Zenshi Altrea

## Altrea

*This article is about the normal Altrea. For the high-performance version, see Altrea Newman R.*

The Zenshi Altrea (al-tray-uh) is a line of midsize sedans produced by Zenshi Automotive Japan from 1989 onwards.

The Altrea was well known for being a sedan in the affordable midsize market that was an outlier compared to the other Japanese contenders, most notable for being rear wheel drive.

## Powertrain

### Engines

2.5L LZ1-ME I6 (1990-1993)2.5L LZ2-ME I6 (1994-1995)

2.5L LZ1-MTE Turbocharged I6 (1991-1994)

2.5L LZ2-MTE Turbocharged I6 (1994-1995)

## Dimensions

### Weight

1136-1340 kg

After the Luris's 30-year run, Zenshi quickly created its replacement, the Altrea, in early December of 1990. At the same time, Zenshi also introduced the company's new family of Inline-6 engines, the LZ. At this time, the Altrea exclusively used this engine and no other engines from the company.

The Altrea utilized a MacPherson front and a Double Wishbone rear suspension setup. The result was that of a family carrier that was tossable and lively.

Powering the Altrea was the then-new 2.5L LZ1-ME Inline 6 with power rated at 153 HP, with transmission options being a 4-Speed automatic or a 5-Speed manual. At the start of 1991, The Altrea GTS-25T was introduced, utilizing a turbocharged version of the LZ1-ME, the LZ1-MTE. The GTS-25T model was a performance-spec variant that produced 255 HP and was only available with a manual transmission.

The AZ10 underwent a minor revision in 1994, which primarily focused on the interior. The LZ1 at this time was then replaced with the LZ2, both NA and turbocharged. With the LZ2, the Altrea benefitted from increased power output and higher efficiency thanks to newer technology.

The AZ10 ended production shortly after it's revision in 1995, making way for a larger and more modernized 4-door sports sedan.

## Powertrain

### Engines

2.0L QS20DA I42.5L LZ3-ME I6

2.5L LZ2-MTE Turbocharged I6

## Dimensions

### Weight

1339-1472 kg

The AZ20 Altrea made its debut in late April of 1996. Larger and more spacious than the AZ10 Altrea, the 2nd generation was developed with great care with these changes coming to mind. Despite this, it still kept it's title as "Affordable Sports Sedan" well.

Zenshi utilized a slightly lengthened version of the Grandea's platform to accommodate the 4 door setup, as well as balance overall vehicle rigidity. Compared to the AZ10, the AZ20 as a result felt more genuine and authentic in terms of styling and driving dynamics.

The engines offered in the AZ20 were the QS20DA 2.0L I4 engine, and the then-newly developed LZ3-ME 2.5L Inline 6 engine, making around 200 HP. The LZ2-MTE engine that was from the 1st generation's GTS-25T model was carried over to this generation's GTS25T trim. A slew of items was featured in the car, such as AWS 4-wheel steering, as well as an AWD model, which only was seen in this generation.

In 1998, the Altrea underwent a facelift that made the car look more aggressive, giving the car a more sporty vibe than that of a premium one.

### **Altrea Newman R**

*Main Article: Zenshi Altrea Newman R*

Being the first one in the series, the Altrea Newman R was developed in late 1996 not only as a homologated version of the Altrea touring car, but also as a tribute to one of ZMD's well-renowned test drivers, Thomas-Mathieu Newman, who passed away in 1995.

## Powertrain

### Engines

2.5L LZ3-ME I62.5L LZ3-MTE Turbocharged I6

### Transmission

5-Speed Manual6-Speed Manual

4-Speed Automatic

5-Speed Automatic

## Dimensions

### Weight

1464-1505 kg

After the discontinuation of the 2nd generation, The 3rd generation Altrea did not come until 2002, leaving the 2001 market filled with remaining 2000MY Altreas.

The third generation underwent a design shift to that of a more sophisticated style, appearing less dynamic compared to the previous generations before it. Oosato Nakamura, the designer of the third generation, designed the Axia and Magis of the same model year, wanted the Altrea to appear more high class compared to the other Japanese competitors in the market while retaining the same "affordable sports sedan" basis.

This generation Altrea is also the first to utilize a 5-Door hatchback body style, aptly named around the time **Altrea SB** (for **S**port **B**ack). This body styling ended up becoming the staple body style of the Altrea, and the 4-door body style was eventually abandoned in 2006.

Powering the AZ30 is the LZ3-ME engine carried over from the AZ20, which was revised and improved upon to make 200 HP. The LZ3-MTE from the AZ20 Newman R was carried over for the third generation's GTS-25T trim, while an improved version of the same engine was used for this generation's Newman R variant.

The AZ30, upon its first year of sales, saw problems. With the removal of a 4-cylinder option, the Altrea already became one of the more expensive options of the midsize market around the time, and with the more civilized design, the car ended up looking too familiar to other sedans in the market. After its facelift in 2006, however, the Altrea was slowly able to recover some loss.

