Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Gluteus Maxima: Nissan's new flagship is a seat-of-the-pants performer wrapped in luxury sheetmetal - Product
To paraphrase Mark Twain, the report of the Nissan Maxima's death has been greatly exaggerated. Maxima owners will be glad to hear that the sixth generation of Nissan's flagship carries on the tradition that has made it one of the company's best selling vehicles -- roomy interior, comfortable ride and plenty of power. But for 2004, Maxima is being pushed upscale to better fit into Nissan's overall sedan plan. The entry-level GXE has been dropped leaving just two trim levels, the luxury-equipped SL and the sports-equipped SE.
"We're striving for a very logical grade and price walk between the 4-cyl. Altima, the 6-cyl. Altima and the Maxima," says Jed Connelly, senior vice president, sales and marketing for Nissan North America.
Maxima offers all the amenities you'd expect from a car in the mid-size luxury segment. Inside, there are eight-way adjustable heated power seats, a one-touch driver memory system that will customize settings for the power-telescoping steering wheel, seat and exterior mirrors, and an optional DVD-based navigation system. The Z-influenced interior features a hoodless gauge cluster with special anti-reflective coatings to focus the light on the driver and keep it from reflecting off the windshield. Designers also created the illusion of a floating dash by running the tops of the door panels around under the windshield, hanging the dash about two inches below windshield level.
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For the electronic gizmo crowd, there is a 12-volt power point conveniently located in the passenger side foot-well (for those things that stick to the windshield, Nissan tells us) and another can be found in the bottom of the center console. A third power point is available with the four-passenger Elite package. The Elite package is one of a few unique options that Nissan hopes will set the car apart from the competition. While the standard five-passenger sedan comes with the usual 60-40 split rear bench seat, Nissan offers optional four-passenger seating designed for those who a looking for a true four-seat sports car. Heated rear buckets sit on either side of a large fixed center console with cup holders, storage compartment and that third 12-volt power point. To keep unwanted sunlight out, a power rear-window sun shade can be controlled from the back or the front. Nissan says it conservatively estimates that 10 percent of Maxima customers will opt for the Elite package.
Another unique feature is designed to let the sun shine in. Maxima comes standard with a Skyview roof, a glass panel that runs lengthwise over the front and rear seats. The glass installs from the top and sits flush with the roofline. Nissan says that Skyview doesn't have the drawbacks of a traditional sunroof like decreased headroom and wind noise. A traditional sunroof is optional. Safety is always a consideration and Maxima comes through with standard active head restraints, side air bags and side curtain air bags for both front and rear occupants.
Maxima's aluminum 3.5L 24-valve V-6 puts out 265 hp at 5,800 rpm and 255 lbs. ft. of torque at 4,400 rpm. That's a 20 hp improvement over the Altima's V-6 thanks to a new intake and free-flowing dual exhaust system that boasts a 45 liter muffler volume. The engine bolts to the chassis with electronically-controlled engine mounts. The fluid-filled mounts are tied into the engine control module and, depending on engine rpm, can adjust the density of the liquid and dampening under certain conditions.
The 3.5 SL comes standard with a 4-speed automatic transmission. The 3.5 SE comes standard with a 5-speed automatic and offers an optional 6-speed manual.
At first glance, the Japanese-designed Maxima bears a strong resemblance to the Altima, though they share no exterior body panels. Upon closer examination you notice Maxima's taller roof line, distinctive grille, and front and rear fascias. The C-pillar design is borrowed from the Z, adding to the sporty-look. The standard car has a drag coefficient of .3 (an optional rear spoiler lowers that to .28).
High and low beam Xenon headlamps are standard on the SL and optional on the SE. Both get fascia-mounted fog lamps and cornering lamps.
The cavernous trunk has side storage nets, designed to hold things like windshield washer fluid, as well as a rear net. And designers have attached the deck lid with non-obtrusive piston-style hinges.
The 2004 Maxima is the fourth vehicle to come off of Nissan's FF-L (front-wheel-drive, front-engine - long) platform, shared with the Altima, Murano and new Quest minivan.
