lightonthehill

It now seems certain that the 8th gen Maxima will not be on display at the Chicago Auto Show. The only Nissan 'intro' scheduled for Chicago is the new (and rather impressive) Titan. The only Maxima listed on the Chicago schedule is the '2015' Maxima (which doesn't really exist), and the accompanying photo was of a 7th gen Maxima.

Neither is the 8th gen on the schedule for the Atlanta Auto Show the last week of March. HUGE disappointment for me. But just four days after the Atlanta Auto Show ends, the New York International Auto Show begins, and Nissan has told us for months that the 8th gen will officially be presented there.

So we will begin seeing lots of photos of the 8th gen Maxima during the day on April 1st.

Puppetmaster

iTrader: (48)

Interesting, thanks. I was at the DC Auto Show and was somewhat disappointed not to be able to see the Maxima, and just disappointed with the Nissan lineup in general. Personally, I think the styling all needs to be refreshed, and the Maxima seems to have started off on the right foot.

phattyaltnatl

That's too bad... Maxima, and Nissan in General has a HUGE presence in Chicago. I was really hoping it would be there.

I hope we can get some live, real world shots of the car sitting at a gas station or on the road, starting within a couple weeks...

NissanFreak2000

Was wishing the same thing! Really wanting to see it in other colors, mainly gunmetal gray, with different options, etc.

NCSUpilot

Off-topic, but I really like the 2015 Murano...much better looking IMO than all the other small SUV's out there. However, I think they're priced too high. They are priced about 10k higher than comparable SUVs. It's more in line with luxury small SUV's.

lightonthehill

And that is the reason my wife quickly struck the Murano off her list of prospects for her next vehicle. She was born a bean counter. All those years of counting beans has put her in position to purchase any vehicle she wants, but once a bean counter, always a bean counter.

The Xterra and Rogue are Nissan's 'not quite so expensive' SUVs. The Murano is actually 'Maxima quality', with most of the Maxima's features. In fact, the Owners Manual for my Maxima is also the Owners Manual for the Murano. Just different covers. And yes, I think the new Murano looks rather nice.

Puppetmaster

iTrader: (48)

Okay, I can agree with that. The 2015 Murano was definitely the best looking of the bunch, and I still like the Z and the timeless GTR. And even though it's old now, the Armada. I guess it was just everything else seemed dated and dull, esp the Altima and recently refreshed Pathfinder. Across the aisle was Infiniti and to me, those were all really impressive, interior and exterior.

And I did not know there was a Murano Crosscabrio... whaaaat is that?

CS_AR

+1 for the Murano look. I've always thought it has a classy look. I like the name. Though let's not forget about Burano and Torcello.

ChrisMan287

iTrader: (34)

Pretty sure it's going to be at the NY show.

CS_AR

Our tristate members should organize a meet for the show and post some pictures on the ORG. Hint hint hint. :-)

Sent from my Z998 using Maxima

CHIBLACKMAX09

I got pics of the new maxima somebody text me so u guys can post them cuz i dont know how,found them on facebook 872 237 2556...

CHIBLACKMAX09

CHIBLACKMAX09;9023430]I got pics of the new maxima somebody text me so u guys can post them cuz i dont know how,found them on facebook 872 237 2556... they're at ohare airport by the way

CS_AR

Light -

Would you be interested in helping the club organize a Nissan factory tour at some reasonable amount of time after the new Maxima goes into production?

I think it would be interesting to watch the new Maxima being made. It could be a great club meet also.

Will the new Maxima be made in Smyrna or Decherd?

Dudemaine

iTrader: (1)

Credit to CHIBLACKMAX09!! These are some exclusive pics here:

HOKUSMAX

SWEET double stitching on the console, liking the interior very high end looking

lightonthehill

Things are never that easy. I don't know if there is a way of having a group tour. Every time I toured the plant, I had to call ahead and get the tour times for the day I would be there and make a reservation. They confiscate all electronics at the door, then load the tourists up in small carts and give them the tour.

A good portion of the plant consists of robots assembling the basic frames and bodies in an area where lights are off, and all one sees is a large area with lots of welding arc lights flashing. Of course, the assembly line itself is in good lighting, and probably twenty percent of the vehicles coming down the line during the next few months will be 8th gen Maximas.

