A nifty study of the next-gen Maxima...

[RicerX]

The Nissan Maxima’s replacement is finally on track for arrival next fall as a 2015 or early-2016 model, with a shift in focus toward performance to better differentiate Nissan’s flagship sedan from the popular (but bland) Altima sedan.

Exclusive TopSpeed Renderings show a speculative preview of this hot new sports sedan, which looks to shake off the front-drive proportions and goofy grin in favor of a wider, lower and meaner style like the 370Z and GT-R.

Nissan’s sports car lineup has never been this strong, and continued support for the company’s two tiers of performance cars has really helped the brand’s image, despite being diluted from selling millions of basic Sentra’s and Versa econoboxes to pay the bills.

The Maxima was really at a crossroads before this current re-alignment to its 4DSC roots. The next generation was even mooted to go the full EV route, with the cab-forward styling of the 2011 Nissan Ellure concept thought to be previewing both the just-launched Altima and next Maxima.

Another option on the table would adapt the 370Z’s latest chassis for use in a rear-drive sedan, or even a stretched GT-R of our dreams. These two scenarios are far less likely than a continued front-drive layout, but low and dramatic proportions that evolve the boring Nissan look very nicely.

Keeping the existing Maxima layout is a safe bet because it is the only way to continue the current model’s $31,000 to $36,000 price range. Nissan’s ability to sell a volume sedan for more than $40,000 is less than a sure thing, especially with Infiniti’s billion-dollar name changes and new Q50 sedan to replace the G37.

EDIT: Here is another rendering.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Holy crap that thing actually looks good... and therefore already more relevant than the current Maxima.

[MinisterofDOOM]

The profile looks great, but it's just too damn busy. Too many lines doing nothing purposeful just for the sake of being lines doing nothing purposeful.

Also, that goofy deal at the rear quarter window doesn't look any less horrid than it did on the last presentation of a possible future Nissan. Make it go away.

Still can't figure out why we have to have s*** going on at the bottoms of the doors of everything these days, either. I can rattle off 20+ of the most attractive designs in automotive history, and none of them have goofy-a** nonsense sculpting at the bottoms of the doors.

I can also rattle off 20+ of the most mundane, forgettable, or downright ugly cars in history and a bucketload of them DO look like someone flung the door into a curb.

Why is factory body damage a thing now? Did everyone but Ian Callum and Audi's collective design group forget how to be creative beyond the addition of tacky superfluous creases?

But, as I said, the profile looks nice. The nose looks great. The rear seats won't have enough headroom for a decapitated dwarf, but that's the thing these days (apparently no one actually uses their back seats for people anymore????).

Looks don't mean jack s***, though, if it still comes with a decade-old VQ35 and a CV-gorram-T.

[AZhitman]

I'm with James. That's gorgeous. It evokes the GT-R, and based on the 2013 Max, rear headroom will be fine - the seats sit lower (which isn't great for visibility, but has a positive "impact" on rear-passenger safety).

Chris, no one's building slab-sided, plain cars anymore. A lot of the styling sculpts that you mention are actually functional (more on this later). You're a tough sell, but the reality is, those days are long past. Take it from someone who's been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century... it's not as painful as it seems.

On a side note, I'll be posting up soon about my recent experience with a 2013.5 Maxima. Here's a hint: I'm a LOT less critical of it now that I've driven it extensively. Hard. On a track.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

About the only thing I don't quite get is the "floating roof" via the extension of the rear glass. I could do with a normal C-pillar.

[Jesda]

There's no real-world purpose to this kind of sculpting other than for looks (sure, the marketing materials will make lofty claims), otherwise the slipperiest and most efficient cars with room for four humans (Prius, for example) would be shaped accordingly.

That said, I don't mind it in this application. Except for the scoop in the bottoms of the doors (I agree with Chris, it looks like factory-built accident damage), the curvy creases look like they have a purpose, starting and ending where the eyes would want them to.

What makes this work are the dash-to-axle ratio which places the wheels a bit more forward than a typical FWD cabin-forward car and the short distance between the top of the front tire and the top of the apparently low hood, giving the impression of a sporty wedge shape. The gentle rise to the back reminds me of the new Acura NSX. The enlarged greenhouse is a nice touch too, a breath of fresh air as current design favors annoyingly tall beltlines and sides.


It's a less painful notion of what the future might entail. I won't be terribly annoyed if I see something like this on the road but I wouldn't open my wallet for one.


Cadillac is promising a return to clean, tapered sides that promise elegance and grace without gimmicks. Hopefully that influences the rest of the industry rather than this current obsession with purposeless sculpting. Of course, Cadillac's design theme costs more to manufacture with shapes that are more difficult to duplicate consistently, likely making it the exclusive domain of luxury cars.

