Spyshot: All-New 2019 Nissan Altima – Could This Also Be The Next-Gen Teana?

Nissan’s next-generation D-segment sedan is in an advanced stage of development. Spy photographers have caught a prototype of what is speculated to be the 2019 Altima undergoing tests on American roads exposing its overall silhouette whilst teasing its new-look grille.

To the uninitiated, Altima is Nissan’s name for the current-generation L33 Teana in the North American market.

Apparently inspired by the Nissan Vmotion 2.0 concept first shown at the North American International Auto Show earlier this year, the 2019 Altima moves on from the current model’s conventional three-box shape to a sportier fastback silhouette.

Hints of the aforementioned concept’s V-Motion grille and floating roof design are especially noticeable even through the test car’s camouflage.

The batch of photographs sent to us also include a clear look of the new car’s interior, in which we see an sporty flat-bottomed steering and a free-standing infotainment screen just above the central air-con vents. The overall look remains distinctively conservative. Unlike the exterior, the interior shows barely a trace of what was previewed in the Vmotion 2.0 Concept.

As with the current and previous-generation Teana, the new Altima’s centre console notably lacks a conventional handbrake. No signs of an electronic parking brake either, suggesting Nissan could be sticking with the current model’s foot-operated parking brake. The transmission selector shows two forward-moving gates behind ‘Neutral’ position, suggesting the continued use of a CVT.

Ahead of the gear lever, we also see an engine start button, the ever-present oval-shaped Nissan key fob, as well as a pair of USB ports. The two cup holders are joined in the middle that allowed the test driver’s phone to be slotted inside, though it appears to us that the centre console area could have been better utilized where small-item storage is concerned.

According to our spy photographer’s sources, the new Altima’s range of powertrains could include hybrid and turbocharged petrol engines with all-wheel drive available as an option. This, in our view, is entirely speculative, however, and may not relate to our market.