The fifth generation of the Nissan Altima was unveiled at the 2012 New York International Auto Show as the 2013 model.
It entered the competition on the mid-size sedans.

The competitive mid-size sedan segment made the Japanese car-manufacturer Nissan bring more Infiniti style into the mass-market vehicles. The 2013 Altima was based on the same platform with the Maxima and the Murano. Moreover, it had an Infiniti M30 look.

New styling, with the Z-shape inspiration from the Nissan Z sports model, was applied. New front bumpers, with bolder styling, were applied and a nice, chromed line, surrounded the side glass area of the greenhouse. A big improvement was made to the weight of the car, due to the aluminum hood, roof, and trunk lid.

For the inside, the car featured the Nissan Connect infotainment system on the central part of the dashboard, with navigation, rear-view camera, XM satellite radio, and, of course, Bluetooth connectivity. The instrument cluster featured two, big, analog dials for the speedometer and tachometer and a TFT display in between them for the driver information center. For the rear passengers, a nearly flat floor helped for three seating positions. Two air-vents were provided to add climate comfort.

Under the hood, there were two engine choices: a four-pot 2.5-liter and a 3.5-liter V6 unit. The standard transmission for both was a CVT unit that helped increase the fuel-efficiency.