Rendering - Detroit-bound Nissan Maxima concept

Nissan teased the concept version that previews the next generation Maxima at the Nissan 360 media event held in Irvine, California recently. The teasers depicted the 2016 Nissan Maxima sharing styling cues with its more expensive brandmate, the Nissan GT-R.

Nissan will unveil the concept at the Detroit Auto Show in January next year, but our rendering artist Shoeb is very impatient. He's made a mockup of the Maxima concept using the teasers, to preview the preview of the production Maxima.

The Maxima's front-end has a similar styling of the current car, topped with signature design touches such as the V-Shaped grille element and boomerang shaped headlamps. Designers have gone in for a more aggressive and chiseled look, and it is the side view that is the most interesting. The roofline is sloping and creates an effect of a four-door coupe.

Nissan markets the Maxima in the US as a '4 door sports car' and its intentions are getting serious seeing the design of the new model. We expect the new Maxima to be released in 2015 (7 years after the current one was launched), perhaps at the 2015 Detroit Motor Show.

When Andy Palmer, Nissan's executive vice president, spoke to Wards Auto this year, he said that the Maxima's availability could be extended to the Middle East and Russia when the new model is available. Sales of the Maxima have been on the decline in the US as customers in this segment are preferring a mid-size sedan instead.