Nissan confirms Maxima SR, "enthusiast" model. 6-speed?

[NYPD-Arnold]

Well this is certainly exciting.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=126533

According to Mark Perry, Nissan North America's director of product planning, the goal is to clearly signal by the trim letters the car's minimal level of equipment.

"It used to be that GLE was our top-of-the-line trim, and that it always indicated leather as standard equipment," said Perry. "For whatever reason, we walked away from that convention and things have gotten confusing over the years. With the new designations we're attempting to go back to making it simple for consumers to determine what to expect with each trim level, especially when surfing the Web," Perry said. "It will also make things easier for our salespeople to present the cars and what they include."

Perry said the 2009 Maxima will be the first car to incorporate some pieces of the new trim designations, and that Nissan expects to roll out the new trim levels to the rest of its sedans by the end of the 2010 model year.

Perry also mentioned that SR has been reserved as an enthusiast trim, and SL will stand for luxury.

[04BlackMaxx]

It dosent say the SR will be anything beyond what an SE offers. Unless im reading this incorrectly.

[vladi77]

I could be reading the article wrong too. But I did not see that they are talking about the SR coming to the maxima. I would think it would be used on other models but you never know.

[NYPD-Arnold]

Are you guys not reading the last sentence?

[NYPD-Arnold]

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...nel..3.*&imw=Y

Edmunds also confirms it in their Maxima review:

There's talk of an enthusiast's SR model, but that won't come to pass for at least another year.

[maxger]

I hope they reserve the SL trim, for the Diesel version that is to be coming out in a year and give us a SR version for they Die Hard Enthusiats. (manual)

I know nissan does not make money on Maximas with manuals but to give it that tim level they can set their own special pricing.(SER altima) If you want a manual you may have to pay a little more. Some people will pay more, some won't, but the tranny issue will be solved.

[lightonthehill]

These press releases do not pin things down exactly and completely. But if we sort of read between the lines, and combine this with previous releases, it seems the '09 will have what is called the 'premium' package that equates to the 6th gen 'SL', a 'sports' package that equates to the 6th gen 'SE', and probably by the 2010 model year, an 'SR', which would almost have to have a manual to justify separation from the 'SE'. The 'SR' might even have the 3.7 and between 310 and 340 HP.

Should Nissan do this, I don't think they would have the least bit of trouble selling this car with a manual tranny, because the special markings clearly designating the 'SR' as a very special vehicle would draw the attention of every avid driver. This could get very interesting.

[rick sambora]

That press release does not say anything. I hope there is a SR model with the MT and more ponies, but I dont see a reason why Nissan should wait longer to release it knowing that there are so many cars coming out this year competing with the max. I dont think we will ever see a SR. Unless the diesel has MT and has >300hp and a much tougher suspension and is badged SR.
Nonetheless, the 09 maxima is a beautiful car and is capable of taking on any competition. The comparo with the g8 (posted elsewhere) was dumb on the part of thecar mag. Two vry different cars. A comparison with 09 acura tl(both being new models and both being FWD)wold be more appropriate. It would be interesting to see the design and the specs of the new tl.

[Prophecy99]

not too shabby

["Bran Da Man"]

Everybody's WRONG! If you go to nissannews.com, it clearly states that there will initially be 2 new model designations, the S and the SV. Here's the information and I quote...


"03.19.2008 , Nashville, Tenn.
All-New 2009 Nissan Maxima Recaptures Its Place as the True “4-Door Sports Car” Premium Performance Sedan

– Aggressive Styling, Refined Platform, More Powerful V6, Cockpit-like Interior and Enhanced Quality Highlight Changes to Seventh Generation of Nissan’s Flagship Sedan –
The 2009 Nissan Maxima, which makes its world debut at the 2008 New York International Auto Show, marks a return to the longtime Nissan flagship sedan’s roots as a commanding 4-door sports car – a vehicle that is unique in both appearance and driving feel, with renewed relevance for today’s active and ambitious sedan buyers. In other words, the Maxima is back.

The all-new 2009 Maxima will be offered as two well-equipped models, Maxima 3.5 S and Maxima 3.5 SV, and is scheduled to arrive at Nissan dealers nationwide in early summer 2008."

[syntax182]

Originally Posted by "Bran Da Man"

Everybody's WRONG! If you go to nissannews.com, it clearly states that there will initially be 2 new model designations, the S and the SV. Here's the information and I quote...


"03.19.2008 , Nashville, Tenn.
All-New 2009 Nissan Maxima Recaptures Its Place as the True “4-Door Sports Car” Premium Performance Sedan

– Aggressive Styling, Refined Platform, More Powerful V6, Cockpit-like Interior and Enhanced Quality Highlight Changes to Seventh Generation of Nissan’s Flagship Sedan –
The 2009 Nissan Maxima, which makes its world debut at the 2008 New York International Auto Show, marks a return to the longtime Nissan flagship sedan’s roots as a commanding 4-door sports car – a vehicle that is unique in both appearance and driving feel, with renewed relevance for today’s active and ambitious sedan buyers. In other words, the Maxima is back.

