U.S. will probably only get auto-trans Nissan Maxima diesel

The half dozen or so Americans who actually got really excited the other day about the prospect of Nissan selling its new Maxima diesel only with a manual transmission can go back to their routines. The rest of you who abhor the thought of manipulating a third pedal can now go back and re-consider the new compression ignition option. One of the crew from Motive met up with a Nissan engineer at a Maxima media drive and posed the question of transmission choice. It looks like U.S. drivers who opt for diesel will actually be saddled with an automatic regardless of their preference. While a manual is under consideration for the U.S. market, it's very unlikely to happen. With upwards of 95 percent of U.S. drivers opting for self shifting gearboxes, a manual probably wouldn't sell enough units here to justify the cost of certification.

[Source: Motive, thanks to Stu for the tip!]