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It’s the End of the Road for One of Nissan’s Most Popular Models After Nearly 40 Years

The Altima is giving its life so the Sentra can be spared.

Close-up of a white car's angular headlight with an orange indicator and part of a black and silver Nissan wheel.Nissan
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By Chris Chin

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The era of the Nissan Altima is officially coming to an end. WardsAuto reports the Yokohama-based automaker is axing the company’s popular midsize sedan.

But the cause isn’t what you probably expected. Although the current Altima is nearing the end of its production lifecycle, the reasons to discontinue the model are rather unusual.

Sacrificing the Altima for the Sentra

White Nissan sedan with black grille and sunroof parked on a brick driveway under a modern carport.
It’s the end of an era for Nissan’s bread-and-butter midsize sedan.
Nissan

According to the report, the outlet spoke with Nissan’s product planning chief, Ponz Pandikuthira, who said the company is significantly reworking its lineup to streamline its offerings. The motivation behind the plan is to optimize the company’s product range for a more sustainable long-term strategy.

And, ultimately reduce operational costs. Said strategy already includes hitting some high-demand targets, such as the highly-anticipated return of the Xterra, the next-gen rugged body-on-frame Pathfinder and more.

White sedan with black roof and black wheels parked in a modern covered area with dark tiled walls.
The Honda Accord and company will be losing its Nissan rival after 2026.
Nissan

But the sadder parts of the plan includes axing the Altima. The main reason why Nissan is getting rid of the Altima is apparently to allow the Sentra to grow, both literally and figuratively.

As with every new generation of vehicles, they tend to get bigger in size and offer more features.

It’s been the case with most cars, including the Sentra and Altima. However, seeing as the Sentra is growing even more, the Altima is redundant.

The end of one of Nissan’s longest-running models in America

Green sedan with black roof driving on a city street past modern buildings.
The decision to axe the Altima comes down to growing demand for the Sentra.
Nissan

The discontinuation of the Altima is an unfortunate decision because it brings an end to one of Nissan’s most iconic models. Regardless of your opinion on the car (and the jokes surrounding the model in the community these days), the Altima has been a part of the brand’s portfolio for almost four decades.

It’s consistently been the rivaling answer to the likes of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry since 1992. The current sixth-gen model has been with us since 2018. After a mid-cycle refresh in 2022, it’s finally reached the end of its lifecycle.

Silver four-door sedan parked on a road with autumn trees in the background.
Since 1992, the Altima has been a major staple in Nissan’s lineup.
Nissan

The Altima joins the Maxima and the entry-level Versa on the discontinuation bandwagon after the company axed those two models not too long ago (the Versa still exists in other markets).

Focusing on an SUV and truck-centric future

Front view of a yellow Nissan car with illuminated amber lights in the rain at night.
Nissan’s going back to basics and focusing more on SUVs, trucks and crossovers for its near-long-term strategy.
Nissan

With the Altima departing, that leaves the Sentra as the only standard car left in Nissan’s US lineup. All other remaining models are either SUVs or trucks.

Yet, Nissan Americas still plans to lean even more into its SUV and truck offerings. Along with the Xterra returning and the next-gen Pathfinder going back to its rugged roots with a body-on-frame platform, there will be another, road-biased Pathfinder variant that’ll retain a unibody construction.

Red Nissan Frontier Pro-4X pickup truck driving off-road on rocky terrain under a blue sky.
Trucks and SUVs will be the common theme of Nissan America’s in the foreseeable future.
Nissan

The Armada and Frontier will march on with business as usual. While the Kicks, Rogue and Murano complete the automaker’s crossover range.

“Across that spectrum, we are fully able to capture people who are coming in for a typical sedan,” Pandikuthira continued telling WardsAuto. “We are not losing out on sedan customers unless they are driven primarily by price.”

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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