[frapjap]

That actually looks really, really good. My expectations for a car that looks that good are that it handles as outstandingly as it looks. An AWD version of that in the Subaru price range would give the folks in Fiji Heavy a run for their money. I'm undecided about the side scoop. Placed a business card over it to decide if the car looked okay without it, but with the sweepy, curvy upper line, the lower texture is almost needed. Those wheels look fantastic.
The only spot that my eyes keep getting drawn to is that decreasing width A pillar as it gets closer to the roof.

That said, if that exact car were released as-is and I was still in the market for a 4 door sedan, the Maxima would be at the top of the list.
Well, wait. That would be true if it came with a manual transmission...which it probably won't, since you know, 4DSC means CVT, bishez!

[RicerX]

I would love nothing more than to own a Maxima like this, especially if you can get a 6MT in it. I have been waiting to see if Nissan would breathe some life into this thing or let it fade into obscurity. This render and study really excited me - I must say a good bit more than even the next gen Z stuff that we have heard about.

[Rev_D21]

It looks good. Let's hope it come with a stick.

[Loki]

As someone that actually works in product development for an OEM....renders by outside sources don't mean crap. I hate to be negative, but I do not think the Maxima will look that distinctive, and the underbody will not be terribly exciting.

Edit: I've spoken with my Nissan insider and it actually sounds like this design is rather close (except for the rear end). So I guess I was more or less incorrect. Serious doubts about CVT/VQ being ditched.

[RicerX]

As someone that actually works in product development for an OEM....renders by outside sources don't mean crap. I hate to be negative, but I do not think the Maxima will look that distinctive, and the underbody will not be terribly exciting.

I tend to agree about the rendering, but it is based off of a concept that was previewed at the Nissan360 event. This rendering will actually hold a bit of water, methinks.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Yeah, the front marker light, rear spoiler, and lower body are pure rendering, but the rest of it follows what was released.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Aside from the weird line coming forward from the tail lights, the floating pillar nonsense, and the doors, I really do like it a lot. I think it could probably do with a sharper roofline in back, which would add a little muscle to the profile while also making the back seats usable. Thicken the pillar a little toward the bottom (not toward the top as it is now) and you could hide more headroom behind lines that contribute to proportion as well.

You're a tough sell

Because unlike 99% of carbuyers, I ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT I WANT. Which is exactly why Nissan should care what I think. Successful businesses do not target the commonest, least distinguishing consumers. They go after the ones who know what they want and know WHY THEY WANT IT. In my actual line of business, my most valuable customers are the most discerning, hardest to please, pickiest, and most likely to complain when they don't get exactly what they want. Why? Because they are the ones who determine how the ENTIRE INDUSTRY WORKS. They CREATE a future for me based on MY product. These are good traits in a customer. Only a coward, a fool, or a lazy-a** hides from discerning customers. The wise, the enthusiastic, and the hard-working will seek these people out, make a goal of impressing them, and establish themselves as the standard of whatever it is they do. If you can earn the loyalty of the DISCERNING customer, the ones who don't care will simply follow. Nissan is aiming low and content with it. And that's why I've moved on. Their attempts at regaining former glory are tainted with contentment. They throw the old recipe in the new safety-blade blender but only after running it past the focus groups and removing all the delicious, unhealthy bits that "aren't necessary" because they don't matter to the consumer.

I'm a tough sell because I actually care. If that's too much for Nissan, I simply don't have time for their nonsense. For all my negativity, cynicism, doubt, and criticism...I would have AT LEAST AS MUCH enthusiasm, praise, excitement, and enjoyment from them ACTUALLY GETTING SOMETHING RIGHT AGAIN. I'm only negative because I'm sick of mediocrity. I'm only critical because I was foolish enough to hope for excellence. Prove me wrong, Nissan. Build a car that makes me sing with joy. Won't happen. Nobody knows how anymore. I have no loyalties except to excellence. The excellence is gone. Mediocrity is easy money. Laziness wins.

THIS is still the best Maxima ever made. And it is a twenty four year old design. Nissan hasn't even managed to hold the line. They've retreated so far there's nothing left to hold! They've sacrificed everything in the name of broad appeal. I probably shouldn't mention the fact that the 7th gen Maxima is the poorest selling in the car's history, right? That'd be too brutally honest for this modern world of defending mediocrity as "doing your best".

I guess my problem is that I want to be IMPRESSED, not merely satisfied. How dare I have expectations.

[Mr. Music]

Successful businesses do not target the commonest, least distinguishing consumers.

Well, Toyota has been pretty successful at selling lots of toasters the last few years. But their toasters have more buttons that Nissan's, I guess.