There have been 2016 Maximas coming down the assembly line for months, but in small numbers. Those camo-covered Maximas on the road for the last three or four months came down the assembly line. All Maximas are assembled in Smyrna, but every vehicle assembled in Smyrna comes down the same line.

No vehicles are assembled in Decherd, which is 64 miles southeast on I-26 - over half way to Chattanooga. Decherd is where Nissan makes most of its engines, including those in the Maxima.

By this time, there will be an area behind locked gates - to the northeast of the assembly plant, where 2016 Maximas are being stored until the official release date. With hundreds of Nissan dealers to serve, I would doubt Nissan would begin shipping 2016 Maximas until there were at least 500, possibly 1000, ready to ship.

The assembly plant is right on I-26, and there are several nice motels at the interstate intersections near Smyrna. The assembly plant lies on an area that was a military base druing WWII and afterwards for around twenty years. I used to visit relatives in Smyrna during the 1950s, and military aircraft would take off right over the bedroom in which I was trying to sleep.

In the past, I would make the long trek to Smyrna at generation time. I live in middle Georgia, so this is not a trivial trip for me, especially considering the weather this time of year, and the fact I somehow have to get around Atlanta, where there are at least one or two freeways closed for hours every day of the year for some reason or other - usually accidents or suicides jumping from bridges or bodies being thrown out of passing vehicles or pavement shifts causing large gaps or maintenance work or whatever.

But now, in my eighties, and considering the quality of photos we now get online, I probably won't take the time (usually at least three days round trip) to slog my way to Nissan Heaven. Yes, I will feel guilty, but I think I will leave this kind of safari to the young folks under age seventy-five from now on. I live near three Nissan dealers, with good friends at each of the three, and can easily go there and see the new Maximas.

But I do appreciate your thinking of me and asking.

In case there are still doubts, the 8th gen Maxima ABSOLUTELY WILL be introduced at the NY INT Auto Show April 1st.

MONTE 01&97 SE

iTrader: (1)

It was always planned to be NYC for weeks upon weeks now, those thinking Chi-town well umm. This full size car will be released past mid year "June' as I and one or two others said a while ago.......

lightonthehill

Of course MONTE is correct. Nissan said back in the fall that the official intro of the 8th gen would be at the NY INT Auto Show. And since last summer, while I have been thinking it would probably be a spring/May release to the dealers, June 21st at the latest, MONTE has been saying summer release, June at the earliest. It is beginning to look like MONTE may win that decision also. But I will still hold out a sliver of hope for May or early June.

Propa Teknique

I'm hoping as well that it would be May or early June. I can't hold my excitement!

FanaticMadMax

I am somewhat nervous about this car, I am liking it, but I hope it's better in person, otherwise I am afraid it gonna be a boat like the Toyota Avalon.

lightonthehill

The Avalon is a very nice vehicle. In fact, it may be the best car on the road for some folks. It is highly recommended by the AARP.

But rest assured that the 2016 Maxima will, among other things, accelerate faster than the Avalon, have a higher top speed than the Avalon, turn sharp curves faster and flatter than the Avalon, give the driver more excitement than the Avalon, and turn more heads than the Avalon. Not that the Avalon has ever been a head-turner.

I think a short spin in the 2016 Maxima will assuage your (understandable) doubt, FranticMadMax. I like your board name.

zoemayne

iTrader: (4)

no one noticed the sensors on the front bumper? must be for cruise control or some other new tech feature.

lightonthehill

Although not all features will be in every level of the 2016 Maxima, all modern safety features will be available. That includes automatic braking (if the driver is inattentive and the sensors determine that braking is immediately necessary in order to avoid the car in front). Adaptive cruise control (automatically adjusting to the speed of the car directly in front when necessary) will be available. Lane deviation alert will be available. Blind spot traffic alert for both sides of the car will be available. Side traffic sensors on the rear (will stop the Maxima from backing up if traffic coming from the side is detected) will be available. I am sure of those. I suspect that the 'view from above showing everything around the car' system will be available on top-of-the-line 2016 Maximas. My son even has that on his 2015 Accord 'Touring'.