New York Auto Show: 2016 Nissan Maxima: Comments

Posted April 2, 201510 yr

After making an early debut in Nissan's super bowl commercial back in February, the 2016 Maxima has been revealed to the world at the New York Auto Show this morning.

The Maxima is almost an identical clone to the Sports Sedan concept shown in Detroit last year. The front end has a similar design to the current Murano crossover with a V shape grille and boomerang-shaped headlights. Flowing lines and blacked-out rear pillars to create the illusion of a floating roof are the stars of the side profile. The back has a set of broad shoulders and a tall decklid.

Compared to the current Maxima, the 2016 model is about 2.2 inches longer. More importantly, the new Maxima is about 1.3 inches longer than the Altima. Despite the increase in size, weight has dropped 82 pounds thanks to increase in high-strength steel.

Inside, the Maxima feels more luxurious with higher-quality materials such as the optional Ascot quilted leather, constrasting stitching for the seats, and Alcantara inserts in the SR trim. The center stack is oriented to the driver and boasts a 8-inch touchscreen with NissanConnect.

Power comes 3.5L V6 which produces 300 horsepower (up 10 horsepower from the previous model) and 261 pound-feet of torque. Nissan's XTronic CVT routes all of that power to the front wheels. Fuel economy is expect to see a slight bump with Nissan estimating the Maxima getting 22 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway.

The 2016 Maxima will start $33,235 - includes a $825 destination charge - and go on sale this summer.

Source: Nissan