At the 2018 New York Auto Show, Nissan pulled the wraps off what could possibly be the biggest change to the Altima ever in its 26 year history. In a bid to stave off sales losses in the midsize sedan segment, Nissan is throwing everything it can at the Altima, including a new 2.0-liter variable-compression turbo four cylinder (which replaces the 3.5-liter V6), a heavily revised 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-pot, and the model's first AWD system.

It's no secret the midsize sedan segment is under threat from crossovers and SUVs. In response, Nissan has fully redesigned its top-selling car to make it a more desirable alternative. Up front, the Altima has a brand new look that simplifies its headlights and places them on either side of a larger, deeper Vmotion grille inspired by the Vmotion 2.0 concept. A similar rework of its taillights has resulted in more horizontal, angular lenses. In profile, Altima ditches its bulbous haunches in favor of a smoother, faster, more streamlined look with a character line running just below the belt line. Nissan's signature floating roof treatment also makes an appearance for the first time on Altima.

The new sheetmetal is affixed to a longer, lower, and wider chassis for improved handling and space, while its reworked base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine now develops 188 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 180 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm. The new, variable-compression 2.0-liter turbo four-which the Altima borrowed from the Infiniti QX50-cranks out 248 hp at 5,600 rpm and 273 lb-ft of torque, but only when running on premium fuel. With those numbers, the new turbo mill is down 22 hp versus the outgoing V6, but it gains 22 lb-ft of torque and will effort a "double-digit percentage increase in fuel economy," Nissan claimed. All-wheel drive is a new available driveline option, but it can only be mated to the base 2.5-liter engine.

As before, Altima will use a continuously variable transmission, though paddle shifters for stepped shifting are available. The 2019 Nissan Altima will arrive TKTK in five trim levels-S, SR, SV, SL and Platinum-plus an exclusive launch edition of the VC-Turbo model available only in the first year. Order books for the launch edition open this summer.