Nissan adds first coupe version of its Altima

Don't be surprised if you think the new Nissan Altima Coupe is more expensive than it is.

The sleek side profile looks sporty, while the Altima Coupe's rear end is reminiscent of the styling on a luxury Infiniti.

But a starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, for the five-passenger, two-door Altima is just $21,195, or $490 more than a mid-size, 2008 Altima sedan.

The base Altima Coupe comes with the same six-speed manual transmission and four-cylinder engine with at least 170 horsepower that's in the Altima four-door. The coupe also uses the same front-wheel-drive platform that's under the sedan, though the coupe is 7 inches shorter overall than the sedan and its wheelbase -- distance from the center of one wheel on one side of the car to the center of the other wheel on the same side -- is only 4 inches shorter.

But virtually every piece of exterior sheet metal is new, creating the sportiest-looking Altima ever. Some may argue that the coupe's front-end styling -- designed to resemble the current family of Nissans -- doesn't quite fit the otherwise attractive lines, however.

The coupe isn't a stripped model. Standard features include air conditioning, power windows, door locks and mirrors, remote keyless entry, AM/FM stereo with six speakers and CD player, split, folding rear seats and cruise control.

Front, side-mounted and curtain air bags as well as antilock brakes and active front head restraints designed to reduce whiplash injuries also are standard. But traction control and electronic stability control aren't offered on the base model and are optional on the uplevel Altima coupe with V-6.

In addition a rearview monitor to help drivers see what's behind them while they're backing up is available only as part of a pricey -- for $2,000 -- technology package option.

The Altima and Accord coupes as well as the Solara also are offered with V-6s. Starting retail price for a 2008 Altima Coupe with V-6 is $25,595.

It's worth noting the Altima Coupe beats the others with 270 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 rpm coming from a 3.5-liter, double overhead cam V-6. This compares with 210 horses and 220 foot-pounds of torque from the 3.3-liter V-6 in the aging Solara and 268 horsepower and 248 foot-pounds of torque at 4,700 rpm from the new Accord's 3.5-liter V-6.

Buyers should be sure to test both versions of Altima Coupe, because the test Altima Coupe 2.5 S with the base, four cylinder engine had ample power to move the car strongly on highways and in city traffic. The manual transmission in the tester worked well to get me just the right "zip" when I wanted to pass other cars or merge swiftly into traffic.

The Altima Coupe also was quite adept at traveling at a more relaxed pace, where I didn't have to hear so much high-rev noise from the engine.

The coupe is some 50 pounds lighter than the Altima sedan. But the government fuel economy rating for the four cylinder coupe with six-speed manual is the best for any Altima Coupe at 23 miles per gallon in city driving and 32 mpg on the highway.

The only other transmission on the Altima Coupe is Nissan's Xtronic continuously variable transmission -- often touted as a fuel-efficient tranny because it doesn't have set gears but works to optimize gearing continually.

Drivers operate the CVT as they would an automatic. But the CVT's government mileage rating with the four-cylinder engine is lower on the highway -- 31 mpg -- than it is for a four cylinder with satisfying six-speed manual.

I'd recommend adding the leather-trimmed seats and other amenities that come with the optional Premium Package. It's expensive at $5,100, but the leather complements the car's ritzy exterior styling, and the package includes power driver seat adjustments, Bluetooth hands-free phone system link and awesome Bose audio system with nine speakers, MP3 player and XM satellite radio.

Road bumps can be harsh in the test Altima Coupe, and road noise came through readily in the test car. I also could never see much ahead of me because seats in the Altima Coupe are low and passengers drop down into them upon entering. I'm not just talking about obstacles like trucks and sport utility vehicles. A Scion xB blocked my views, too.

There's not a lot of headroom in the coupe's back seat. At 5 feet 4, I sat with my hair brushing the ceiling, and legroom back there is only 34.4 inches, which is nearly 1.5 inches less than that in the sedan.

Trunk space also is halved from the sedan's 15.3 cubic feet to 7.4. Lastly, some plastic trim pieces inside the Altima Coupe had a cheap look and seemed a bit out of place.

Still, it's possible the Altima will set a new sales record -- approaching 200,000 -- this calendar year. Besides this first-ever two-door Altima, the lineup includes a first-ever gasoline-electric hybrid sedan that was introduced in the spring. There are no announced plans for a hybrid coupe.