We're quite surprised to see Nissan rebadging the Altima as the Teana for the Chinese market.
All along we believed that the Teana was tailored for Asian countries while the Altima was for the North America and the Middle East.
We could be wrong as Nissan may follow a global model strategy with the Altima, badging it Teana in Asia. Nissan asked the Sunny to play the role of the Versa in the US, while the second generation Versa sells as the Tiida in China - the special treatment to the Chinese market may prove our original idea right, but we'll just focus on the spyshots for now.
New spyshots that have surfaced in China reveal that the new Teana is fully ready for its Chinese invasion. An extended wheelbase version will also be sold in their market starting from October. The images confirm that the new Teana is exactly the same as the US-spec Nissan Altima. The interiors are the same too, but like the global Camry, it differs to its American cousin with beige interiors with faux wood inlays that transform the mood from sporty to soft.
The new Teana will be manufactured by the Dongfeng-Nissan joint venture with prices expected to range from 190,000 yuan to 370,000 yuan (16.5 lakhs to 32.2 lakhs). Engine options are constituted by a 2-liter, 2.5-liter V6 and a 3.5-liter V6 petrol.
Some Chinese media reports claim that the 2.5L V6 will be replaced by a new 2.5L 4cyl motor and the larger 3.5L V6 would be replaced by a 1.8L turbo. None of these engine hold any promise for the Indian market. Nissan has to find a diesel engine to go into the new Teana if it hopes to soak up more volumes. Nissan currently assembles the Teana at the JV plant in Oragadam, Chennai.
Nissan India has planned to launch 10 new models by FY2016, and an intelligent guess is that the new Sylphy and the Teana replacement are part of this model onslaught.
[Source - Autohome.com.cn via CarNewsChina.com]
