Is an All-electric Maxima Coming?
The Nissan Maxima has been a sports sedan icon for over 40 years. One of the first vehicles to integrate a powerful V6 engine into a sedan body, the maxima gained a reputation for ferocious speed, entertaining handling, and impressive luxury at a reasonable price. Now, rumor has it that Nissan will be announcing an all-new Maxima for the 2025 model year. And this time it might be electric.
Nissan Maxima: History
If the all-new Maxima looks anything like the concept drawings we’ve seen, it will be one sleek and sexy four-door. The largest sedan in Nissan’s lineup, the Maxima has been a popular seller since the 1980s. First debuting in 1982 – when Nissan was still called Datsun – it has always been a performance icon, and more recently, has been marketed as a larger, more upscale alternative to the Altima.
The last gas-powered Maxima will roll off Nissan’s assembly line in Smyrna, Tennessee, later this year. It will take a year off, rumor has it, before being reborn as a luxury EV sedan in 2025 – this time coming from Nissan’s factory in Canton, Mississippi. Nissan has spent over $500 million to upgrade the plant to build new electric cars for Nissan and Infiniti – and since those vehicles will be made in the U.S., they’ll likely be eligible for federal tax incentives.
Nissan Maxima EV: Design
The all-new electric Maxima should crib its forward-thinking look from the Nissan IMs concept vehicle, which was shown in 2019. That car, which Nissan called “an elevated sport sedan,” was gorgeous to look at inside and out – and previewed a lot of the design cues you see on Nissan vehicles today.
From a powertrain perspective, the new Maxima EV will likely share components with the all-electric Nissan Ariya crossover SUV. That means that the Maxima’s powerful V6 engine and its distinctive sound will be gone – but the performance should be better than ever.
Nissan Maxima: Performance
The new Maxima will ride on Nissan’s new CMF-EV platform, which will be shared with the Ariya. Expect a base model to offer a single electric motor for front-wheel drive, though we’d hope for more than the FWD Ariya’s 214 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. Enthusiasts will get more excited about an all-wheel drive variant, which should have two motors, and a power output north of the top-line Ariya’s 389 hp.
Industry insiders suspect that a flagship Maxima might include the same powertrain featured in the IMs concept car, which made 483 hp. We’d expect a large battery that can charge quickly, and an EPA-estimated range of over 300 miles.
All-New Maxima: Interior
Inside the new Maxima, drivers should expect a clean, elegant, and functional, interior packed with tech. The Maxima will likely adopt the Ariya’s twin-screen arrangement, with infotainment functions consolidated on a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, along with in-dash navigation, voice assistant, wi-fi hotspot, and more.
As Nissan’s flagship, the Maxima should also feature the latest version of Nissan’s ProPilot driver assistance suite – which will allow hands-free driving in certain conditions, alongside adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning and lane keep assist.
Thanks to being engineered as an EV from the ground up, the Maxima will also feature a low, flat floor without a big transmission tunnel – increasing the feeling of spaciousness inside, and liberating more legroom in the back seat. Up front, “zero-gravity” seats will provide elevated comfort, and the trunk should have plenty of cargo space for you and your family.
Watch for more information regarding the all-new Nissan Maxima electric car when it’s available. We expect a starting MSRP is of less than $50,000.
