Up, Up and Away for Maxima

Nissan designers drew inspiration from fighter jets in styling the Maxima. They even spent quality time with the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels.

But they knew enough not to overwhelm the flagship sedan’s cockpit with a bunch of dials, gauges and displays. And not a bomb-deployment button is in sight.

Plane cockpits are starkly utilitarian looking. Maxima stylists didn’t go there. Instead they laid on the luxury.

The automaker sought to make the Maxima interior a special place where the beauty of form meets the technology of function. Mission accomplished. That’s why the Maxima lands on the 2016 Wards 10 Best Interiors list.

In some respects, less is more in the Maxima. Nissan reduced the number of switches and buttons from 25 in the previous model to 10. That cuts down on clutter, but not by sacrificing connectivity and infotainment capability.

“You’ve got to ask yourself, ‘Why am I putting this in a vehicle, and what are consumers getting out of it?’” aerospace consultant Matt Jackson tells WardsAuto, referring to the temptation of some automakers to overload interiors.

Maxima stylists seemingly asked themselves that and came up with the right answer.  

“Nissan has it sorted out with this layout,” WardsAuto editor Bob Gritzinger says.

Wards 10 Best Interior judges also were impressed by the level of opulence in a mainstream car (although one closing in on a $40,000 MSRP).

“Really impressive,” says editor Drew Winter. “Quilted suede-like upholstery, beautiful IP cover and stitching and a unique (diamond-pattern) aluminum trim. A home run in color, craftsmanship and materials.”

Editor Christie Schweinsberg says: “Really top-notch.”

Top gun, too.

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