DETROIT – Nissan hints at not only its next-generation Maxima large sedan but also the future look of all of its cars with the Sport Sedan concept unveiled today at the 2014 North American International Auto Show.
The concept “takes Nissan’s legendary approach of applying sports-car principles to a sedan to the next level,” Shiro Nakamura, Nissan vice president and chief creative officer, says in a statement.
The Sport Sedan, designed at Nissan Design America in San Diego and developed at the automaker’s Global Design Center in Atsugi, Japan, wears the brand’s new V-motion face, with a V-shaped thick chrome bar over the grille a prominent design feature.
Large LED boomerang headlights, a wide-sloped windshield and a deeply scooped front fascia are other features found on the front of the car.
Like a sports car, the Sport Sedan concept is low and wide, with minimal ground clearance.
Tires placed far in the corners, 21-in. aluminum-alloy wheels and numerous bodyside lines are prominent features.
A floating roof, earlier used on Nissan’s Resonance and Friend-ME concept cars, adds “lightness and sophistication,” the automaker says.
Rear pillars continue the V-theme and are detached visually from the Sport Sedan’s roof.
The car is painted in Strad Amber, achieved with an orange-amber topcoat covering gold base paint that mimics the finish of classic violins, Nissan says.
The interior has premium materials. A diamond-shaped pattern, inspired by modern furniture, is on quilted leather seats, in stitching and on panels that “enhance the sense of dynamic motion.”
High-contrast colors and metallic accents also can be found in the Sport Sedan’s interior.
The concept is powered by Nissan’s 3.5L V-6 VQ engine, making more than 300 hp and paired with a CVT.
Performance dampers and an “innovative suspension layout” not detailed in pre-show materials are beneath the Sport Sedan’s aggressive sheet metal.
The current Maxima went on sale in summer 2008. While sales rose 33.8% last year, total volume of 17,700 is relatively scant compared with the 71,205 midsize Altima sedans delivered in 2013 and the Maxima’s record volume of 131,182 sold in 1999, WardsAuto data shows.