If the next Maxima looks half as good as the rendering in the OP, Nissan will probably sell loads of them. From what I see, it seems as if the majority of new car buyers nowadays seem not to care about what's underneath the sheet metal as long as it looks good and gets "good" gas mileage compared to its competitors. So most automakers are content to turn out more toasters, like Nissan.

[Bubba1]

It looks good. Let's hope it come with a stick.

This^

[MinisterofDOOM]

Well, Toyota has been pretty successful at selling lots of toasters the last few years.

Toyota has been slowly falling off their extremely tall and pointy pedestal for a long time now. Corolla sales have plummeted (hence the aggressive new styling redesign). Camry sales have dropped steadily over the last decade with a bit of resurgence in the last couple of years. I'd say that supports my claims.

[Bubba1]

Toyota has been slowly falling off their extremely tall and pointy pedestal for a long time now. Corolla sales have plummeted (hence the aggressive new styling redesign). Camry sales have dropped steadily over the last decade with a bit of resurgence in the last couple of years. I'd say that supports my claims.

I disagree, my friend. Methinks you're thinking about US sales only because globally, I believe Corolla is still the #2 selling new car in the world. Plus regarding US sales over the last decade. I agree there were declining sales numbers but I believe there were some large outside factors that influenced those sales figures (which by the way, increased significantly in 2012, before the redesign). For example, remember that large recession we went thru when most car maker sales plummeted? Plus the barrage of negative publicity surrounding that unintended acceleration problem with the Camry (which was determined later to be mostly driver error). I also don't believe Toyota's latest Corolla redesign was a reaction to a declining market share but rather a long planned update.

[AZhitman]

Successful businesses do not target the commonest, least distinguishing consumers.

Eh, yes and no.

Everything is arguable, but that depends on how one defines "successful." The Prius has done well. The F150, despite not always catering to "discerning" customers, is a perennial favorite. We could go on, but countless high-profit, low-enthusiasm vehicles clog the roads...

I hate to point it out, but a reality of the automotive industry is that middle-of-the-road is what quietly sells in huge volume. Bringing a vehicle to market that's targeted at a narrow, starkly-defined niche, is in most cases a recipe for disaster. That's not to say it CAN'T be done, but it's usually done on the backs of the workhorses of the lineup - the 'pedestrian' offerings, so to speak.

Companies that DO crank out high-margin, low-risk offerings can then apply that "cushion" to several areas of their choosing, whether it be additional R&D, a 'halo' vehicle, motorsports involvement, acquisitions of suppliers (or competitors), landing high-profile talent, or just squirrelling it away for a rainy day.

Spending quite a bit of time recently 'behind the scenes' with the people who take things from business plan to showroom, has been a real eye-opener.

There's some "wow" cars out there. You've just got to do two things: Go drive them, and be open to accept that nothing will ever be 'as it was.' And that's not always a bad thing.

[Jesda]

While mainstream cars have always dominated sales, there used to be a time when enthusiasts defined what the masses wanted. Those with more knowledge, more refined tastes, and greater comprehension of the design and engineering told the others what to buy.

If you wanted to know what the best car on the market was, you went to your "car guy" friend and asked him or her for an opinion. The pickiest people set the baseline for what was acceptable and it was a great thing for everyone because it elevated the standards of all consumers.



Now, you have people who buy brand new cars sight unseen, never even going for a test drive!

[Jesda]

Methinks you're thinking about US sales only because globally, I believe Corolla is still the #2 selling new car in the world.

It was #1 for decades, losing recently to the significantly more advanced Ford Focus. Imagine if Ford's dealer network and marketing muscle were as big in SE Asia and India as it is in North America and Europe. The Corolla wouldn't even be close.


Sorry, but churning out dated junk just doesn't work long term. As all cars become more dependable, reliability becomes a significantly less important reason for choosing a particular model. Consumers are less willing to compromise on design, performance, and features as the Corolla's advantage in dependability declines -- not due to a reduction in the Corolla's mechanical longevity but due to competitors equaling it.

[Jesda]

Companies that DO crank out high-margin, low-risk offerings can then apply that "cushion" to several areas of their choosing, whether it be additional R&D, a 'halo' vehicle, motorsports involvement, acquisitions of suppliers (or competitors), landing high-profile talent, or just squirrelling it away for a rainy day.

Let's be real. They're mostly low-margin, high-volume cars. Incentive spending was supposed to drop significantly as the economy recovered but stronger competition has kept the freebies flowing.

The Tahoe and Suburban, however, are high-volume cash cows.

[AZhitman]

THIS is still the best Maxima ever made. And it is a twenty four year old design. Nissan hasn't even managed to hold the line. They've retreated so far there's nothing left to hold! They've sacrificed everything in the name of broad appeal.

