Nissan Altima

The Nissan Altima /ˈɔːltᵻmə/ (Japanese: 日産・アルティマ) is a mid-size car which has been manufactured by Nissan since 1992. It is a continuation of the Nissan Bluebird line, which began in 1957. The Altima is one of the top selling Nissan models and primarily competes in the mainstream mid-size sedan class in the United States against its main rivals, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. It was the second best-selling car in the United States in 2011.

The Altima has historically been larger, more powerful, and more luxurious than the Nissan Sentra but less so than the Nissan Maxima. The first through fourth generation cars were manufactured exclusively in the United States and officially sold in North and South America, along with the Middle East and Australia. For other markets, Nissan sold a related mid-size sedan called the Nissan Teana which was between the Altima and Maxima in terms of size. In 2013, the Teana became a rebadged version of the fifth generation Altima.

The name "Altima" was originally applied to a top trim line of the Nissan Leopard for the Japanese market in 1986, and then to the Nissan Laurel mid-size car sold in Central America and the Caribbean before 1992. In 1992, Nissan discontinued the Stanza, replacing it with the US-built Altima, while remaining a compact car. It also replaced the Nissan Bluebird as well as the Nissan Primera. The first Altima was produced on November 15, 1992, as a 1993 model. All Altimas were built in Smyrna, Tennessee, until June 2004, when Nissan's Canton, Mississippi plant also began producing the model to meet high demand.