2008 New York Auto Show: Nissan Aims for "Exotic" With Redesigned 2009 Maxima

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NEW YORK CITY — Nissan says it tried to take a walk on the wild side with its redesigned 2009 Maxima flagship sedan, which was formally unveiled here Wednesday at the 2008 New York Auto Show. It says the car's "aggressive stance and powerful fender design" is "not unlike many exotic sports cars on the market today."

The new Maxima will be launched in early summer. Pricing will be announced closer to the launch date.

Nissan's makeover, which fell short of extreme, included shifting the Maxima's proportions. The Maxima shrinks in wheelbase and overall length but now gets a wider front and rear track. The most eye-popping details include wraparound L-shaped headlights with "turbine" light surrounds, a wide grille, a "catamaran style" hood and new LED L-shaped "stepped" taillights.

The more upscale cabin gets a special driver's sport seat, an offset shift lever located closer to the driver and a new leather-wrapped steering wheel with illuminated steering wheel switches.

Nissan said the Maxima will have a revised standard 3.5-liter DOHC VQ-Series V6 engine, which gets an estimated 35 more horses and 9 more pound-feet of torque over the 2008 Maxima engine. All Maximas are equipped with a revised standard Xtronic CVT with manual mode and optional paddle shifters. A new "DS mode" for "drive sport" is added to the CVT for 2009.

Nissan said the '09 Maxima will be available in two models, Maxima 3.5 S and Maxima 3.5 SV.

What this means to you: No major changes to the guts of the Maxima; the redesign focuses on updating the flagship sedan's looks. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent