2010 Nissan Sedans

Maxima, Altima, Sentra and Versa get refreshed styling and technology updates

By Nina Russin

2010 Nissan Altima sedan

Virtual imaging has been a blessing and a curse for the car world. On the plus side, design teams can take concepts from the drawing board into production faster. The drawback of virtual imaging is that designs have, in many cases lost the human touch.

The Nissan Xterra is a perfect example of how important humanism is to car design. The design team didn’t conceptualize the Xterra in the studio. They did it by spending time with athletes in and around San Diego, and observing their lifestyle needs.

The same type of humanism infuses Nissan’s sedans. The 2010 models offer many new features active buyers crave.

A good example is the $400 navigation system available on the 2010 Versa and Sentra. The value-priced option interfaces with onboard infotainment: it includes a touchscreen and is available with a rearview camera.

Renewed focus on sedan lineup

Sedans are Nissan’s bread and butter.  The upscale Maxima, best-selling Altima, compact Sentra and value-priced Versa compete against some of the highest volume vehicles in the car market: the Toyota Camry and Corolla, Honda Accord and Camry among them.

The recent economic slump has shrunk the pool of prospective customers, making it more difficult to conquest customers away from other brands. Nissan’s strategy has been to give the sedans refreshed styling and some important technology updates for the coming year.

All four models have redesigned front ends, including new headlamps, grilles and hoods. The redesign gives Nissan sedans a more cohesive appearance, enhancing their brand identity. Designers refreshed the vehicle interiors with new upholstery and updated instrument panels.

All sedans except the Versa come with standard vehicle dynamic control: one of the most effective accident avoidance technologies. A new Nissan quality assurance program includes updated computer systems in assembly plants, positioning the workers within eye level of the vehicles to reduce accidents and manufacturing flaws, and an enhanced vehicle inspection system. Read the rest of this entry »