For the 2018 model year, the Nissan Maxima receives enhancements to its award-winning design. Now in its eighth generation, Nissan's flagship sedan features standard Android Auto (in addition to standard Apple CarPlay), new Carnelian Red color and new black accents added to its dramatic V-motion grille.

The heart of the 2018 Nissan Maxima is its 300-horsepower 3.5-liter VQ-series V6 engine and performance-oriented Xtronic transmission. Torque is rated at 261 lb-ft.

The bold front end combines Nissan's signature V-Motion grille -- with new black accents for 2018 -- and lighting features that add to its defining presence on the road. The boomerang-style headlights include standard LED Signature Daytime Running Lights. In the rear, two-piece taillights with their own integrated LED signature complete the distinctive lighting theme. The appearance is finished with large dual exhaust chrome tailpipe finishers and 18-inch machined aluminum-alloy wheels.

The Maxima interior is designed to rival those of luxury vehicles. It offers genuine stitching on the instrument panel, doors and console, available Interior Accent Lighting, available premium Ascot leather seating surfaces with diamond-quilted inserts, unique faceted finishers and a standard sporty D-shaped (flat-bottom) steering wheel. The interior includes unique material choices like available Alcantara, typically found on high-end exotics, to deliver on the premium promise.

Nissan's unique Zero Gravity front seats with sport bolstering are standard (8-way power-adjustable driver's seat and 4-way power-adjustable front passenger's seat) and offer increased softness provided by a three-layer foam design. They are offered in premium cloth, leather-appointed or premium Ascot leather-appointed seating surfaces.

The 2018 Maxima is available in five well-equipped models: Maxima S, SV, SL, SR and Platinum.