This generation was the longest running generation in the Altrea line of cars (2002-2009, 7 years), and while this model was the weakest link in the Altrea family, it created a foundation for the future years of the model.

## Powertrain

### Engines

2.4L QS24DA I42.5L QS25DA I4

2.5L LZ3-3ME I6

3.7L LZ6-ME I6

3.5L LZ5-MTE Turbocharged I6

### Transmission

6-Speed Manual6-Speed Automatic

6-Speed AvanTec-II (2013-2016)

## Dimensions

### Weight

1526-1710 kg

The AZ40 Altrea debuted in early March 2010, with it's design based on the Karasu Concept that made an appearance in the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, which represented the "new-age" design language that Zenshi followed along with the Axia, Nimessa, and Grandea.

The design could be considered a mix of the AZ20 and AZ30 designs, given a modernized flair to create a look that presents itself as both sophisticated and aggressive at the same time. The fourth generation Altrea is slightly larger compared to its previous generations; its wheelbase nearly bordering on fullsize territory. This results in a considerably heavy sedan for the market.

Powering the base model AZ40 is a 190 HP 2.4L QS24DA Inline-4 engine, with other options being:

* LZ3-3ME, 2.5L Inline-6, 210 HP
	+ *Available only in European markets.*
* LZ6-ME, 3.7L Inline-6, 287 HP (307 in 2013-)
* LZ5-MTE, 3.5L Turbocharged Inline-6, 344 HP

All engines are mated with a choice of either a 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Automatic. In 2013, the automatic transmission was replaced with Zenshi's patented AvanTec-II DCT transmission system.

This generation Altrea was the first generation to be assembled outside of Japan, being assembled in America at Zenshi's short-lived California plant as well.

### **2013**

In 2013, the AZ40 underwent a facelift that is extremely noticeable towards the front, which was shaped to resemble the Newman R, and also had minor touch-ups to the interior. The 2.4L I4 was replaced with the 2.5L QS25DA motor, and the LZ3-3ME was removed from the engine options. As stated earlier, the 6-Speed Automatic was replaced with Zenshi's AvanTec-II dual clutch transmission system.

The car was well received by the public, presenting a strong appearance on the road without being too "showy" or extreme.

In 2016, The Altrea ended production, with the final 100 units being that of a limited "Sayonara Special," which featured 19-inch BBS wheels, Ramune Blue Mica exterior paint, ZMD ground effects, and black leather with ramune blue stitching.

## Powertrain

### Engines

2.0L QS20GDA I4 (Hornet)2.5L QS25GDA I4

2.5L QS25GDA-II I4

2.5L QS25GDAT Turbocharged I4

3.0L LZ3-ACE GDMTE Turbocharged I6

### Transmission

6-Speed Manual6-Speed AvanTec-II

6-Speed AvanTec-III

## Dimensions

### Weight

1473-1660 kg

In 2013, Zenshi revealed the Shinka Design Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. This showed people what the future of Zenshi's design language would be, and the Shinka design was then executed in 2017, the first car to undergo the design was the GT, followed by the Altrea.

The fifth generation Altrea fully revealed itself in the 2017 Detroit Auto Show in mid-January. The aggressive looks captured the attention of multiple people and soon ended up being an initial success on the sales floor.

This generation also saw the return of the wagon, which was now available worldwide (buyers in USA would have to request a special order to obtain one), as well as the return of the GTS-T trim.

Zenshi, at an attempt to push the Altrea to be a strong competitor to the midsize market, prioritized the usage of 4-cylinder engines throughout the model range, unlike before, where the 4-cylinder option was only available as a base model. Compared to the AZ40, the AZ50 was slightly smaller, but also considerably lighter.

Powering the Altrea was Zenshi's new QS25GDA 2.5L I4 engine, which gave the Altrea 215 HP. The other engine options included a 310 HP turbocharged variant of the QS25GDA, the QS25GDAT, and the flagship engine, a new variant of the LZ family, the LZ3-ACE GDMTE, a turbocharged 3.0L Inline 6 motor producing 323 HP. Transmission options include a 6-Speed Manual as well as a 6-Speed AvanTec transmission. While it was a considerable powerhouse for the midsize market, the AZ50 Altrea was still capable of holding it's own in the fuel economy section, making an efficient 36 EPA highway and 25 EPA city.

### **2018**

The 2018 facelift Altrea was available on the sales floor at the start of November 2017, and featured a slightly simpler design, and an updated AvanTec transmission, called the AvanTec-III. The GTS-T trim was removed in America due to a complete lack of sales for that specific model.

Hornet, which was recently acquired by Zenshi, will have a new midsize premium sedan to appear on the market called the Sidion, which will be powered by a choice of 2.0L, 2.5L, and Turbocharged 2.5L I4 engines.