While a car’s exterior is important, I’ve found the interior to be next in priority after price and the Nissan Altima Hybrid is no exception.
Slipping inside, I found the front row to be spacious and airy, even with the powered moonroof which is new to this year’s Premium package. Nissan’s “blonde” color scheme contributed to the feeling of openness. Back seat head room, however, suffers due to the sedan’s coupe-like design. Ah, the price of being the different kid on the block.
The leather quality on the wide seats, the interior side door panels, and around the steering wheel to be on par with the rest of the segment. Same with the faux wood covering the cubby below the HVAC controls.
Cupholders are found within every door panel, though just big enough to hold small water bottles. The cupholders at the base of the center stack are unusually shallow, not even deep enough to hold a small latte. They are best used to hold loose change, a cellphone, or ID badge.
Speaking of storage, the Altima’s glove box looks like it’s from a mid to large SUV. It could easily store a standard laptop or large purse. The box also locks, protecting such items from inquisitive hands, legal or otherwise. The more standard storage bin at the base of the center stack is a two-decker affair. It uses a simple, yet clever, two lever system to open the top bin (useful for holding more change, a smartphone) and the deeper, secondary bin below it which houses the power outlet and USB port.
Maybe Nissan heard about Honda’s propensity to cover its vehicles’ dashboards and center stack with buttons and knobs, because I found the Altima hybrid’s infotainment and HVAC controls to be the most compact in any vehicle. The audio/stereo and navigation controls surround a 6.5-inch VGA color display while climate controls are neatly stacked right beneath the array. The infotainment hardware looks almost aftermarket appearance compared to the climate controls system, adding an interesting charm to the stack.
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