Click on the photo of the Altima for a high-res gallery suitable for wallpaper

So far Nissan hasn't been particularly enthusiastic about hybrid vehicles, not considering them to be a particularly good business proposition. However, new emissions regulations in California and a handful of other states have forced the company's hand. For 2007 they introduced a hybrid version of the Altima, but it's only available in California and other states that have adopted California regulations. Unfortunately, Michigan is not among those states, but Nissan brought one in anyway and dropped it off at the the AutoblogGreen garage for a week of evaluation.

Back in the late nineties when Carlos Ghosn took over the reigns at Nissan, he kicked off a complete revamp of the product line that included new platforms and a different styling direction. The first mainstream product to get the modern Nissan design language was the 2002 Altima, and that look has taken a natural evolution into the 2007 model. The basic profile of the previous generation model, from the curve of the front end to the base of the windshield, followed by a single continuous curve of the greenhouse is carried over. The details have all been updated and given a more upscale look. The sides of the older model were fairly slab sided, while the new car has some surface contouring that yields a more muscular appearance.



Continue reading the ABG review of the Altima Hybrid after the jump including a video of the car in action.