The all-new 2009 Maxima will be offered as two well-equipped models, Maxima 3.5 S and Maxima 3.5 SV, and is scheduled to arrive at Nissan dealers nationwide in early summer 2008."

look at the dates of when the article up top was posted, and the one that you posted. obviously they changed their minds. there will be an SR model as indicated on the article in the last sentence. whether it's a cvt or a manual is a different story though.

[sicivic89]

Well, I just got back from the Nashville 2009 Maxima trip. Nissan told us there was no manual coming for the Maxima. One guy really mentioned it alot, saying that we one a manual. They just continued to say no manual. They said less than 5% of Maxima's were manuals and they dropped the manual completely for the 07-08 model update.

Also, they said what the article mentioned. S is the base model and SV is the loaded model with options like premium package, tech package, and sport package. They said all of their cars are headed this way and their would no longer be a designed SE model. Just the sport package. So I don't think they plan to make a Maxima SR. Sorry guys.

[bb700092]

What would the Maxima SR have that one cannot have with the S or SV model and some combination of the available packages?

If we are expecting more hp/torque and six-speed A/T or M/T in the SR model, then why would anyone buy a Maxima SR over a G35/G37, especially since they will be in the exactly same price range and size?

[vladi77]

Hey everyone, I too would love for a SR model of the maxima to come out. I just do not see them putting in a MT maybe a few more HP, maybe more programming of the cvt, some facia and bumper changes. But in my opinion, the way I read this new information is that Nissan has already put the new letters designation on the Maxima. The SR will probably be saved for a sentra, or altima model. If I am not mistaken maxima is the lowers selling by volume car for nissan, I dont know if they would go and spend the resorces to produce an upgraded SR Maxima which would probably not result in much higher sales.

But thats just what I get from the reading, anything is possible and I would not mind seing an SR Maxima I am probably not buying the 1st years model so I will have some time to wait and see if there rumors are true.

[darrick04]

I drive an 05 Altima SE-R, and I would gladly trade up for an "SR Maxima" in 2010... I love my Altima by the way, but this new 7th gen is just stunning...

Btw, I live in Tennessee and the folks who assemble the Maxima (Smyrna, TN) are projected strong sales for the new model, even with gas prices on the rise... Either way, a dramatic improvement in the looks and interior department

[lightonthehill]

vladi77 - You are correct about the Maxima being a lower volume vehicle. The Altima is Nissan's 'vehicle for the masses', with just about every variation being available. The usual hope is to sell a quarter million Altimas, while Nissan plans to sell only around 70K of the more upscale Maxima sports-luxury sedan.

Of course they would like to sell more than that, and unless the economy continues this long and disturbing slide, just might. Despite the incessant naysayers on the ORG, the '09 Maxima is a very competent and stylish vehicle, and will catch the eyes of many buyers, just as darrick04 said.

About the 'SR' thingie: Nissan can have an 'SR' version of more than one vehicle at the same time. We could have an 'SR' version of Sentra, Altima and Maxima. It will be very interesting to see if and how Nissan handles an 'SR' version of the Maxima. That will tell us a lot about just how '4DSC' this 7th gen Maxima really is.

[Mr. Green]

The SR model rumor I have seen mentions that it will be released for the 2010 or 2011 model year not during the first year. Nissan is not going to confirm that this is coming otherwise it would possibly hurt sales of the 2009 Maxima. It is very important for the new model to launch with decent sales numbers, they don't want another sales disappointment like the Titan (or the last Infiniti Q).

Some in the rumormill have also tried putting 2 and 2 together and have declared that the announced 2010 Maxima diesel and that the Maxima SR performance variant are one and the same car. If you look at what some other vendors have done with the higher powered diesels in Europe this isn't to hard to believe. BMW, Mercedes and Audi have top-end performance diesel cars that can play with the best gas-powered cars. Considering the Nissan-Renault alliance engine and its stated performance goals it is likely that it will become the most powerful Maxima engine option.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/09...w-renault-v-6/

It only makes sense that Nissan would use this to their advantage when trying to market the new Max as a return of the 4DSC. The 2009 model smacks of too much compromise in a car that had an announced goal of benchmarking the Porsche GT3 for performance. Not to say that the 2009 is not a good car but, hopefully the 2010 (or 2011) is the car that can better live up to aforementioned claim.

Nissan raised the bar even higher, aiming to make the Maxima nothing less than "the best-performing front-drive car in the world."
That's a bold statement. And it gets bolder. Nissan's handling target, the car that company engineers compared with the Maxima during development laps around the Nurburgring Nordschleife: the Porsche GT3.
Motor Trend

[Mr. Blue Sky]

I wonder what extras will be on the SR model that won't be on the fully equipped model, other than a possible MT. The sportiest thing so far that I have heard was from a rep from nissan north america at stillen. He said the SV models will have extra "bracing"(what that means, I do not know) in the rear (that the S will not have) to tighten up the back for a sportier feel. If they keep the CVT tranny in the SR, they may add new algorithms that will make the pseudo shifting more aggressive(its got potential seeing as though it does sub 6 seconds in 0-60 tests), maybe a stiffened front and rear suspension?

