Also during the event, Nissan executives hinted that the rapid-fire deployment of new models isn't likely to taper off anytime soon.
One of the quick previews that surprised attendees (and our staffers who were in attendance) was a brief peek at two images that Nissan’s global design and creative director Shiro Nakamura said will debut at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show in January.
He indicated the concept vehicle will reveal the “future design direction” for the Nissan brand. It's very clearly derivative of other recent Nissan offerings, such as the Altima and Sentra, and even bears some passing resemblance to the design DNA of its upscale cousins at Infiniti.
Since our sources within Nissan have confirmed that the Maxima is currently being developed for release in the 2015 model-year, we're going to go out on a limb here and assume that this is a sneak preview of Nissan's flagship sedan.
The current-generation Maxima has been roundly criticized by the Nissan faithful (and Maxima enthusiasts) for being "wrong-wheel-drive," too similar to the Altima, underpowered, and having abandoned the heritage of the Maxima name. This criticism is reflected in sales numbers: This year through July, Nissan sold 27,710 Maximas, down from 35,222 in the first seven months of 2012.
Because of the abundance of rear-drive platforms at Infiniti, it stands to reason that this car could not only gain a driveshaft, but it also might see all-wheel-drive and even a hybrid variant for additional performance.
This would most definitely return the Maxima to its rightful place as a true performance sedan, eager to compete once again with the likes of entry-level offerings from BMW, Lexus, Audi, Cadillac and Mercedes.
What do you guys think?
