Autoblog

Click above to view the Renault Safrane in high resolution

The Persian Gulf is fast becoming a demanding market for luxury automobiles. So demanding, in fact, that some automakers have begun creating special models just for consumption there. Just days ago we brought you news that Rolls-Royce, having already shipped a golden Drophead Coupe for one special customer, was launching a limited edition Phantom saloon called the Peony edition.

This, however, is not a special Rolls-Royce. We won't list all the ways in which it isn't a Roller, but will save your time and ours by listing instead what it shares in common. It's a luxury sedan, and it's made specially to be engulfed by the Gulf market. That's about it. The Safrane nameplate was previously used for Renault's lackluster flagship sedan, replaced by the reviled Vel Satis in 2000. So what is this exactly that has revived the name? A rebadged Samsung SM5, essentially. That vehicle is produced in an 80.1% Renault-owned joint venture in South Korea. If you're noticing some similarities with our own Nissan Maxima, you've got a keen eye, as it shares its platform with the last-gen Maxima as well as the Nissan Teana (itself available only in the Asian market).

Unless you live in Dubai, you probably won't be seeing one of these any time soon, but you can check it out in the gallery below.

[Source: Renault via CarScoop]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Nissan Maxima.

You can now walk down to your local Nissan retailer and plop your backside in the 2009 Maxima that breathes new life into the old Four Door Sports Car legend of the second-generation Maxima. Like the revised Murano, the tweaked Maxima offers more than just new lights. Standard equipment is up, as is horsepower. A standard Maxima 3.5S offers more goodies for $29,290; an '08 equipped the same way would cost nearly $30,000, while the most important metric is the 290 horsepower the fabulous VQ V6 now thumps out. Stepping up a trim level to the 3.5 SV will have you shelling out $31,990, and you can doll it up with sportier suspension tune with 19" rims, super-comfy premium seats, a big 'ol two panel moonroof, and a back up monitor, just to name a few goodies.
A new interior design improves upon what the '08 carried, which wasn't bad to begin with, unlike some previous Nissans. If any vehicle can live up to the 4DSC stickers, it's the latest iteration of the Maxima, the car that originated the phrase; to properly carry the moniker, it must. You can view the full press release after the jump and check out our First Drive of the 2009 Nissan Maxima before making the trek to the dealer.

Gallery: 2009 Nissan Maxima - up close

[Source: Nissan]

Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2009 Nissan Maxima

The latest Nissan out of the gate - the sixth model to wear the "Maxima" designation - gets a significant redesign for 2009. Launched in 1985, the first Maxima was a praised departure from its predecessor, the rear-wheel-drive Datsun 810. Reconfigured as front-wheel-drive, the newly-named sedan foreshadowed the arrival of Nissan's "4-Door Sports Car" or "4DSC", a name aptly-coined for the 1989 model. While each subsequent generation seemed to soften (much to the lament of enthusiasts), the automaker claims this ground-up remake once-again earns the 4DSC moniker. Follow the jump to see if Nissan succeeded.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Michael Harley / Weblogs, Inc.

Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2009 Nissan Maxima

You know how it goes with the rumormill. Sometimes it tends to be spot-on in its predictions; sometimes... not so much. Such is the case with recent reports that the upcoming clean diesel engine in the Nissan Maxima would be equipped with a manual transmission only. As we reported at the time, a move like that would surely limit the new diesel's appeal to the stick-averse American buying population, and therefore hurt sales. Fear not, slushbox fans, Motive has confirmation from an engineer at Nissan that the Maxima, even in diesel form, will in fact be offered with an automatic transmission as standard. Moreover, it's the shift-it-yourself gearbox that now seems a bit unlikely. As much as we enjoy the thought of rowing our own gears with tons of diesel-supplied torque on hand, delivering the Maxima with an automatic is surely the right choice to make.


[Source: Motive]

Along with the 2009 Nissan Maxima's new styling comes new trim level designations. Apparently Nissan's classical conventions have been muddled over the years, so buyers get confused about what the GLE or SL stuck onto the trunklid means. Does it have a CVT? Leather? At least the V6 is easily discerned by the 3.5 badging. The new flavor of alphabet soup goes like this: Base is S, fitted with common options will be the SV, luxury is SL, and people who like to drive will want to keep an eye out for the SR combo; we wonder if the R will be red.