Appearance-wise, sure. I recall those (my roommate in college had a brand new 1994 SE), and drove it on occasion. But let's be real - It didn't take a Giorgetto Giugiaro to design that car. It's standard-issue 1994.

Comparing apples to apples (and ignoring the fact that we can't really quantify "I just don't like it"), the "regression" claim just doesn't hold up.

In 1994, the Maxima SE was $23,530 ($36,500 in today's dollars using the CPI as an indicator), had 190hp/190/tq, weighed 3144 lbs (16.5 lbs per hp) had a 5-speed MT, got 21/26 mpg, ran 6.9 seconds 0-60 with a quarter mile time of 15.4 seconds at 93 mph, and posted .78g roadholding. Solid stuff for 1994.

The 2014 Maxima SV Sport is $36,090 ($23,300 in 1994 dollars), has 290hp/261tq, weighs 3570 lbs (12.3 lbs per hp), has a CVT with manual mode, gets 19/26 mpg, runs 5.8 seconds 0-60 with a quarter mile time of 14.3 seconds at 98 mph, and posted .68g roadholding.

"Sacrificed everything" is overly broad... Sure, you don't row your own gears in the new Max (but you don't row your own gars in your current DD, either). As far as comfort, performance, value and economy, I'm not seeing the Grim Reaper working here, Chris.

I also don't see "retreating." It's certainly not setting the world on fire, but that was never the intent of the Maxima (as much as it chaps the guys over at the .org). It's not the GT-R. It's a sporty middle/upscale sedan. As much as we'd all like to think it, the Maxima wasn't EVER bought (new) by the canyon-carvers and adrenaline junkies of the world. It was a middle-management concession, and the "sport" component of the marketing meant that it was just a SMIDGE better at handling and acceleration than the competition.

For almost the exact same money, in 2013, you're getting performance and economy that has kept pace with the market in a safe and average manner.

I spend time with a LOT of new cars, and frankly, I don't see anything hitting the market that, under closer scrutiny, really will check all your boxes. I don't revel in that, believe me - we like a lot of the same stuff. I just spent some white-knuckle road course time with a 2014 Max SV Sport, and I certainly didn't sit there and think, "Boy, I sure with there was a '94 Maxima SE here to drive."

It's a fun-to-drive, well-engineered car, aimed directly at the buyer who can't abide the thought of a Camry and is fed up with Honda's mediocrity. They don't want a "look-what-a-tool-I-am" IS350, and they're not quite in 3-series range yet.

[AZhitman]

low-margin

My typo.

[Bubba1]

It was #1 for decades, losing recently to the significantly more advanced Ford Focus. Imagine if Ford's dealer network and marketing muscle were as big in SE Asia and India as it is in North America and Europe. The Corolla wouldn't even be close.


Sorry, but churning out dated junk just doesn't work long term.

you can theorize all you want with "what if's" but the at the end of the day, the sad reality is that to non-enthusiast automotive appliance buyers, "out dated junk" is fine just as long as it's reliable and inexpensive. And there are a whole lot more of those non-enthusiasts out there than us enthusiasts. The Corolla may be old fashioned technologically speaking (even with their redesign) and repugnant to enthusiasts, but Toyota appears to know what their customers want, as their sales appear to be trending upward again. Besides I would think Toyota would not have so much of an issue selling a few less Corolla's than Ford sells Foci if they make significantly more margin per car, which I'm sure their mostly cosmetic facelift gives them.

[alphapig]

Holy crap that rendering looks fantastic!

I hope it's not FWD... Looks and size alone is not enough to distinguish the Maxima from the Altima, and right now the Maxima is completely superfluous in the Nissan lineup.

[Loki]

It will be FWD. No Manual option. Should be decently quick, but not a "4DSC" in my opinion.

[jbracy7]

Agreed^

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Out dated junk worked for the beetle for a long, long time.

That being said, it was sort of a fluke.

Did you know Nissan still sells the B13 in Mexico?

[AZhitman]

...and still sells the 720/D21 "mutt" pickups in several countries.

[AZhitman]

It will be FWD. No Manual option. Should be decently quick, but not a "4DSC" in my opinion.

Remembering that "4DSC" is purely a marketing slogan (as much based in reality as "The Ultimate Driving Machine," *SNORT*), what would make the '15 Max deserving of the '4DSC' nomenclature?

Let's also remember that it has to fit within the company's overall EPA goals for volume, has to start with a sticker around $26k, and [obviously] has to comply with all 2015 NHTSA standards.

What, then, does the 2015 Max look like (beneath the skin)?

If nothing else, pondering this will give some insight into the challenges that automakers face when bringing a revision (especially of an iconic nameplate) up-to-date.