The Nissan Altima Refuses to Die

The compact sedan lives on for another year, but with fewer trims and a higher price.

2026 Nissan Altima

Photo by: Nissan

Anthony Alaniz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Dec 16, 2025 at 11:00am ET

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We thought the writing was on the wall for the Nissan Altima. Mid-size sedans don’t sell like they used to, and most automakers have stopped building them entirely. But believe it or not, the Altima is sticking around for at least one more model year—albeit with a few tweaks to the trim lineup.

Gone for 2026 are the Altima’s entry-level S and top-tier SL trims. Instead, the Altima SV now serves as the entry point, starting at $28,825, including the $1,245 destination charge. That’s $150 more than before over the 2025 SL and $580 more than the S.

The 2026 Altima SR is now the model’s top trim, starting at $30,325—an increase of $250. Both trims are available with all-wheel drive, a $1,400 upgrade that is $100 cheaper than in 2025.

The SR trim adds some pizzazz to the model with 19-inch wheels, paddle shifters, sport exhaust tips, and a“sport-tuned suspension.” It now comes standard with the 12.3-inch infotainment display, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless charging, and sport seats with contrast stitching.

Model 2026 Price 2025 Price Price Change Altima S N/A $28,245 N/A Altima SV $28,825 $28,675 $150 Altima SR $30,325 $30,075 $250 Altima SL N/A $34,575 N/A

The available SR Premium package adds heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate, a nine-speaker Bose audio system, ProPilot Assist, and more. There’s also a new SR Midnight Edition package that adds a black V-motion grille, a two-tone black roof, darkened window trim, black 19-inch wheels, and darkened badges.

The car continues to use Nissan’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, making 188 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque in FWD models and 182 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque in AWD ones. Nissan’s Xtronic continuously variable transmission is the only gearbox option.

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It’s a bit surprising that Nissan is keeping the Altima around for another model year; it was long rumored that the sedan would be discontinued after 2025. Sales for the sedan are down 12 percent for the year after falling 11 percent in 2024 to 113,898 units. Sales for the smaller Sentra, which Nissan updated for 2026 with a new design and other tweaks, are up 1.6 percent through the first nine months of the year.

Maybe one more year is just what the Altima needs.

2026 Nissan Altima

Photo by: Nissan