Nissan Altima Sets Up for Joyless Final Years Without Turbo

We have a saying back home: “If can, can. If no can, no can.” What the heck does that even mean? To translate Hawaiian Pidgin (yes, it’s a Creole language), the basic idea is that if something is possible, go for it. And if it’s not, no worry, beef curry. Well, Nissan decided “still can.” Because if you didn’t think the Altima could become any more dull and forgettable, imagine it without a turbo option.

Pricing and specs for the 2025 model year were recently released, and the Altima’s starting price is now $28,140 including destination—an increase of $1,270 for the base car. Although the media alert touts a “new SV Special Edition package,” nothing in the product info mentions what didn’t carry over. Did Nissan think no one would notice that between the four trim levels, only a single powertrain is mentioned? Our friends at Carscoops did. 

Previously available only on the Altima SR front-wheel-drive model, the 2.0-liter turbo-four produced a respectable 248 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. You had to pump premium fuel for those numbers, but the powertrain was notable for being the world’s first variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo). Looks like that distinction will be an Infiniti-only calling card, for now.

What will power the 2025 Altima SR—as well as the S, SV, and SL trims—is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 188 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive variants sacrifice 6 hp and 2 lb-ft. The 2.5-liter engine returns an EPA-estimated 27 city, 39 highway, and 32 combined mpg. The now-deceased turbo returned 25/34/29 mpg. Those weren’t poor numbers, especially when the range was 470 miles on a full tank.

Rumors of the Altima’s eventual demise have been swirling for some time. And it’s a little strange because although the Altima (or, for that matter, Nissan) doesn’t reach the volume numbers of its direct competitors, for its part, the Altima remains the brand’s best-selling car and second best-selling vehicle overall behind the Rogue.

Last year, Nissan moved 128,030 Altimas, which beat out the Sentra‘s 109,195 units but fell behind the Rogue’s 271,458. Granted, the Altima’s annual sales were down 8.5 percent, but that’s not as bad as the Leaf’s 40.5 percent drop and the Frontier’s 23.7 percent loss. Is this it for the once highly praised passenger car in its allegedly waning days? Even today, the Altima continues to compete in Australia’s Dunlop Super2 feeder series for the Supercars Championship. It appears there’s still some life left in those bones, but it seems maybe no can for much longer.

Got a tip? Send it in to [email protected]