Just as more and more automakers seem to be fleeing from passenger cars, Nissan appears to be doubling down — at least if the 2019 Maxima unveiled in Los Angeles is any indication.
The Maxima has long been the company’s flagship sedan. It’s part family hauler and part race car — maybe more race car. In an era that has seen passenger car sales fall precipitously, the Maxima roars on for next year, especially since it sports a standard 300 horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 powerplant.
“As our flagship sedan, Maxima is an important contributor to the Nissan brand,” said Dan Mohnke, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing and Operations, Nissan Division U.S., Nissan North America, Inc. “Maxima is our longest running nameplate, having thrilled owners for four decades with style, performance and quality.”
In the 2018 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, Maxima was ranked number one in the Large Car segment and was the second highest ranked model among all vehicles in the study.
“Maxima checks all the boxes for sports sedan enthusiasts, and now, with the refreshed appearance, refined interior and enhanced safety and security technology, there are even more reasons that Maxima stands out from every other mid-size sedan on the market today,” Mohnke added.
(New Nissan Maxima debuting at L.A. Auto Show. Click Here for the story.)
The current design gets a refresh for 2019. Designed to look like it’s in motion, that feeling is heightened with update with a bigger front grille and a deeper V-motion flow that carries into the hood and down the body to the redesigned rear tail lamps and rear fascia. The aggressive look is enhanced with standard jewel-like LED headlights.
At the back of the Maxima a new rear fascia featured integrated quad-tip exhaust finishers and a new sport rear spoiler for the Maxima SR grade. It comes in five trim levels: S, SV, SL, the sporty SR and the top of the lineup Platinum.
New wheel designs have been developed for all five Maxima grade levels – capped off by the new 19-inch Hyper Silver Platinum Reserve Package wheels. In addition, a new premium exterior paint color, Sunset Drift, has been added to the Maxima color palette.
Moving inside, the new Maxima gets a slew of upgrades for 2019, starting with a new seat insert pattern and charcoal headliner and pillars for SR and Platinum Reserve Package grades. The Platinum Reserve Package features special Rakuda Tan semi-aniline leather appointments, similar to that available on the Nissan GT-R Premium Interior Package.
(Click Here for a review of the new 2019 Nissan Altima.)
The interior retains the Maxima’s “Gliding Wing” interior layout that emphasizes the horizontal movement and easy access to all controls but offers updated trim finishers and materials.
“There’s crafted precision to the Maxima interior that has been enhanced for the 2019 model year. For example, the Maxima SR features new orange accent stitching, ‘Dynamic Diamond’ quilting, orange-accented Alcantara appointments and Dark Satin chrome finishers,” said Mohnke.
Other interior enhancements include standard Rear Door Alert for all grade levels, revised SiriusXM Satellite Radio with Advanced Auto Features – you’ll need to pay for the subscription separately – and revised Nissan Door to Door Navigation system, which is standard on all grades except S.
Perhaps the biggest changes on the new 2019 Maxima are the ones you cannot see. The new model gets the available Nissan Safety Shield 360, a suite of six advanced active safety and driver-assist technologies including Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and Rear Automatic Braking. For the 2019, it comes standard on Maxima Platinum and as part of the SR Premium Package.
(Nissan betting big on sedan comeback? Could more be coming? Click Here for the exclusive report.)
In addition to Safety Shield 360, the 2019 Maxima also expands the availability of Intelligent Cruise Control, High Beam Assist and Traffic Sign Recognition. Maxima’s innovation Intelligent Driver Alertness is now standard on all grade levels.
