Just as the Nissan Altima received a face lift for 2007, it also received an update under the hood. Although Nissan is offering a standard gasoline-powered version of the Altima, a new hybrid version has been added to the lineup. The new Altima hybrid is designed to compete with the Toyota Camry hybrid and the Honda Accord hybrid (be be discontinued), each roughly in the same class. Like its competition, the 2007 Nissan Altima hybrid uses an electric motor to drive the vehicle forward at low speeds, and a gasoline motor at higher speeds. 

The hybrid Altima utilizes the same gasoline engine as its standard Altima counterpart: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder operating at hp. The battery operates at around 250 volts, and provides up to 40 hp of assistance for quicker acceleration. The battery is also recharged through regenerative braking. Together, the two systems bring the Altima hybrid's mpg up to 41 city/ 36 highway. The standard Altima gets about 26 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway.

The Nissan Altima hybrid is available now, but only in certain states: California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. Of course, you can always buy in one state and register in another. MSRP is about $25,000.