Big Altima Energy: How a Once‑Praised Sedan Became a Meme and a Market Lesson

The piece traces the Altima’s rise as Nissan’s best‑selling sedan and its later decline after cost‑cutting under Carlos Ghosn, the shift to CVT technology, weakening residuals and brand loyalty, rising Korean competition, and aggressive subprime lending that damaged perception; it also explains how the online “Big Altima Energy” meme captured the car’s aging, budget‑mused image as sedans lose popularity.