Nissan Altima 2013

Among the recent whirlwind of mid-size sedan updates—including the 2012 Toyota Camry and the forthcoming 2013 Chevrolet Malibu—you might have forgotten about one of the group’s elders, the Nissan Altima. Right on cue, then, arrives this heavily camo’d prototype of the next-generation model, which should go on sale for the 2013 model year.

It’s hard to determine much about

sheetmetal from these pictures, but some details do reveal themselves. The Altima’s new front end looks like a less-ugly version of the 2012 Nissan Versa's, while the rear shows a hunchback trunklid like that of the current Maxima. The taillights should offer a slightly different take on the splat-shaped pods of models like the Juke and the 370Z. It also seems like the Altima might end up being the closest thing to a fastback that the segment offers, with a C-pillar that stretches far beyond the rear wheels. We’ve been promised big surprises for this next Altima, and it’s easy to picture the 2010 Nissan Ellure Concept influencing whatever’s hiding under the camo. It’s certainly worth noting that this Altima will be all-new, and won’t be an update of the current platform.

At the same time, we know that the car’s powertrain basics won’t change dramatically. A continuously variable automatic transmission will return, and the Altima also will stick to a base-four-cylinder, optional-V-6 strategy. Some rumors suggest a 2.0-liter turbo will emerge as the step-up option, but we have reliable sources that say that’s not the case. Expect the powertrains to benefit from new fuel-saving technologies to keep the Altima up with the efficiency Joneses, which seem to be moving to the mid-30s for highway numbers. With Hyundai, Kia, Chevrolet, and Toyota all showing their hands recently, Nissan has very clear targets to aim for over the next year or so.