Maxima belongs to a very particular category: luxury sedans created by generalist automakers. Since people usually buy upscale sedans from upscale automakers, or go to generalist dealers looking for compact vehicles, this segment isn’t too popular around the world. But none of that makes these cars less interesting: since they don’t fit in neither of those groups, they result free from the “market rules” of both. In other words, they can offer interesting equipment packages and powerful engines, because price isn’t one of their strongest sales arguments, but they can still be more informal and relaxed than fancy sedans, since their existance isn’t obsessed with outselling a trio of German cars. Like Honda and Toyota, as soon as Nissan understood this, it began to make the best of it.
Yes, the times have definitely changed. Until not so long ago, talking about this category immediately led to think of Chevrolet Caprice or Ford Crown Victoria, whose only small figures were related to mileage. At that time, Eastern makers built their reputation by snatching the few drivers who had a little global consciousness – or at least wanted to spend less on fuel. One of these was Nissan, although Maxima’s first generations were so discreet and rectilinear that it was hard to spot them on the street. Nevertheless, the car was reliable, got the job done, and benefited from a deep commitment of its maker with continuous improvement. Over the years, Maxima responded to the sales growth with increasing doses of personality, which right now have just reached a new peak.
Combining so many of the current styling trends seemed a recipe for disaster, but this is the opposite of what can be said of the new car. The front fascia initiates the aggressive stance with a huge tribute to the “V” theme: grilles and headlights are shaped after it both individually (silver bars and LED strips) and collectively; and the hood has both a slight power dome and the strong creases which define the sides. At these, the blackened A-pillars and a black strip create a floating roof; the new sheetmetal manages to look elegant and sporty in the same proportion. The rear, in turn, carries boomerang-shaped lights and a trunk lid long enough to give a refreshing feeling of how it’s still possible to create sporty three-box cars without turning them into four-door coupés.
After such a breathtaking exterior, Nissan must’ve thought you wanted a break. Therefore, the new cabin looks just as great, but in a more conventional way. There are two-tone coating, a sporty-ish steering wheel, and a hexagonal central stack carrying the 8” touchscreen through which you can operate the infotainment system – there’s also a 7” screen in the instrument cluster. Instead of offering optional items, Maxima adopted a list of five trim levels, which start with S: it also brings dual-zone climate control, 18” wheels, power front seats, and a navigation system. SV, in turn, adds heating and power lumbar adjustment, the aforementioned leather coating, front and rear parking sensors, and heated side-view mirrors with turn signals.
Choosing SL will give you Bose stereo with eleven speakers and active noise cancellation, heated steering wheel, dual-panel sunroof, and the typical bundle of electronic safety systems. SR increases the list with diamond-stitched, faux suede trim, a better type of leather, aluminum pedals, paddle shifters, 19” wheels, and LED headlamps for low beams. The upscale version, Platinum, adds memory settings for the driver’s seat, power rear-window shades, rain-sensing wipers, driver-drowsiness monitor, Nissan’s Around View 360-degree camera system, and the brand new NissanConnect Services, whose functions include crash alerts, location mapping, maintenance reminders, remote start and locking, and live concierge, whether from the vehicle or a smartphone application.
Just like before, Maxima’s powertrain options will only feature a 3.5-liter V6. This engine was updated in order to reach 300 hp of power, but the 261 lb-ft of torque were maintained. Front-wheel-drive is also the only option, just like the Xtronic CVT. The latter, however, was improved with wider ratio spread, more aggressive virtual shifts, and a function which holds the revolutions when the car senses it’s about to take a hard corner. That’s Nissan’s way of making such elements behave dynamically well enough to match the new design. But none of that interfered with its fuel economy: Nissan estimates 22 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. This car was released during the last New York Auto Show, and is already on sale.