Earlier this year, I reviewed the 2020 Nissan Altima 2.5 SR AWD, and I was frankly lukewarm about it. “Why am I so wishy-washy about the Altima? Partly because I used to be so excited about it,” I wrote. “I’m less excited about the current Altima – it has the feel of a fleet rental car, at least in SR trim like my test car.” Nissan PR wasn’t thrilled with my review, and asked if I’d be willing to take another drive in Altima – but this time, would I be willing to drive a Platinum trim level example with Nissan’s latest engine, the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo? I agreed, and soon I was driving a 2020 Nissan Altima 2.0 Platinum FWD VC-Turbo sedan, a top-of-the-line example with a base price of $35,180, and an as-tested sticker price of $38,840 – a substantial uptick over the 2.5 SR AWD that I already reviewed, with a base price of $27,050 ($30,720 as-tested).
The big differentiator between the two vehicles is a significant one – the new engine in the 2.0 Platinum appears for the first time in a Nissan, featuring variable compression (VC) ratio technology that debuted on the 2019 Infiniti QX50, which the company touted as an automotive industry first. Highly simplified, there’s a linkage inside the engine that dynamically varies the piston’s stroke in certain situations, raising the compression ratio in about a second. This squeezes more power out of the fuel. This is great for short bursts, but it can be challenging to maintain knock-free detonation. In lower demand situations, there’s no need for the high compression, and the engine reverts to its lower compression state. This mechanical innovation requires precise machining and works within very tight tolerances, but yields a smoothly operating engine, powerful (236 hp/267 lb-ft of torque) with improved efficiency: 25 mpg city/34 mpg highway/29 mpg combined – almost the same EPA rating as the 182-hp 2.5-liter Altima I reviewed earlier.
The addition of 54 hp to Altima does the car a lot of good, and the way the power comes on – in a heady rush on demand – is very satisfying. Love it or hate it, the Xtronic CVT (continuously variable automatic transmission) is well-mated to the engine, in this case sending the power to the front wheels only – all-wheel drive is only available with the base engine. I’m not sure why AWD isn’t available here, because it is available on QX50 with the VC-Turbo engine. It’s likely that Nissan wanted to keep the price of the top-of-the-line Altima down, and test the waters for AWD in a class where it’s a rarity.
My ambivalence toward Altima in SR trim was overcome in Platinum trim thanks to some tasteful upgrades in interior materials. Leather-appointed seats helped a lot, as did piano black interior pieces and wood-tone trim. The generic “fleet” feel was erased, and along with other amenities like power adjustable heated front seats, a leather-wrapped heated steering wheel, Navigation, ProPilot Assist, Intelligent Around View Monitor, and others, Altima Platinum gained a near-premium feel.
Sometimes it is worth taking a second look, and trim levels really do make a difference. That said, with a $35,000 starting price, Altima Platinum VC-Turbo faces some stiff competition from the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Subaru Legacy, Mazda6, Hyundai Sonata, and Kia Optima, among others. The competition at the upper trim levels for these models is quite fierce, and a decision may come down to a matter of taste in the end. It’s hard to make a bad choice here, and the 2020 Nissan Altima Platinum VC-Turbo deserves to be in the mix.
