sized sedan, 2017 Nissan Altima, makes its debut in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at Red Sea Mall. Through its strategic partners Alissa Auto and Petromin, Nissan Saudi Arabia brings the 2017 Altima with a fresh new appearance including the "Energetic Flow" exterior styling theme and "Gliding Wing" interior layout, "Class Leading Fuel Economy" and "Improved Driving Dynamics and Safety Technology". "We are excited to launch the 2017 Nissan Altima in the Middle East, which compliments Nissan's range of innovative, exciting cars and represents Nissan's vision for the design of the modern passenger car," said Samir Cherfian, Managing Director of Nissan Middle East. "The Altima is a popular car in the region and globally, and the new design elements add to the overall appeal of its reliability and features." The front end of the 2017 Altima offers the most dramatic change with its energetic flow design, since all panels and pieces forward of the A-pillars are new – fascia, bumper, fenders, hood and lights. Two key elements are the redesigned V-Motion grille and boomerang-shaped headlights, similar to those found on the Maxima. The look is dramatically different from the 2016 Altima design, with a wide, deeply sculpted lower bumper, integrated fog lights (2.5SV, 2.5SL, and 3.5SL models) and prominent chrome-trimmed grille. The reshaped headlight units incorporate halogen high beam and projector low beam lights. LED projector low beam lights and LED signature Daytime Running Lights that sweep into the wide raised hood (available only on 3.5L SL grade) The rear of the new Altima is marked by a new sculpted bumper with a dark lower accent, a new trunk lid and lower, wider boomerang-shaped combination lights that help provide a more expressive, higher quality appearance when approaching the vehicle from behind. The four-piece combination lights incorporate the tail- and stop lights, turn lamps and backup lights. Nissan committed to adding value, incorporated customer's feedback and added comfort features such as the standard Zero Gravity front seats which have been reshaped, the woven cloth seating and door panel materials feature a more open weave pattern, providing a premium look and feel throughout the Altima interior. Twin cup holders on the center console now accommodate mug handles in response to customer input. The already extensive Altima color palette for 2017 includes Java Metallic, Brilliant Silver, Gun Metallic, Super Black, Cayenne Red and Pearl White and a new 17-inch machine-finish aluminum-alloy wheel designs. Along with the revised appearance, The X-Tronic D-Step CVT equipped in the new Nissan Altima is among the quietest in its segment. Altima has also improved in its coefficient of drag – to 0.26 Cd from the previous 0.29 Cd* (currently similar to the GT-R). The changes come from the addition of an active grille shutter (three percent gain), underfloor aero cover additions (three percent) and the new front and rear fascia and windshield designs (four percent). The Altima have stepped up the safety technology by adding its First in Class Predictive Forward Collision Warning (PFCW), the Blind Spot Warning (BSW). Forward Emergency Braking (FEB), and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA). The new steering has been reshaped and tuned to provide real time road input and precision (available only on SL grades). The 2017 Altima's refined interior design follows the new "Gliding Wing" design language. Central to the new look is the revised C-stack with available 5.0-inch and 7.0-inch displays for the Navigation with Mobile Apps. Finishing off with the Acoustic windshield that provides a new level of cabin isolation and quietness. The Nissan Altima 2017, now offered in five grade levels including 2.5 S, SV, SL and 3.5 SV and SL grades, will have a price ranging between SR75,000 and SR102,000 in Saudi Arabia. — SG