Skip to main content

Nissan’s 2016 Maxima looks slick, but is it really a ‘four-door sports car?’

It’s been over two decades since the Nissan Maxima could truly be described as a “four-door sports car,” but Nissan insists on continuing to use that flattering descriptor.

Unveiled at the 2016 New York Auto Show, the 2016 Maxima is a big, front-wheel drive sedan, which is far from sports car territory, regardless of Nissan’s PR rhetoric.

What the Maxima is is a stylish, aspirational model that can set the tone for the rest of Nissan’s somewhat uninspired mainstream models. Right now, that mission is much more important than keeping up the old four-door sports car myth anyway.

The styling is almost completely unchanged from last year’s Sport Sedan concept, and features the same front-end treatment and floating roofline as the new Murano.

The overall look appears a little busy in photos, but pulls together nicely in real life. The Maxima also rides remarkably low for a modern big sedan, adding to its visual appeal.

While the styling is radically different, the powertrain formula isn’t. Nissan is sticking to a setup similar to the previous car’s, with a 3.5-liter V6 driving the front wheels through a CVT automatic transmission.

The V6 produces 300 horsepower, 10 more than the outgoing model, and Nissan says it will get 30 mpg highway, an improvement of 15 percent.

While a fairly large, front-wheel drive chassis doesn’t seem like the ideal platform for a sporty car, Nissan claims the new Maxima lapped California’s Buttonwillow Raceway faster than the sports-sedan benchmark BMW 328i.

For 2016, Nissan is also adding an SR model with some extra performance tech, including a “Performance Chassis Damper” meant to quell vibrations generated by the model’s stiffer suspension, and an  Integrated Dynamic-control Module for adjusting different vehicle parameters.

All Maxima models come with a Drive Mode Selector with Normal and Sport modes, the latter with a system that pipes engine noise into the cabin.

On the inside, the Maxima features plenty of tech, including standard navigation with an 8.0-inch central display. There’s also a 7.0-inch display wedged between analog gauges in the instrument cluster.

Voice recognition, hands-free text messaging (Android only), and an 11-speaker Bose audio system are also available.

There are also several notable safety features, headlined by a Driver Attention Alert system that analyzes steering inputs to determine if the driver is zoned out, and uses audio and visual warnings to rouse him or her.

In addition, the Maxima is available with adaptive cruise control, automatic braking, forward-collision warning, and blind-spot monitoring systems.

The 2016 Nissan Maxima goes on sale in June, with pricing starting at $32,410.

At that price, the Maxima looks like a very nice car, but not a four-door sports car.

So Nissan, if you don’t say anything, neither will we.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Nissan launches charging network, gives Ariya access to Tesla SuperChargers
nissan charging ariya superchargers at station

Nissan just launched a charging network that gives owners of its EVs access to 90,000 charging stations on the Electrify America, Shell Recharge, ChargePoint and EVgo networks, all via the MyNissan app.It doesn’t stop there: Later this year, Nissan Ariya vehicles will be getting a North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapter, also known as the Tesla plug. And in 2025, Nissan will be offering electric vehicles (EVs) with a NACS port, giving access to Tesla’s SuperCharger network in the U.S. and Canada.Starting in November, Nissan EV drivers can use their MyNissan app to find charging stations, see charger availability in real time, and pay for charging with a payment method set up in the app.The Nissan Leaf, however, won’t have access to the functionality since the EV’s charging connector is not compatible. Leaf owners can still find charging stations through the NissanConnectEV and Services app.Meanwhile, the Nissan Ariya, and most EVs sold in the U.S., have a Combined Charging System Combo 1 (CCS1) port, which allows access to the Tesla SuperCharger network via an adapter.Nissan is joining the ever-growing list of automakers to adopt NACS. With adapters, EVs made by General Motors, Ford, Rivian, Honda and Volvo can already access the SuperCharger network. Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen, and Jaguar have also signed agreements to allow access in 2025.
Nissan has not revealed whether the adapter for the Ariya will be free or come at a cost. Some companies, such as Ford, Rivian and Kia, have provided adapters for free.
With its new Nissan Energy Charge Network and access to NACS, Nissan is pretty much covering all the bases for its EV drivers in need of charging up. ChargePoint has the largest EV charging network in the U.S., with over 38,500 stations and 70,000 charging ports at the end of July. Tesla's charging network is the second largest, though not all of its charging stations are part of the SuperCharger network.