[lightonthehill]

Mr. Blue Sky - The 'extra bracing in the back' has to do with changing the basic body structure.

In place of the normal wide open vertical portion of the body right behind the back seat that allows the back passenger side and central portion of the rear seats to be folded down, leaving a wide opening to the trunk, the 'extra bracing' version simply closes in much of that opening with a strong metal wall, leaving only a smaller center opening.

This clearly adds rigidity to the body, but reduces the trunk-to-rear seat passthru to a smaller opening that will handle things like skis and poles, but nothing bulky.

I see this as a tradeoff between functionality and practicality (wide opening) and extra rigidity for higher performance (narrow opening). To each his own.

[kencapel]

another hype up thread i knew it was coming. well weather it will come in 6spd or not, my next ride is gonna be a G regardless. the 7th gen is nice tho. my mom is considering buying one, i'll just give her tips and pointers when she gets hers.

[lightonthehill]

kencapel - Good choice. The G is an excellent car. If you have the extra money, don't mind the slightly less roomy interior, and dig the G styling, that is the way you should go. Whether we buy a Maxima or an Infiniti, Nissan makes money either way.

[bb700092]

Originally Posted by lightonthehill

kencapel - Good choice. The G is an excellent car. If you have the extra money, don't mind the slightly less roomy interior, and dig the G styling, that is the way you should go. Whether we buy a Maxima or an Infiniti, Nissan makes money either way.

Not sure which one has slightly less roomy interior now.

[lightonthehill]

The G has not only had less interior room because of less cubic feet of space; it has seemed cramped laterally in the front seat area for several years, and seemed cramped in the back seat area because of scant knee room. By contrast, virtually all car mag reviews of recent years always mention the generous space inside the Maxima, front and rear.

Based on the fact the '09 Maxima is even wider than previous Maximas, and the Maxima's front legroom has always been generous, I expect it will now seem even roomier in front. There is a loss of just over an inch in the '09 Maxima in back seat knee room. Since back seat knee room has been an area where the Maxima has had more than ample room, I don't expect the back knee room of the new Maxima to feel as cramped as the G's back seat has always been.

The area where the G may now equal the Maxima in room is front (on double-paneled roof models only) and rear (on all models) headroom. It will be interesting to see how tall drivers fit into the new Maxima.

Overall, I still see the '09 Maxima as feeling roomier than the G, except in headroom, which could be important for taller folks. We will soon know.

[bb700092]

Light, here are some numbers that will help us compare the G35 sedan's interior dimensions with that of the 09 Maxima. After going through them, let me know if you still decide that the G35 sedan has a less roomy interior than the 09 Maxima.


09 Maxima dimensions (source http://nissan.iconicweb.com/assets/s...ifications.pdf):

Overall Length 190.6 inches
Width 73.2 inches
Height 57.8 inches
Track Width (front/rear) 62.4 inches/62.4 inches
Passenger Volume 96.2 cubic feet
Front/Rear Head Room w/ moonroof 38.5 inches/36.4 inches
Front/Rear Hip Room 53.4 inches/53.9 inches
Front/Rear Leg Room 43.8 inches/34.6 inches


08 G35 sedan dimensions (source http://www.infiniti.com):

Overall Length 187.0 inches
Width 69.8 inches
Height 57.2 inches
Track Width (front/rear) 59.8 inches/60.2 inches
Passenger Volume w/o moonroof 99.0 cubic feet
Passenger Volume w/ moonroof 96.5 cubic feet
Front/Rear Head Room w/o moonroof 40.5 inches/37.7 inches
Front/Rear Head Room w/ moonroof 39.1 inches/37.2 inches
Front/Rear Hip Room 55.1 inches/53.7 inches
Front/Rear Leg Room 43.9 inches/34.7 inches

[DeusExMaxima]

Originally Posted by bb700092

Light, here are some numbers that will help us compare the G35 sedan's interior dimensions with that of the 09 Maxima. After going through them, let me know if you still decide that the G35 sedan has a less roomy interior than the 09 Maxima.


09 Maxima dimensions (source http://nissan.iconicweb.com/assets/s...ifications.pdf):

Overall Length 190.6 inches
Width 73.2 inches
Height 57.8 inches
Track Width (front/rear) 62.4 inches/62.4 inches
Passenger Volume 96.2 cubic feet
Front/Rear Head Room w/ moonroof 38.5 inches/36.4 inches
Front/Rear Hip Room 53.4 inches/53.9 inches
Front/Rear Leg Room 43.8 inches/34.6 inches


08 G35 sedan dimensions (source http://www.infiniti.com):

Overall Length 187.0 inches
Width 69.8 inches
Height 57.2 inches
Track Width (front/rear) 59.8 inches/60.2 inches
Passenger Volume w/o moonroof 99.0 cubic feet
Passenger Volume w/ moonroof 96.5 cubic feet
Front/Rear Head Room w/o moonroof 40.5 inches/37.7 inches
Front/Rear Head Room w/ moonroof 39.1 inches/37.2 inch