November 2, 2006

Nissan hails launch of new Altima for 2007

by Lareeca Rucker
lrucker@mcherald.com

Canton Nissan employees crowded behind yellow chains Monday anticipating the production launch of the new 2007 Altima.

Wearing T-shirts featuring the car's new push-button start feature, the crowd watched as the first new Altima, driven by employees Sidney Warren and Brandi Smith, rolled out to the tune of "Life is a Highway."

"It wasn't broken, but we fixed it anyway," said Dave Boyer, referring to the Altima's new features and advancements, including the new push-button start and blinking lights on the side rearview mirrors.

"The Altima is an important car in the Nissan lineup," Boyer said, "and the new model builds on the strengths of the former model."

Jim Hill, section manager for the Altima trim and chassis department, has worked on the new Altima model from prototype to production. He spent three months in Japan during the beginning stages and was present Monday to see the first 2007 model introduced.

Hill said the vehicle has many new technological features and a sportier body. The 2007 Altima is also the first Nissan vehicle to feature the push-button ignition.

"You never have to take the key out of your pocket," Hill said.

The car also features built-in satellite radio, with a choice of Sirius or XM Satellite; advanced touch-screen navigation; Bluetooth hands-free phone system; rearview monitor and a touch-screen navigation system.

Nissan executives said the new Altima also offers an advanced transmission and choice of the VQ-series 3.5-liter V6 or 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder engines.

The car, the latest version of the company's best-selling model in the U.S. market, will be assembled in Canton, Smyrna, Tenn., and Decherd, Tenn.

"We're going to make sales records with this beautiful vehicle," local Dealer Operations Manager Harold Goertz said Monday.

In 2005, Nissan sold 255,371 Altimas. This year, Nissan will export about 40,000.

Since the production launch of the first Altima June 11, 1992, in Smyrna, executives say 2,448,367 units have been produced. With the addition of 284,640 units built in Canton, where production started June 14, 2004, Nissan has produced 2,733,007 Altimas in North America.

The Canton plant employs more than 4,000 people.