Nissan Altima Hybrid 2014 Release Date and Price - 2014 Altima will feature an all-new Nissan-designed powertrain that includes the Altima’s first hybrid engine. The full specs of the system have not yet been released, but at a technology briefing in Tokyo, we were able to discover some details of the upcoming hybrid. A supercharger will feed the new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine used in the hybrid Altima. Nissan says this results in a solid boost of torque at a low rpm. Why not a turbo? Engineers mentioned that a turbo would require direct fuel injection, and that would bump up the cost. The supercharger allows Nissan to use the less expensive port fuel injection.
Nissan already features a 1.2-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine in its Micra. That smaller displacement engine will also receive the hybrid treatment and find itself in a future small car in the U.S., according to sources in Tokyo.
The 2.5-liter hybrid drivetrain is partnered with a new CVT transmission that we had a chance to sample in a current Altima. The new CVT is said to provide about a 10 percent improvement in fuel economy, thanks to a 40 percent reduction in friction that comes largely from lower-viscosity fluid, a more efficient pump, and chain drive. The new transmission has a wider gear spread as well, for quicker off-the-line bursts and lower cruising rpm. At 50 mph, an Altima’s engine with the current CVT revs at about 1500 rpm. The new transmission will drop that number by about 400 rpm at the same speed. This new transmission is lighter than the old one, too. car insurance quote , refinancing , online car insurance
