2009 Nissan Maxima

The all-new 2009 Nissan Maxima marks a return to the longtime Nissan flagship sedan's roots as a commanding sports car -- a vehicle that is unique in both appearance and driving feel, with renewed relevance for today's active and ambitious sedan buyers.

The Maxima is offered as two well-equipped models, 3.5 S and 3.5 SV. The exterior design theme for the new Maxima is "Liquid Motion" -- focusing on the flow of its powerful and beautiful surfaces.

The look starts with Maxima's aggressive stance and powerful fender volume, which is not unlike many exotic sports cars on the market today. This deeply sculpted body/fender treatment is seldom used for mass market vehicles because of the engineering and manufacturing complexity required to physically accomplish it. Maxima's new stance is created by a slight reduction in wheelbase and overall length, along with a wider front and rear track.

The new Maxima offers more horsepower and torque, providing quicker acceleration response and a special "Maxima Sound" -- a satisfying, sporty sounding exhaust note. For 2009, Maxima features a standard 3.5-liter VQ-series V6 engine, enhanced and refined to take its driving performance to new levels.

The 2009 Maxima's 3.5-liter V6 is now rated at 290 horsepower and 261 lb-ft of torque.