Candidly, the Maxima has been a bit boring over the past few years. My first car was a 1989 Maxima which was sporty, fun to drive, and a tearjerker to finally have to give up. None of the Maxima’s since then have even come close to getting that type of reaction from me as the brand turned to family-friendly “safe” design to sell the vehicles.

These times, they are a changin’.

With the debut of the 2016 Nissan Maxima at the New York Auto Show, the brand (finally) moved from drab back to sporty with design notes reminiscent of Infiniti sedans and the Toyota Camry. It’s sportier appearance is the eighth-generation of Nissan’s “4-Door Sports Car” and represents a shift for the brand which is obviously trying to get competitive in the sports sedan market once more.

The 2016 Nissan Maxima’s sporty features include:

• Boomerang shaped headlights with LED running lights
• Floating roof inspired by the design of the canopy of a fighter jet
• Acoustic laminated glass makes for a quieter interior
• Available Dual Panel Panoramic Moonroof
• D-Shaped leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Display Commander finger tip control
• Contrast stitching and available Ascot leather interior details
• 3.5L VQ35 V6 Engine

The all-new 2016 Nissan Maxima is scheduled to arrive at Nissan dealers nationwide beginning this summer.

Nissan also revealed details of a new “Build Yours Now” pre-sale reservation program that rewards eligible buyers who place orders through the reservation website before June 2, 2015 with three years / 36,000 miles complimentary maintenance on their new Maxima. Purchases must be completed before January 4, 2016.

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices* (MSRP) for the 2016 Nissan Maxima:

• Maxima S – $32. 410
• Maxima SV – $34,390
• Maxima SL – $36, 890
• Maxima SR – $37,670
• Maxima Platinum – $39,860

Destination and Handling charges will be $825.

all images courtesy of Nissan