Nissan Altima Hybrid Car

By: Bill Waters
Staff Writer
Published: Oct 13, 2009

Nissan Altima Hybrid Specifications and Warranty Information

The Nissan Altima is now available as a Hybrid car and delivers an MPG (miles per gallon) rating of 35 in the city and 33 on the highway. The Nissan Altima Hybrid is just like its conventional counterpart, but provides greater fuel-efficiency. The Nissan Hybrid uses a gasoline engine with an electric motor to achieve the best mileage results.

Nissan Altima is equipped with a 2.5 liter, 4-cylinder engine, that delivers up to 158 horsepower. The electric motor can deliver 40 horsepower. The Hybrid car is rated AT-PZEV (Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle).

Driving the Altima Hybrid handles great around corners in the city and on the highway. The Hybrid system controls heavy acceleration in an effort to consumer fuel. The system also provides instant power when needed. This system is also designed to extend the battery charge life.

The electric motor will automatically send power to the wheels of the car when cruising at lower speeds. At the same time, the Hybrid system will actually turn off the gasoline engine. The vehicle goes quiet when this transition from the gas engine to electric motor occurs.

Altima comes with a 15 year/150,000-mile warranty on its emission control equipment. As a result, this puts the Nissan Hybrid on a further scale that earns the AT (advanced technology) classification. This classification is one of the highest for a vehicle in this class.

The dashboard includes feedback instruments to provide the driver of useful information on their driving habits. If the driver accelerates too fast, the feedback system will inform the driver that they are wasting fuel. This system is designed to coach the driver in making better fuel efficient decisions when driving the Nissan Hybrid.

Another great feature that's available as an option is the Navigation System. Nissan has put a lot of work into this add-on. The Navigation features a complete diagram of the Nissan Altima and will show real-time information about its energy flow from its gas engine to electric motor. The system will also inform the driver on how much energy is left in the Hybrid battery.

When the Hybrid battery pack runs low, the car will begin recharging itself by using the gasoline engine. When charging the battery, the engine becomes a real-time generator that only takes a few minutes to complete a full charge. The Nissan Altima Hybrid also scores high in safety and crash tests.