The exterior paint color is called Scarlet Ember, and the interior color is called Charcoal.
If you sense a pattern here, well, me too. Nissan's color-namers apparently want you to know that the company's new 2020 Altima 2.0 VC-Turbo is hot, hot, hot.
After a week driving the Tennessee-made sedan, our lingering impression is that the Altima VC-Turbo packs the power of a V-6 with the lighter-weight handling characteristics of four-cylinder car. And the fact that it's made right up the road in Smyrna, Tennessee, is a nice bonus for area buyers.
Our tester, shown in Platinum trim, layers on such amenities as a heated steering wheel, Bose sound system, intelligent cruise control and every manner of safety-tech feature you can think of. Bring on that automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Call us sappy, but every time you don't run over somebody, its a plus.
FAST FACTS
* Model: 2020 Nissan Altima 2.0 Platinum VC-Turbo* Exterior color: Scarlet Ember* Interior color: Charcoal* Engine: 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, turbo* Horsepower: 236* Transmission: continuously variable* Fuel economy: 34 mpg highway, 25 mpg city* Local Dealer: Nissan of Chattanooga East, Mountain View Nissan* Price (as tested): $38,840
WHAT IS IT?
A five-passenger sedan with a stout, 236-horsepower engine and lots of other goodies.
WHERE DO YOU GET ONE?
Both Mountain View Nissan downtown and Nissan of Chattanooga East off Highway 153 had 40-plus Altimas in digital inventory late last week, and both dealerships were offering significant discounts on the model.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Well, there's the rub. Our fully-loaded Altima 2.0 Platinum rings up at $38,840 which is smack in mid-size family SUV territory. You'd have to prefer the more composed ride and lower center of gravity to chose it over, say, a loaded Nissan Rogue SUV. The good news is that some lower trim models can be had for many thousands of dollars less. Many thousands, like $15K.
WHAT WE LIKED
The list is long: The light steering, powerful engine, heated steering wheel, and roomy rear seats top the list. We also loved the whimsical ground lighting ($360), which gives the Altima VC-Turbo a boy-toy vibe and made us want to cruise around Sonic.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
The price for the Platinum is elevated, but it is what it is - a feature packed, near-luxury car. The faux wood trim is extremely "faux." The exterior styling is handsome but showing its age some.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
The VC-Turbo is the performance version of the Altima, and, as such, is not optimized for winter driving. We like the Altima AWD for our mountainous terrain.
BOTTOM LINE
The Altima 2.0 Platinum is , , with combined city/highway fuel economy of about 29 mpg.
Online: In the market for a new vehicle? To access hundreds of Mark Kennedy's Chattanooga Test Drive columns visit www.timesfreepress.com/testdrive.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.
