2019 Nissan Altima (Photo: Nissan)

OJAI, Calif. – Despite the rise in SUV sales, the mid-size sedan is not yet dead. Do not take my word; Take a look at the 2019 Nissan Altima.

Better yet, take a test drive. If you want good handling and advanced technology in a mass-market family sedan, you will not do better.

The all-new Altima, which offers prices ranging from $ 22,855 to $ 35,750, excluding destination fees, in October, looks great, with many attractive features, including all-wheel drive as an option.

The only thing you can get in an SUV, but not in an Altima, is a high sitting position for better visibility and easy entry and exit. In return, the Altima offers many features and exceptional maneuverability in one of the most beautiful sedans on the road.

More: 7 Reasons Why Buyers Will Want The 2019 Nissan Altima

Who needs a new sedan?

While automakers, including Ford and Fiat Chrysler, could not get out of the midsize sedan quickly, Nissan has doubled the Altima 2019, the sixth generation since its launch in 1992. Its new platform dramatically improves the steering, driving and handling, plus a clever optional new engine that has just debuted on the Infiniti QX50 SUV from Nissan's luxury brand.

Nissan will build Altimas in two US plants – Smyrna, Tennessee and Canton, Mississippi – plus one in China. The Altima was designed in Nissan's design studio in San Diego and designed Suburb of Detroit Farmington Hills.

"The Americans bought 6 million cars and 2 million mid-size sedans in 2017," said Bruce Pillard, Nissan's chief marketing officer. This is a complicated market that extends from low-end where prices and fuel savings are $ 30,000, where buyers expect style, good handling and the latest features.

2019 Nissan Altima at a glance

Price Range: $ 22,855 – $ 35,750

Launch of the VC turbo edition tested:

Price: $ 35,750

2.0 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with variable compression

Continuously variable automatic transmission

Power: 248 horsepower at 5,600 rpm, torque of 280 lb-ft at 1,600 rpm

Estimated EPA fuel consumption: 25 mpg city / 34 highways / 29 combined. Premium Essence

Wheelbase: 111.2 in

Length: 192.9

Width: 72.9

Height: 56.9

Trunk: 15.4 cubic feet

Nissan looks for sedan orphans

While US car sales are down, Nissan expects the Altima to attract orphan sedan fans from Ford, Dodge and Chrysler.

The new Altima should give them a lot to like. It is about an inch longer, lower and wider than the 18 model. The wheelbase has increased by almost 2 inches. The cockpit is smaller than a cubic foot, although the interior is accommodating. The spacious trunk – one of Altima's strengths – has not changed.

I spent an afternoon driving Altimas on hills, highways and cities along the central coast of California.

Handling is excellent, thanks to a stiffer platform and suspension changes, including monotube shocks. The car was stable and drove quickly around the mountain curves. Rack mounted electric power steering is direct and responsive, with a good feel.

I would be surprised if one of the other best-selling midsize sedans fits the twist, climbing the roads outside Ojai better than the Altima.

Hard engine technology for fun and mpg

I drove both the 188-horsepower 2.5-liter base engine and the optional 248-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo that uses Nissan's new variable compression system. Both engines come with a smooth and discreet continuous variable transmission.

Variable compression rates are a technical feat that has been eluding car manufacturers for years. It varies the distance traveled by the pistons in the engine to improve power or fuel economy, depending on the pressure exerted by the driver on the accelerator and other factors.

The variable compression turbo engine – named by Nissan's turbo VC – is a winner. It generates a torque of 280 lb-ft at only 1,600 rpm for fast and satisfactory throttle response. It was more than a match for steep slopes and the passage of the freeway.

The fuel economy estimated by the turbo VC at 25 mpg in the city, 34 on the highway and 29 handsets easily beats the 3.5-liter V6 that was the performance engine of the old Altima.

Nissan offers the all-wheel drive system only with the less powerful 2.5-liter, naturally aspirated engine. With the extra weight of the AWD system, this is not the case for the VC turbo, but it works properly. The 2.5-liter rated an estimate of 26 mpg in the city, 36 on the highway and 30 combined in the EPA tests.

Make you a better driver

The Altima's other strength in leadership and innovation lies in a comprehensive list of safety features including automatic front and rear emergency braking, pedestrian detection, automatic high beam,

Other driver assistance features include trace control, which applies the interior brakes slightly when the car starts to slide and the steering wheel angle does not match the direction of travel. Signage recognition, adaptive cruising and driver assistance to eliminate some of the work on long routes are all available.

If you think of a new sedan, the Altima 2019 is part of your shopping list.

Contact Mark Phelan: [email protected] or 313-222-6731. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan.

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