I went to Santa Barbara, California for the first time for the official launch of the all new 2019 Nissan Altima.
Nissan hosted media guests and influencers from all over the world in the picturesque town with an airport about the size of their Nissan Titan for the kickoff of their sixth generation Altima.
The 2019 Nissan Altima at the Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara
The Altima is an important vehicle for Nissan, as the vehicle up until a few years ago was their best-selling model. A couple of years ago, Nissan’s popular crossover vehicle the Rogue surpassed the Altima in overall sales. The Nissan Altima has remained a top-option with African America women however, fluctuating between no. 1 and no. 2 for supremacy with the Toyota Camry.
The sixth generation of the Nissan Altima is completely reimagined, with 80% of its parts and design being completely new. And six is a lucky number for Nissan and its Altima, as the brand has manufactured over six million of these cars since its inception 25 years ago.
An Altima display at Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara
While I would argue that that 2018 model year Altima embodied more feminine qualities in its design, the new 2019 adaptation of the Altima is more unisex in its approach.
Engineers redesigned this vehicle with the concept “lower, longer and wider” in mind. They gave the Altima a smaller engine to maximize car space, which helped engineers place more emphasis on expanding the design features.
A design display for the all new 2019 Nissan Altima
The car is available in nine colors overall – though Nissan’s priority hues are the beige white, monarch orange and scarlet ember (red).
Nissan curated a beautiful drive experience for the 2019 Nissan Altima, with guests journeying along the coast of Santa Barbara into the winding hills of Ojai, Calif. We had stops at places like Lake Casitas and rest stops at Topa Mountain Winery.
The 2019 Nissan Altima during a stop in Santa Ana, California.
We drove through wonderful areas like Westlake Village, Calif. and cruised down the mountain through canyons back down to the coast of Malibu.
After some beachside paradise at Mugu State Park Beach, we took the famed Pacific Coast Highway back to Santa Barbara.
Of course my riding partner, esteemed journalist Ronda Penrice and I, couldn’t return back to the Californian Hotel without a quick detour to Montecito, Calif. so we could drive by the billionaire Winfrey’s estate.
The 2019 Nissan Altima gets a mountainside reminder that We Rise Together!
All in all, it was a beautiful drive, in a gorgeous city in a vehicle that remains that brand ambassador for Nissan.
(Added after the content embargo lifted) The all-new 2019 Nissan Altima starts with pricing around $24,645 for the base model. I can tell you my initial impression is that this car packs power, has great handling and grips the road in a way that made us feel extremely comfortable driving around the whips and turns of the mountains.
The 2019 Nissan Altima during a stop at Mugu State Park Beach
I’ll share more about the car’s cost and detail more about the vehicle offerings after an extended drive in the Nissan Altima sometime in the near future. For additional info on the all-new 2019 Nissan Altima in the meantime, visit www.NissanUSA.com.
WATCH: See my recap video of the 2019 Nissan Altima Launch in Santa Barbara.
Check out additional photos from the 2019 Nissan Altima launch below!
A first generation Nissan Altima model on display at the welcome dinner!
The countryside store in the Santa Barbara Hills may be closed for business, but the Nissan Altima isn’t
The 2019 Nissan Altima during a stop at Lake Casitas
The 2019 Nissan Altima during a stop at Mugu State Park Beach