The Nissan Altima Hybrid car, similar like the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV, borrows Toyota's gasoline-electric hybrid system. Eventually, however, Nissan shall replace the Toyota hybrid drive with a proprietary hybrid drive. Currently, the Nissan Altima hybrid is available only in 8 states that consist of California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Essentially, the Altima hybrid will run on a QR25 2.5 liter with 4-cylinder engine, but should achieve the power and torque of a 6-cylinder engine while achieving the fuel efficiency of a 4-cylinder vehicle. Currently, the EPA rating shows the 198 horsepower Altima hybrid at 42 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. Some of new features in Altima include 16-inch alloy wheels, Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition, power windows/door locks, 6-speaker AM/FM/CD system with auxiliary audio input jack, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), Traction Control System (TCS) and dual-zone automatic temperature control that includes an Altima Hybrid-specific electrically powered A/C that continues to provide cooling when the gasoline engine is stopped.

Safety

The federal state government has given the Altima Hybrid five out of five stars for protecting both driver and front passenger in a frontal-impact collision. The hybrid editions of these cars also have five stars for protecting the driver in a frontal-impact crash, and four for protecting rear-seat passengers. It stood with four starts for its ability to resist a rollover accident. Standard safety equipment on the Altima Hybrid shows four-wheel antilock disc brakes, traction and electronic stability control. Front-seat side airbags and side head-curtain airbags are of minimum standard, as they are active head restraints, which can help to prevent whiplash injuries.