Nissan Maxima Model Years and History

The 2023 Nissan Maxima carries over with minimal changes.

The 2022 Nissan Maxima carries over with minimal changes.

The 2021 Nissan Maxima launched a special 40th Anniversary Edition, which honors Nissan sportiveness in the four door sedans. The Maxima lineup is more focused now on the performance trims SV, SR, and Platinum and dropping the luxury focus trims S and SL.

The Nissan Maxima returns for 2020 with clever tech to make the car safer and easier to drive than ever before. Included across the entire Maxima range is Nissan's Safety Shield 360 system. It consists of Automatic Emergency Braking, Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and Rear Automatic Braking systems. The Maxima also gets Intelligent Trace Control, Active Ride Control and Intelligent Engine Brake systems as standard across the entire range, which means that owners can customize their suspension and how the car reacts to various inputs at the touch of a button.

For 2019, Nissan has given its flagship Maxima sedan a slight makeover, with a larger front grille that integrates more fluidly with the hood, plus standard LED headlights and restyled taillights as well as a fresh rear fascia.

The 2018 Nissan Maxima carries over mostly unchanged this year adding Android Auto smartphone integration to all trim levels. The SR Midnight Edition now includes Intelligent Driver Awareness previously exclusive to the Platinum trim level.

Following a top-to-bottom redesign for the 2017 model year, the Nissan Maxima carries over with just a one change -- the addition of Apple CarPlay smartphone integration to all trims.

The Nissan Maxima has gotten a top to bottom redesign for the 2016 model year. With the Altima covering the more mundane mid-sized car segment, Nissan have decided up the performance quotient on the Maxima and position the car as a true sports sedan. With styling that undeniably looks the part, the new Nissan is bold, extroverted and much more confident in its place in the market than the previous generation of Maxima.

For 2014, the Nissan Maxima has only minor changes. A new S Value Package features smoked HID xenon headlights, special 18-inch wheels, a rear spoiler, and other exterior appointments, while SV trim now has a standard rearview monitor with 7-inch color display.

2013 brings a few changes to the Nissan Maxima. The Sport Package has been updated. It now includes a 7-inch monitor, USB connectivity, RearView Monitor and a climate-controlled driver's seat. Also new on the sport package are a set of 19-inch alloy wheels finished Dark Hyper Silver. New for 2013 is the SV Value Package which includes a 9-speaker Bose stereo, satellite radio, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.

The Maxima gets some minor exterior freshening and gains a new Limited Edition package. It upgrades the wheels to 18-inch silver ones, a rear spoiler, HID headlamps, fog lamps and a special dark grille.

For 2011, the Nissan Maxima receives only minor updates, including new Metallic Slate, Pearl White and Brilliant Silver exterior colors. SV Sport-optioned models get smoked headlights, a dark chrome grille and unique shiny gray interior stitching.

There are almost no changes for the 2010 Maxima following its 2009 freshening. Like many mid-priced sedans, USB input and Bluetooth connectivity were added as standard equipment this year.

Nissan's popular Maxima sedan gets a fresh new look for 2009, plus plenty of other notable changes. The "four-door sports car" sports a shorter wheelbase, wraparound headlights, and LED taillights. The interior appears a bit more upscale and refined, and the Maxima is available in two trim levels: S and SV. The tried and true 3.5L V6 returns, though it has now been retuned to churn out 290 hp, a 35 hp bump over previous models. Fuel economy has gained as well with 19 mpg city / 26 mpg highway.

For 2008, Nissan's flagship Maxima sedan gets the SkyView panoramic roof standard, which provides a fixed-glass window down the center of the vehicle roof. A new Platinum Edition Package adds HID headlights, Bluetooth, reverse parking sonar, and a heated steering wheel. XM satellite radio is now standard on the uplevel SL model.

Nissan's flagship Maxima sedan gets a new look, a refined interior appearance, and several new technology features for 2007. Most notably, a continuously variable transmission (CVT) replaces the former five-speed automatic. Four colors are new for 2007: Radiant Silver, Pebble Beach, Precision Gray, and Dark Slate. The Intelligent Key system, which allows vehicle entry and starting without physically using a key, is now standard. Horsepower is down 10 to 255, but this is due to a new power-rating method and actual performance reportedly remains the same.