MORE FROM THE MAXIMA
2017 version gets deceptive
It took eight generations and 35 years to get to the point where Nissan can make the claim its flagship Maxima four-door is “a sports car in sedan clothing” without some sort of response bordering on incredulity. The slow transition from the painfully square, mild-mannered Datsun 810 to the robust and curvaceous 2016 Maxima has been agonizing at times, an impatient wondering when the company would build a mid-size car that had as much performance as function — some European sport sedan-style zip.
Now that I’ve finally got around to driving one — a 2017 model in top-of-the-line Platinum trim — any thoughts of admonishing Nissan for its tardiness are banished. This version is not just sporty, it’s deceptive. It has performance and handling to go with a smooth ride, plus luxury touches and premium content that exceeds reasonable expectations of the Platinum’s $44,200 price tag.
But it’s the awakened performance that first grabs one’s attention. And it’s not as though Nissan went radical with the car; under the hood is the familiar 3.5-litre VQ-series V6, only thoroughly reworked (60 per cent new parts compared with the previous engine). It now pushes out 300 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque. In truth, the engine feels stronger; the car shows distinct verve off the line.
Though I’d much prefer an automatic with a specified number of gears, there’s little complaint regarding the Maxima’s Xtronic continuously variable transmission, which seems well matched to the V6’s torque and comes with both Normal and Sport modes. Its wide gear ratio range allows for strong acceleration from a standing start, and Nissan says credit goes to the D-Step shifting logic for both the rapid shifts at full throttle and for holding the engine’s speed when hooning around corners, which allows for smooth acceleration when exiting said corners.
In Sport, zero to 100 km/h is reportedly less than six seconds, which is strong for a front-drive family car. The drive mode selector not only adjusts throttle response and transmission tuning, but also steering feel and “active sound enhancement” tuning. The exhaust note has some musicality to it, but the engine is a bit coarse when under the hammer.
The other benefit to this reengineering effort is a claimed 15 per cent increase in highway fuel economy, to 7.8 L/100 km over the previous-generation Maxima; city fuel economy is rated at 11.1 L/100 km. I put 700 km on the car, the bulk of it highway cruising, and averaged 9.9 L/100 km.
While the sedan wouldn’t be my first choice for racetrack laps, Nissan engineers clearly spent some time working under the car to imbue it with a decent measure of on-road handling.
Up front is the usual strut/ coil spring design, but ZF Sachs monotube dampers are added to the rear end’s independent multilink double wishbone setup. Thick stabilizer bars are found at both ends. Shapely and more distinct than many of its rival sedans, the Maxima’s styling doesn’t completely blow me away, looking over-designed with its aggressive character lines, deeply scalloped doors and “floating roof.” Yet I like the boldness of Nissan’s signature V-motion grille and boomerang-style lights.
Still, Nissan’s 3.5-L V-6-powered Altima, which shares the same platform and pretty much all the mechanicals as the Maxima (with 30 less horsepower), is a more cohesive design.
The Altima is also roomier, at least for back-seat passengers. While there’s tons of room up front for the tall and leggy in the Maxima, if those in the back are equally so, they’re going to find their knees jammed into the front seatback and their heads brushing the headliner.
That said, the actual cabin is well laid out and full of nice touches, starting with Nissan’s ohso-comfy Zero Gravity front seats, properly bolstered, power adjustable, heated, ventilated and very coddling of one’s posterior. Complementing the seats is a heated leather steering wheel. The centre stack is angled toward the driver, making it easier to glance at and putting primary controls within effortless reach. The touch screen display is large, with good graphics and easy fingertip control.
Key connectivity features include Nissan-Connect with navigation, featuring Apple CarPlay, two front-illuminated USB connection ports for iPod interface and other compatible devices, voice recognition for navigation and audio, SiriusXM Traffic and SiriusXM Travel Link.
Though sales of full-size sedans are a fraction of what they used to be, the Maxima at least adds some spark to the segment, its inherent sportiness giving it a leg up on some of its more conservative rivals, primarily the Toyota Avalon.
Like the Avalon, though, the Nissan’s weakest link is a lack of choice of engine and drivetrain: there’s a 3.5-L V6 with frontwheel drive, and that’s it. If you can wrap your head around that, the Maxima will reward your bolder choice of transportation.