2009 Nissan Maxima: New York Motor Show

Motoring Channel Staff - 20/March/2008

New York, America — Nissan's seventh generation American market Maxima has finally had its official release at 2008 New York Motor Show.

Sporting an all-new look that incorporates an angular motif not unlike the high performance Nissan GT-R, the 2009 Nissan Maxima will be powered by 3.5-litre V6 engines delivering more than 200kW of power, derived from the VQ engine series that originated with theNissan 350Z.

"Maxima has always enjoyed a certain 'duality' – a unique fusion of sedan practicality with the soul of a sports car," said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager of Nissan North America.

"In recent years, however, competitive vehicles have caught up with Maxima in 'sporty' looks and performance. 

"For 2009, Nissan is reclaiming its rich 4-Door Sports Car heritage with an infusion of emotional design, driving excitement and advanced technology – creating a silky, stimulating sports sedan like no other on the road today," saidCastignetti.

The design is the most remarkable aspect of the 2009 Nissan Maxima, and one of the more dramatic design cues are the headlights, which feature a lower 'flick' that leads away from the rest of the lens.

This design is unlike anything else on the market and could raise the Maxima's profile significantly.

Nissan explains that it wanted to to re-assert Maxima's breakthrough personality by "establishing a 'wow' level of style that would clearly distinguish it from segment competitors".

With a strong, angular front end design featuring a squared grille and lower air dam, the headlights seem to integrate fairly well into the overall design.

It is expected that this bold new headlight design will feature on other future Nissan models, including the upcoming Nissan 370Z, the first photo of which we published in the News section.

The new model will also be available with a dual panel moonroof which creates the illusion that the entire roof is composed of black glass (it also includes dual power sunshades).

While the rear isn't quite as dynamic as the front end design, it does feature a new L-shaped LED brake light design that sits above the indicators and reverse lights.

There's also a small rear spoiler and integrated twin exhaust pipe to accentuate its sporty pretensions.

"Maxima's breathtaking new exterior gives it a commanding, almost coupe-like appearance, with plenty of driveway appeal," opined Castignetti. 

"It’s one sedan that will definitely be noticed by the next door neighbors, along with a lot of other people," said the Nissan executive.

Nissan argues that the new Maxima model is a true 4-door sports sedan, which is hard to believe considering all models are equipped with continuously variable transmissions (CVT) that are considered by many to be the most un-sporty gearboxes available today.

Front-wheel drive also makes the idea of a true sports sedan difficult to swallow, though the revised V6 engine is promising.

Outputting 216kW (290hp) and 353Nm of torque, the new car won't be lacking acceleration.

It also features what Nissan has dubbed the 'Maxima Sound' which is "a satisfying, sporty sounding exhaust note".

In its defense, Nissan did tune the vehicle at Germany's famed Nürburgring.

"A number of product changes came directly from the Nürburgring trials, including enhancements to the braking and transmission systems," revealed Nissan's Al Castignetti.

"But more importantly, it gave notice to the entire Nissan organisation that the new Maxima is back solidly in the performance arena where it rightfully belongs."

Nissan says special attention was given to improving the vehicle's rigidity, suspension and steering, and was benchmarked against "well-established European sports sedans."

The next generation CVT is available with steering wheel paddle shifters that allow drivers to manually change gears and could be the transmission's saving grace.

Updates to the 2009 Nissan Maxima's chassis include lightweight aluminium suspension parts, 18-inch alloy wheels with 245/45 R18 performance tyres (19-inch wheels are optional) and a new braking system with larger rear discs, ABS, EBD and BA.

Nissan claims that ride quality is still smooth, but that it's sportiness has also been improved via changes to the shock absorbers.

The interior has been given a major overhaul with what Nissan has dubbed a "cockpit feel".

The gear stick has been moved closer to the driver for more a intuitive shift feel, the steering wheel is smaller and sportier, and the center console has been raised up higher for a more exclusive look and feel. 

More padding has been added to where an arm or elbow may rest, and the front seats have been tailored for improved adjustability. The thigh extending cushions for example, are designed to improve comfort on longer journeys. Options include heated/cooled premium leather seats and power lower lumbar adjust.

"The new Maxima is more tailored and refined than any Maxima that has come before, while maintaining a high-touch, high-tech sporty feel," added Castignetti.

Some of the standard features on the vehicle include a moonroof, 8-way power drivers seat and 4-way power adjustable front passenger seat, dual-zone automatic temperature control, cruise control with illuminated steering wheel mounted controls, Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition, power windows and door locks, AM/FM/CD6/MP3 audio system with 8 speakers. An Interface System for iPod is optional.

High end models add things like leather sport seats, an advanced Bose premium audio system with 9 speakers (including two subwoofers and a center channel speaker), speed-sensitive volume control and Radio Data System (RDS), HomeLink Universal Transceiver, fog lights and outside mirrors with turn signal indicators.

Options will include xenon headlights, heated outside mirrors with reverse tilt-down features, automatic entry/exit system with two-driver memory, heated front seats and steering wheel, paddle shifters, metallic link trim, Bluetooth Hands-Free Phone System, a rear view monitor, XM Satellite Radio, hard drive navigation system with voice recognition and a 9.3Gb music box hard drive.

Safety features like dual-stage front air bags, front seat-mounted side-impact air bags, and roof-mounted curtain side-impact air bags for front and rear occupant head protection are standard, as are active head restraints and vehicle dynamic control (VDC).

Though the Australian Maxima is slightly different to the American market model, the Maxima has consistently scored highly in the Motoring Channel's Road Tests over the years.

The 2009 Nissan Maxima will be built by at Nissan's North American operations in Tennessee.

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- Nissan Dualis (2008)
- Nissan Micra (2007)
- Nissan Silvia/200SX (2010)
- Nissan 350Z (Road Test)
- Nissan GT-R (2007)
- Nissan X-Trail (2007)
- Nissan Maxima (Road Test)
- Nissan Tiida (Road Test)
- Nissan 350Z Nismo Type 380RS (2008)