Have you ever wondered where ideas come from for new Nissan models, such as the fully loaded Nissan Altima. We at Yark Nissan in Toledo, OH will be a honest, we didn't see it coming. As you are probably well aware, we live in a truly global economic society and in order to further technology and design for everyone, often time companies share ideas..

WardsAuto, a top reviewer of automotive design, makes it a point, and its their job, to research automotive designs. Therefore, they were not shocked to learn that Nissan modeled the Altima off a North Korean's top selling design.

"Clearly, we referenced [the other auto maker] when we were going through the design process," Nissan executive VP of marketing Andy Palmer explained to WardsAuto. "We even delayed development by a short amount just to check that the [new Altima's] proportions were right, the [package] was right, [and that] the product overall was right."¹

Nissan's CEO Carlos Ghosn, explained that Nissan wanted this Altima to lead sales in mid-size sedan class.

Last month, the 2012 Nissan Altima ranked second in best-selling midsize sedan in America, selling 41,050 units. Nissan is also the third best-selling Japanese brand in the United States, but they are certainly gunning for #1.

2013's Altima features a 2.5-liter inline-4 engine, producing 182 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque. Coming in at a starting MSRP of $21,500, the Altima has an EPA estimated fuel economy of 27 mpg city and 38 highway.  You can also expect to see a hybrid variant on Yark Nissan's dealership lot.

Source: ¹http://rumors.automobilemag.com/styling-of-2013-nissan-altima-influenced-by-hyundai-sonata-129697.html