Sixth-Gen Nissan Teana Lives On In China Thanks To Latest Facelift

The Teana (Altima) may have been axed globally, but Nissan still sells it in both China and North America. Pictured here is a refreshed new 'Teana Plus' version for the Chinese market.

Though Japanese automaker Nissan dropped its Teana – also marketed as the Altima – D-segment saloon globally at the end of 2018, said rival to the genre-defining and evergreen Toyota Camry has actually lived on in select markets.

Apart from North America, it seems the only other market where the D-segment saloon genre continues to thrive in terms of sales is China. This perhaps explains the revelation of a refreshed – read: face-lifted – sixth-gen iteration of the Teana this week.

Initial images leaked from MIIT filing documents show plenty of exterior design changes for this sixth-gen D-segment saloon nameplate.

Dubbed as the Nissan Teana Plus, this Chinese market model is produced through Nissan’s joint-venture with Dongfeng. The refreshed model first leaked online from filings with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

Official photos from Dongfeng Nissan followed soon after, which also in turn confirmed the refreshed model’s new ‘Plus’ designation. Predictably, with many mid-life refreshes as such, there are plenty of visual changes to note.

Note the sharp new forward lighting cluster (LED DRLs included) and the revamped taillights, the latter even boasting illuminated Nissan script-badge in its mid-section.

New too are the alloy wheels, and sources report range-topping guises will get a larger 19-inch ones too.

Included here is a redesigned face with darker LED headlights flanking a broader grille that integrates new LED DRLs, all of which presented in a refined new pattern. New too is the front number with restyled intakes, plus new alloy wheels.

At the rear, the Teana Plus a new and darkened full-width LED taillight cluster that incorporates an illuminated Nissan script-badge in the mid-section, updated and cleaner rear bumper and tailgate designs, and the exhaust pipes now hidden.

A lot of the exterior design tweaks were meant to align the sixth-gen Teana with Nissan's new and all-electric N6 and N7 sedans too.

The tweaked design does entail in a slight growth spurt – it now sits 14 MM longer at 4,920 MM. Overall, it’s also evident that much of these exterior changes were aimed at aligning the Teana Plus with Nissan’s newer N6 and N7 electric sedans.

No interior images were released at the time of writing, thus suggesting changes here will be far less than the exterior detailed. Instead, regulatory findings do indicate some changes to the powertrain line-up in this refreshed Nissan Teana Plus.

Exclusive new two-tone exterior paintwork is also reported to be available.

Firstly, the familiar 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo petrol heart with 240 HP and Xtronic 8-speed CVT pairing is carried over. What’s new here though is an entry-level powertrain offering 142 HP instead – lower than the current naturally aspirated 2.0 mill’s 154 HP figure.

Said new entry-level 2.0-litre mill will power the regular Teana range, whereas the turbocharged unit mentioned will reportedly power the new Plus variants instead. Expect more details once the model officially debuts in the fourth quarter (Q4).

Apart from China, the Teana is only marketed elsewhere in North America as noted prior, though there are signs pointing to the nameplate being axed from which after this generation’s production ends.

What do you reckon folks? Did Nissan give up their global D-segment saloon fight too soon versus rivals Honda and Toyota? Would you have fancied the Teana still today if it looked this Chinese market’s face-lifted model? Hit the comments below…