For some time now, Nissan has been using a two-vehiclestrategy in a segment the other car companies use one modelto compete in. Nissan's thinking has been that the4-cylinder Altima and the 6-cylinder Maxima with theirdifferent styles and attitudes could cover more ground inthe mid-size market than could a single model like the FordTaurus, the Honda Accord, the Subaru Legacy, the ToyotaCamry, and so on.
It's a solid theory in principle butNissan's practise of it has not been as successful asthey'd hoped, probably because it's resulted in a dilutedmarketing message for both vehicles rather than a broad onefor Nissan's mid- size cars as a whole. Whatever consumerreaction has been so far, I like Nissan's two-modelstrategy because it offers a much broader range of choicein cars of the same general intent -- midsize 4-door sedans.
For my own tastes, the Maxima has always been the moreappealing car, partly because it's powered by one of thesweetest and most responsive engines in the business andpartly because its dimensions are more accepting of mine.Is it any wonder, then, that I greet the introduction ofthe 2000 Nissan Maxima with such interest? As shown to agaggle of North America's automotive media here recently,the fifth-generation Maxima has become an even better car,with more emphasis than ever placed on its role as aperformance sedan. But there's also a more strikingexterior (the current model tended to get blander with age)to think about, more luxury touches, more room in all thekey directions, and a greater dedication to the notion of ahassle-free product. When you see the 2000 model yearMaxima at Canadian Nissan stores this summer, you'resupposed to recognize that Nissan did its best to keep whatIan Forsyth, product planning boss of Nissan Canada, calledits "Maxima-ness," which he defined "as the heart and soulof the performance/luxury sedan."