Read more
Rivian gets Knight Rider spooky for Halloween
Michael Knight sitting on the hood of his car KITT in a scene from Knight Rider.

Rivian vehicles are known for giving drivers the chance to take the party on the road, whether it’s stowing a travel kitchen onboard or using its elaborate software systems to spice things up.With Halloween just around the corner, the automaker based in Plymouth, Michigan, is pulling out some treats from its bag of tricks: Rivian owners are getting a number of options to turn their vehicles into traditional spooky or full-on sci-fi entertainment hubs.A software update available on the Rivian Mobile App until November 4 provides Car Costumes, which take over the vehicle’s screen, lighting, and sound systems while in park to transform it into three different cars.Nostalgic fans of the Knight Rider TV series will be pleased with the option to turn their Rivians into the famous K.I.T.T. crime-fighting car. After choosing the option on the app, the car’s interior display system features K.I.T.T.’s diagnostics on screen while playing the original show intro music. Here's an extra treat for Rivian Gen 2 owners: The exterior light bar will feature K.I.T.T.’s iconic beaming red light while playing its scanner sound effect.No-less nostalgic fans of Back to the Future movies will also get their treat with a chance to turn their vehicle into the DeLorean Time Machine. With this option, the screen turns into the classic time-traveling interface while the audio system plays the movie’s music and acceleration sound effects. Once again, Rivian Gen 2 owners get an extra treat. Hitting the key 88 mph button will engage the car’s lighting and sound effects in the front and back of the car to whizz you through the sound barrier.For a more traditional spooky time, you can opt for the Haunted Rivian car costume, featuring eight different sound effects and three different color themes. Static and ghosts will take over your interior display.Rivian Gen 1 owners get a green animation on the outside of the vehicle. Gen 2 owners can turn the exterior light bar into whichever color option they find most frightful.

Read more
The Nissan Rogue is joining the plug-in hybrid club in 2025
nissan rogue hybrid 2025 2024

It might have taken a while, and slumping sales of its most popular SUV, but Nissan has finally taken the step to offer hybrid vehicles in the U.S. The Japanese automaker will add a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain to the 2026 Rogue compact SUV, which should be available stateside sometime next year, Nissan Americas chief planning officer Ponz Pandikuthira told Automotive News.A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) typically runs on electric power until its battery is almost depleted, at which point it automatically switches over to using a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine. The battery can be recharged conventionally from the outside or through regenerative braking.
While Nissan has been offering popular fully electric vehicles (EVs) such as the Leaf and the Ariya for years, it has surprised many by not joining the hybrid bandwagon, especially for the Rogue. Competitors such as the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V, which do provide the part-fuel, part-electric power capacity, have seen their sales surging. Meanwhile, sales of the Rogue have slumped this year.
That’s why Nissan is partnering with Mitsubishi to start offering its first-ever electrically assisted car in the U.S. next year.
According to the Automotive News report, the Rogue will be outfitted with a similar powertrain found in the Mitsubishi Outlander. In that model, a 2.4-liter gas engine powers the front wheels, while two electric motors create an all-wheel drive system that can either work on its own or in conjunction with the gas engine. As the Outlander is able to deliver 248 horsepower, that would make the Rogue PHEV more powerful than the existing model’s 201 hp. The Outlander is also rated for 38 miles of electric driving by the EPA.
In addition, Nissan is planning to bring its non-plug-in, e-Power series hybrid technology to the U.S. in 2026. This technology, already available outside the U.S., also uses electric motors to power the wheels while using the gas engine to charge the battery.

Read more