This Could Be the Sedan That Saves Nissan

Update: Our spy sources think this might be a next-generation Nissan Sentra, after initially identifying it as an Altima. Ultimately, its true identity remains inconclusive.

Don’t count the Nissan Altima out just yet. Our spy photographers caught something running around Nissan’s Michigan headquarters that we didn’t expect to see—a sizable sedan wearing a camouflage wrap.

This is very interesting, because the last we heard, the Altima was dead after this year. Granted that was an unofficial word, and the automotive landscape has shifted some since those rumors appeared. Nissan has nothing official to say one way or another, but clearly, something is happening, because this wrapped Nissan looks a bit large to be a Sentra. And the Maxima is officially dead.

Photo by: KGP Photography

Photo by: KGP Photography

Photo by: KGP Photography

Our photographer tells us this car was caught rolling with a current Altima in tow, further giving credence to this being a next-generation Altima. There is a similarity in the profile, too, notably in the curve from the front fenders and the beltline reaching to a short trunk lid. The camo wrap is deceptive at the C-pillar, but if you look closely you can see a telltale notch on the bottom of the glass—another Altima feature.

What about the argument for this being a next-generation Sentra? If that’s the case, Nissan is taking its compact car in a very different direction. Aside from getting bigger, we’re seeing some design cues borrowed from the new Murano crossover, especially at the front. Headlights look much smaller compared to the Sentra (and Altima), and they appear to connect to a thin bar spanning the width of the fascia.

There’s a split motif happening here like the Murano, with a smaller grille positioned entirely below the bar. It appears to retain a V theme but it’s not a full-on V-Motion grille as we currently know it. Nissan is moving away from that trend, it seems.

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KGP Photography

It’s clear this is not the new electric sedan Nissan is working on. An exhaust system is clearly visible at the back. We aren’t just talking about some tailpipes—a discolored muffler is tucked behind the rear fascia, confirming a combustion engine under the hood. Is it a hybrid? A continuation of the current 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder? Alas, these are questions we cannot yet answer.

We can say this in defense of the Altima theory. The mid-size sedan was Nissan’s second-best-selling vehicle in 2024. The Altima and Rogue were the only models in the automaker’s fleet to crack 100,000 sales. Given Nissan’s current financial state, there could be no choice but to launch a new generation Altima. And if it’s done right, it just might save Nissan’s bacon.

When will we know for sure? Rumors pegged the current Altima as dead for the 2026 model year. If this is a new model, it could debut by the end of the year. If it’s a Sentra, a debut might not happen until next year. In the meantime, comment below and tell us which car it could be.