2023 Nissan Altima refresh is absolutely lit

Two years ago, AutoIndustriya.com reported about the quiet discontinuation of the Nissan Altima from the Philippine lineup. The news was confirmed to us by a high-ranking Nissan executive who said that they have actually removed the Altima as early as January 2018.

As a result, we didn't get our hands on the all-new Altima that was revealed during the 2018 New York International Auto Show. Based on its looks, it appears this is where Nissan got the inspiration for the next-gen Almera we currently have. With the automaker no longer offering a midsize sedan, the D-segment market in the country continues to shrink.

But after seeing the refreshed Altima that recently debuted in the US, perhaps Nissan might change their mind about it. Say hello to the 2023 Nissan Altima, and boy does it look good. Seen here in the sporty SR trim, the midsize four-door comes with an updated fascia that consists of a special black “waterfall” style grille. The LED headlights, on the other hand, now come with integrated turn signals in the daytime running lights which make for a more expressive face.

There are also new alloy wheel designs available for the 2023 Altima; 17-inch for the SV variants, and the more stylish 19-inch set for the SL, SR, and SR VC-Turbo. Last but not least, the Altima gets two new exterior colors – Gray Sky Pearl and Garnett Pearl Metallic.

Inside, Nissan was busy upgrading its technologies and features. It now has a bigger 12.3-inch touchscreen that replaces the previous 8-inch display. It has Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, as well as a Wi-Fi hotspot function. For added convenience, Nissan also put a wireless charging pad for smartphones. When it comes to audio fidelity, the 2023 Altima is equipped with a 9-speaker Bose sound system that benefits from Active Noise Cancellation.

For extra safety while on the road, all variants of the 2023 Altima now come with the Safety Shield safety tech suite. It's essentially the US version of the Intelligent Mobility features that we have locally. This gives the sporty midsize sedan smart driver aids like automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, rear automatic braking, lane departure warning, radar-based blind-spot warning, rear-cross traffic alert, intelligent around-view monitor, and high-beam assist.

Under the hood, the facelifted Altima continues to be powered by two engine choices. First up is the 2.5-liter direct-injection inline-four that puts out 190 PS with 244 Nm of torque. The other motor is the more powerful 2.0-liter VC-Turbo four-cylinder engine.

Nissan claims the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo engine delivers V6-like performance but with four-cylinder fuel economy in mind. It makes an impressive 251 PS plus a healthy 370 Nm of torque. But the secret sauce in this engine comes from its name, variable compression turbo.

Unlike most engines which have a fixed compression ratio, the VC-Turbo can change between 8:1 for high-performance driving and 14:1 for better efficiency. Both the 2.5 and 2.0 VC-Turbo are connected to an Xtronic CVT.

With the 2023 Altima looking sportier and more high-tech than ever, we can only wish Nissan Philippines actually brings back its midsize sedan. But with SUVs, crossovers, and pick-ups continuing to dominate the local market, we won't be expecting the Altima's return any time soon.