[Source: Inside Line]

When Nissan chose to begin development on the next Maxima, it originally set out to go the safe route of catering towards mass appeal, an effective plan frequently proven successful by Toyota. However, when Nissan brought on former R34 Skyline GT-R product planner, Hiroshi Tamura, to the Maxima team, he gave the company an ultimatum. He believed the company should set the Maxima apart from others in its class by offering an affordable sports sedan with unique styling. The idea meant stepping out of a comfort zone, aiming for core customers left out by other manufacturers' sedans and attempting to create a design that would stand out in a crowd. The final result was unveiled at the 2008 New York Auto Show. Tamura's influence can be seen in the wide fender flares, steering wheel paddle shifters and front grill. As Autoblog comments also suggested, its design evoked great debate on aesthetic acceptance.

The crowd reaction was all fine and dandy with Hiroshi Tamura. His pride and joy, the R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R, was not a visual pleasure for everyone when it was released. It garnered many a harsh criticism, but that did not hold back its popularity. After all, Tamura is an automotive enthusiast through and through. He holds function over fashion. As a product planner he has strived to put a piece of that passion into all of his projects. While the 2009 Nissan Maxima might not win a beauty contest, it was never meant to – it was meant to perform. Check out the gallery below to see Hiroshi Tamura give us an introduction to Nissan's new sedan. Also take a peak at previous Maxima galleries after the jump.

Click above for more high-res pics of the 2009 Nissan Maxima

Ever since Nissan took the Altima upmarket in both size and prize, the Maxima has suffered from an identity crisis. In the Nissan/Infiniti lineup, this premium front-wheel-drive sports sedan suffered a middle-child syndrome while slotted between the less-expensive yet still capable Altima and the more aspirational rear-wheel-drive Infiniti G35 sports sedan. Nissan hopes to give the Maxima a new voice in its crowded lineup of large sedans with the new 2009 model that comes in your choice of a 3.5 S or 3.5 SV trim. Clearly, it packs a visual punch.

The new design is something Nissan calls "Liquid Motion". It's dynamic, for sure, with peaks and valleys among flowing lines and sharp creases that combine to form a muscular shape. See a little of the last-gen Nissan Skyline GT-R in that grille? We do, and that's not a bad thing, though the new wraparound L-shaped headlamps may not go over well with everyone. Despite the large front and rear overhangs, Nissan actually shrunk the Maxima's length and wheelbase while widening its track. Call the design what you want, but it's not derivative and the expressive flanks make it truly look like a four-door sports car.

Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2009 Nissan Maxima

Forums are fast becoming the bane of automakers that've spent a lot of time, energy and money coordinating a new car's debut. Nissan was hoping to debut the all-new 2009 Maxima tomorrow during the New York Auto Show, but forum Supernissans.net has burst this carmaker's bubble a bit early. Six pics of the new 2009 Nissan Maxima were posted on this forum, which we've included in the gallery below, and more have begun showing up on other sites around the web. We'll have details on the car, as well as more live shots and high-res official photos, tomorrow morning when the new Maxima rolls out on stage in the Big Apple. Until then, we're sure you're eager to check out the pics and discuss this polarizing design in the comments.


[Source: Supernissans.net, World Car Fans, Motor Authority]

Nissan will unveil the completely redesigned 2009 Maxima next week at the 2008 New York Auto Show, but wants to whet our appetites with some teaser shots before the big reveal. Unlike most teaser shots, we can actually glean a few details from these. The shot of the headlight, for instance, shows a new shape for the Maxima's "eyes". It appears the sheetmetal from the fender overlaps the headlights in a way that has part of the turn signal jutting out on its own. It kind of looks like the 370Z rendering that appeared in a Japanese mag we showed you a few days ago. Also note the "4DSC" sticker on the rear passenger window, which harkens back to the day when Nissan referred to the Maxima as a "4-Door Sports Car". From what little the teasers tell us, history may repeat itself next week.


[Source: Nissan]

Looks like the Germans won't be the only automakers bringing more diesels to the States over the next few years. CEO Carlos Ghosn said Nissan will dip into their European offerings and bring a clean diesel vehicle to the United States by 2010. The vehicle he was referring to is the Maxima, which has gradually become a near-luxury platform-mate of the Altima, much like the Avalon is to the Camry. Maybe this helps move it even closer towards the BMW, Mercedes and Audi offerings. Ghosn mentioned the clean diesel Maxima while addressing the Council on Foreign Relations. To go along with their first-ever clean diesel in the States, Ghosn said Nissan will also introduce other clean diesel vehicles in Japan and China. Europe already gets Nissans with this clean diesel technology. So, with Mitsubishi, Honda and now Nissan announcing they are developing diesels for the North American market, we can officially say that diesels are the new black hybrid. With low-sulfur diesel fuel now available and fuel prices continuing to stay at such high levels, diesels indeed seem to make a lot of sense for economy-minded individuals.

[Source: Nissan]