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CARY, NC – Large sedans have fallen off buyers’ shopping lists in recent years as midsize models become more roomy, while pushing the boundaries of performance well beyond that of the pillowy, geriatric set.
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. has pinned much of its brand identity in the U.S. on its Maxima, which arrived in front-wheel-drive form in 1985. In the 1990s, the vehicle epitomized the front-drive sport sedan and distanced itself from bread-and-butter 4-door family cars.
But the Maxima has been eclipsed in recent years by Nissan’s midsize Altima in sales, and, perhaps, stature.
Nissan sold 131,182 Maximas in the U.S. in 1999, Ward’s data shows. Last year, sales dropped to an alarming 52,574, down 24.6% from 2006’s tally.
The current 270-hp V-6 Altima has been lauded by reviewers as a solid competitor in the high-stakes midsize-sedan segment, with deliveries up 22.6% to 284,762 units last year.
Perhaps not intentionally, the Altima appears to be eating the Maxima’s lunch by stealing more than a few buyers looking for that unique sport-sedan experience.
Nissan set out to distinguish the ’09 Maxima from the Altima, giving the car a new identity. The auto maker sought to resurrect the 4-door sport coupe image that was lost with the 6th-generation Maxima, which was “a little soft,” concedes product planner Mark Perry at a media event here.