Maxima shares underpinnings and four-wheel independent suspension with Altima, though Maxima is lengthened by about 1-inch (10 mm) at the center of the vehicle. The suspension is upgraded with new bushings, springs and shocks and the tuning is refined for better ride and handling. Maxima also gets an upgraded steering rack to refine steering feel. Nissan says that Maxima is the only front-drive sedan to offer a (Helico) limited slip differential
"We're striving for a very logical grade and price walk between the 4-cyl. Altima, the 6-cyl. Altima and the Maxima," says Jed Connelly, senior vice president, sales and marketing for Nissan North America.
Maxima offers all the amenities you'd expect from a car in the mid-size luxury segment. Inside, there are eight-way adjustable heated power seats, a one-touch driver memory system that will customize settings for the power-telescoping steering wheel, seat and exterior mirrors, and an optional DVD-based navigation system. The Z-influenced interior features a hoodless gauge cluster with special anti-reflective coatings to focus the light on the driver and keep it from reflecting off the windshield. Designers also created the illusion of a floating dash by running the tops of the door panels around under the windshield, hanging the dash about two inches below windshield level.
Advertisement
For the electronic gizmo crowd, there is a 12-volt power point conveniently located in the passenger side foot-well (for those things that stick to the windshield, Nissan tells us) and another can be found in the bottom of the center console. A third power point is available with the four-passenger Elite package. The Elite package is one of a few unique options that Nissan hopes will set the car apart from the competition. While the standard five-passenger sedan comes with the usual 60-40 split rear bench seat, Nissan offers optional four-passenger seating designed for those who a looking for a true four-seat sports car. Heated rear buckets sit on either side of a large fixed center console with cup holders, storage compartment and that third 12-volt power point. To keep unwanted sunlight out, a power rear-window sun shade can be controlled from the back or the front. Nissan says it conservatively estimates that 10 percent of Maxima customers will opt for the Elite package.
Another unique feature is designed to let the sun shine in. Maxima comes standard with a Skyview roof, a glass panel that runs lengthwise over the front and rear seats. The glass installs from the top and sits flush with the roofline. Nissan says that Skyview doesn't have the drawbacks of a traditional sunroof like decreased headroom and wind noise. A traditional sunroof is optional. Safety is always a consideration and Maxima comes through with standard active head restraints, side air bags and side curtain air bags for both front and rear occupants.
Maxima's aluminum 3.5L 24-valve V-6 puts out 265 hp at 5,800 rpm and 255 lbs. ft. of torque at 4,400 rpm. That's a 20 hp improvement over the Altima's V-6 thanks to a new intake and free-flowing dual exhaust system that boasts a 45 liter muffler volume. The engine bolts to the chassis with electronically-controlled engine mounts. The fluid-filled mounts are tied into the engine control module and, depending on engine rpm, can adjust the density of the liquid and dampening under certain conditions.
The 3.5 SL comes standard with a 4-speed automatic transmission. The 3.5 SE comes standard with a 5-speed automatic and offers an optional 6-speed manual.
At first glance, the Japanese-designed Maxima bears a strong resemblance to the Altima, though they share no exterior body panels. Upon closer examination you notice Maxima's taller roof line, distinctive grille, and front and rear fascias. The C-pillar design is borrowed from the Z, adding to the sporty-look. The standard car has a drag coefficient of .3 (an optional rear spoiler lowers that to .28).
High and low beam Xenon headlamps are standard on the SL and optional on the SE. Both get fascia-mounted fog lamps and cornering lamps.
The cavernous trunk has side storage nets, designed to hold things like windshield washer fluid, as well as a rear net. And designers have attached the deck lid with non-obtrusive piston-style hinges.
The 2004 Maxima is the fourth vehicle to come off of Nissan's FF-L (front-wheel-drive, front-engine - long) platform, shared with the Altima, Murano and new Quest minivan.
Maxima shares underpinnings and four-wheel independent suspension with Altima, though Maxima is lengthened by about 1-inch (10 mm) at the center of the vehicle. The suspension is upgraded with new bushings, springs and shocks and the tuning is refined for better ride and handling. Maxima also gets an upgraded steering rack to refine steering feel. Nissan says that Maxima is the only front-drive sedan to offer a (Helico) limited slip differential
# posted by Medical Information : 4:15 AM
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