US - The OEM has announced that it is spending $170m to support production of the new Altima, which is now entering its sixth generation, at its two plants in Smyrna, Tennessee and Canton, Mississippi. The model is set to go on sale this fall.

"Nissan's continued investment in our manufacturing facilities underpins our commitment to building top-quality vehicles in the US, as well as our valued workforce and the communities where we do business," commented Heath Holtz, senior vice president, manufacturing, supply chain management and purchasing, Nissan North America. "The new Altima sets a new standard for the sedan market, and we are ready to bring it to the road for customers."

A new laser brazing system will be added in the body shops, which will be used to weld the Altima's trunk lid, while the paint shops will be updated to include a new polyurethane stone guard coat paint system that provides increased durability to the exterior. Finally, the plants will get new calibration equipment to help ensure the reliability of Nissan's ProPILOT Assist semi-autonomous driving technology.

The Smyrna plant has now been operating for 35 years, and has housed the production of more than 13m vehicles since opening in 1983 with the Altima accounting for around 4.6m. Nissan currently makes six different models at the facility, including the Altima, Maxima, Pathfinder, Rogue, Infiniti QX60 and Leaf. AMS recently published an in-depth feature on production of the electric vehicle.

The Canton assembly plant also celebrated a birthday this year, after being in operation for 15 years. It is used to create the Altima, Titan, NV, Frontier and Murano.

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