Nissan invests $170 million in U.S. assembly plants to build all-new Altima

Nissan North America has announced a $170 million investment in its Smyrna, Tennessee and Canton, Mississippi assembly plants to support production of the 2019 Altima. The announcement came as the company celebrated the start of production of the sixth-generation sedan at its Smyrna facility. With this investment, Nissan has invested nearly $12 billion across its U.S. manufacturing footprint. "Nissan's continued investment in our manufacturing facilities underpins our commitment to building top-quality vehicles in the U.S., as well as our valued workforce and the communities where we do business," said Heath Holtz, senior vice president, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management and Purchasing, Nissan North America, Inc. Nissan's investment was used to upgrade Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant and Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant with the latest manufacturing technology. Upgrades included: • State-of-the-art laser brazing system in the body shop that gives the flexibility to weld the vehicles' sleek trunk lid. • Updated paint shop with a new polyurethane stone guard coat paint system that provides a more durable, best-in-class exterior appearance. • Calibration equipment that helps ensure the reliability and functionality of ProPILOT Assist technology. "The new Altima sets a new standard for the sedan market, and we are ready to bring it to the road for customers," said Holtz. All-New Nissan AltimaNissan is bringing excitement back to the mid-size sedan segment with the all-new Nissan Altima. The all-new Altima features: • Advanced Nissan Intelligent Mobility safety and driving aid technologies, including ProPILOT Assist and introducing Safety Shield 360 with Rear Automatic Braking. • Enhanced driving performance, including available Intelligent All-Wheel Drive. • Two new engines, including the company's world's first production-ready Variable Compression Turbo. • Expressive design with lower, wider and more athletic proportions. • New open, airy premium uplifting interior design. The all-new Altima will be available in five grade levels, along with a limited-production "Edition ONE" launch model. It also will be available in an expanded number of global markets in the coming years. The all-new Altima arrives on dealer lots in the U.S. this fall and will be produced at Nissan Smyrna and Nissan Canton assembly plants. Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant is celebrating 35 years of manufacturing operations in 2018. The plant employs 8,400 people and has built more than 13 million vehicles since opening in 1983, with Altima accounting for nearly 4.6 million of those vehicles. Nissan Smyrna currently produces six models: Altima, LEAF, Maxima, Pathfinder, Rogue and INFINITI QX60. In 2017, Nissan Smyrna produced more than 628,000 vehicles, making it the highest-producing automotive assembly plant in North America. The Smyrna assembly line that produces Altima was recently recognized with a 2018 Bronze Plant Quality Award from J.D. Power, while Altima and Maxima sedans from that line ranked highest in their segments in the J.D. Power 2018 Initial Quality Study (IQS).