.

The multi-function steering wheel, with audio and cruise controls, tilts up and down, but doesn’t telescope in and out. The driver’s seat has power fore-aft, height, and rake adjustments. I liked the padded armrest between the front seats and the large dead pedal to the left of the foot-operated parking brake.

2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid. Click image to enlarge

The radio and heater controls are logically laid out and easy to use, with good sound quality and consistent cooling respectively - for external music players, there is an auxilliary input jack just to the right of the volume knob.

Interior storage is generous: at the bottom of the centre stack is a deep covered bin, and behind the shift lever are three cupholders under a flip-up cover. Between the front seats is a large armrest/storage bin with two levels, and an interior 12-volt power outlet. As well there are large door pockets, map pockets on the back of the front seats, and a rear fold-down armrest with two cupholders.

Perhaps the most disappointing feature of the Altima Hybrid is the size of the trunk. Because of the large battery located behind the rear seat, the trunk volume is reduced to 258 litres (9.1 cu. ft.) - and there are no folding rear seatbacks. The standard Altima sedan has a trunk of 433 litres (15.3 cu. ft.), plus folding seatbacks.

2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid. Click image to enlarge

Whether or not the gasoline engine starts right away depends on the battery charge level and the amount of power drain on the battery which can be affected by how long the car has been sitting idle or even how cold the outside temperature is. An electronic powertrain controller decides when to activate the gas engine, electric motor and generator automatically - the driver does nothing but drive normally.

During the summer, I found that the car would accelerate modestly up to about 30 or 40 km/h before the gas engine kicked in to assist acceleration. Sometimes you can go up to about 50 km/h on electric power alone, but hard acceleration will result in the gas engine cutting in almost immediately. At highway speeds, the gasoline engine almost always runs while accelerating, but on level or downhill surfaces while coasting or braking, the gas engine can shut off and the generator and regenerative brakes will charge the battery.

In terms of driving dynamics, the Altima Hybrid differs from a regular Altima in certain key areas. When the engine kicks in at slow speeds, you can hear and feel it, although it’s very subtle. When braking to a stop from about 20 km/h, there is a distinctive whining sound from the electric motor that reminds you that you’re driving an “electric” car; and when the car stops, there is absolutely no sound as the engine isn’t running (or polluting). The brakes are a little bit more sensitive than the regular Altima’s, and very powerful. The electric power steering is very easy to turn at slow speeds and firms up at highway speeds - I was fairly impressed although the turning circle seems a bit wide.

2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid. Click image to enlarge

While cruising on the freeway, the engine is surprisingly quiet, quieter than a regular four-cylinder Altima. When the engine isn’t running, the Altima Hybrid is so quiet that you have to be careful of pedestrians who may not hear you coming. Handling is quite good, although the standard 16-inch Continental 60-series tires are designed more to improve the ride of this heavy hybrid than to improve the handling - the Altima Hybrid weighs about 145 kg (320 lb) more than a regular Altima four-cylinder model.

As with the regular Altima, the Hybrid has a continuously variable transmission (but without the manual mode). Hard acceleration results in the 2.5-litre engine revving up and staying there until the driver cuts back on the throttle, but under normal acceleration, the CVT isn’t that noticeable and acceleration is still very quick, whether from a standing start or merging onto the freeway. The Altima Hybrid’s extra 23 horsepower and generous torque makes up for its additional weight.

2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid. Click image to enlarge

During the week that I had the Altima Hybrid, including a 700-km round trip weekend getaway, I averaged 7.2 L/100 km (39 mpg Imperial) according to the onboard average fuel consumption readout - which I confirmed with my own figures. That’s considerably higher than the combined 5.75 L/100 km (49 mpg Imperial) combined rating published by Natural Resources Canada. Still, in predominantly city driving, the Altima Hybrid should do better because it runs on electric power more of the time.

As a comparison, the Toyota Camry Hybrid I tested earlier this year also averaged 7.2 L/100 km even though it is officially rated at 5.7 L/100 km City and 5.7 L/100 km Highway.

In terms of gasoline savings, it’s difficult to justify the $5,400 price difference between the Altima Hybrid and a comparably-equipped Altima 2.5S - it would take a lot of driving to pay off that difference in gasoline savings.

2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid. Click image to enlarge

But often overlooked in the fuel economy debate is the benefit to the environment. The Altima Hybrid’s emissions of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide are considerably reduced when compared with the non-hybrid models. Although this won’t put more money in your pocket, it will give you that satisfying feeling that you’re doing your part in the fight to prevent global warming. The issue of what to do with the battery pack when it expires is not as serious as it may appear: firstly, it is warranteed for eight years/160,000 kilometres by Nissan, and at the end of its life cycle it can be recycled, just like normal car batteries.