- The Maxima is one of the few large mainstream sedans still running, but that will change in 2023.
- Currently in its eighth generation, the current Maxima has been around since 2015.
- Since the early 1980s, Nissan has sold more than 3.5 million Maximas.
- This may not be the end of the Maxima nameplate — we could see it again as an EV.
One of the last full-size mainstream sedans, the Nissan Maxima is not long for this world.
It’s the end of the line for one of the mainstays of Nissan’s lineup. As the flagship sedan, the Maxima carried its banner through four decades and eight generations. However, large sedans have been dying off in recent years, and Nissan has decided to finally pull the plug on the once-popular sedan around the middle of 2023, per a Car and Driver report.
A company spokesperson confirmed the Maxima’s demise, but the official statement hints at a possible, electric revival of the name for its upcoming EV sedan, set to hit the scene around 2025.
The Nissan Maxima hung in there longer than most, even as well-known models like the Ford Taurus and Chevy Impala died around it. As crossovers flood the landscape, though, Nissan sold just 3,753 examples of the Maxima so far this year. That’s a far cry from its heyday in the mid-1990s, when it averaged well over 100,000 sales year after year.
Pop quiz: What was the best sales year for the Maxima? If you said 1994, you’re correct, as that year saw more than 163,000 hit US streets.
Do you want to see an electrified Maxima?
We’ll have to see what the future holds for the nameplate. Still, while earlier versions of the Maxima evoke fond memories (especially of its manual transmission option), the fact that the past few CVT-only models have seen dwindling sales doesn’t make Nissan’s decision to drop it much of a surprise.
In fact, I’ll revise that statement: This is not surprising at all. So, relish in the good memories if you have them, and let us know your thoughts on a Maxima-esque EV. A new Nissan Maxima with a dual motor setup and some decent power? That could prove to be an interesting revival in the next few years, if Nissan does resurrect the name.
