The 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid is a midsize sedan based on the standard gasoline powered Altima and having the same features. This puts it in the same class with such cars as the Toyota Prius and Camry Hybrid, Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, Saturn Aura Hybrid and Honda Civic Hybrid, as well as midsize cars generally.

First offered in the 2007 model year, it has not yet changed it basic body style. New for this year, however, are standard automatic door locks and four new colors.

The Altima uses the Prius hybrid system, having bought from Toyota the rights to sell up to 20,000 of them a year. However, the Altima is not a Prius remake and will feel quite different because it uses the standard Altima engine and not the Prius gasoline engine.

That engine, by the way, is a 2.5 liter, 158 horsepower gasoline plant matched with a continuously variable transmission. The Altima is a combined hybrid, which means it can be powered by either the gasoline engine or the electric motor or both, depending on its needs. The electric motor acts as a generator for the gasoline engine and the gasoline engine works as a charger for the electric motor.

It does this to the tune of 35 miles per gallon of gasoline in the city and 33 miles per gallon on the highway. If you're surprised to see better mileage in the city than on the highway, don't be. That's a common, though not universal, effect of the hybrid engine. The reason is that in the city the electric motor often runs the car alone, using no gas at all.

The only trim line for the Altima Hybrid is the HEV. Compared to other, similar hybrids, the Altima gets better gas mileage and has more legroom than most. It is below average on rear headroom and cargo space. As with most hybrids when compared to similar sized standard gasoline vehicles, the Altima suffers from low pulling power.

The NHTSA gives the Altima Hybrid five stars everywhere except rollover, where it garners four. It has all the basic safety features such as child safety locks, inside trunk release and antilock brakes with electronic braking assistance, traction control and a vehicle stability control system, as well as airbags all around. It also has an optional electronic parking aid.

If the strength of hybrids is fuel economy, the weakness is usually initial cost. The 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid is no exception with a base price of $26,650, as compared to the base price of $19,900 for a standard gasoline Altima or even the base price of $22,000 for the Prius. Still, they appear to be the coming thing, and if that's the case, the price will eventually level out as the technology becomes more common.