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According to foreign media reports, Nissan officially announced that it will officially stop production of the Nissan MAXIMA (the domestic equivalent is Sima) in mid-2023. Nissan plans to produce new energy models at the plant, including Canton in Mississippi, which has been revamped and will produce two new electric cars. It is unclear whether the name of MAXIMA will continue to be used in the future.

Speaking of Dongfeng Nissan Sima, you may feel strange, but if you change to MAXIMA, it will be more well-known. In fact, Dongfeng Nissan Sima is the domestic version of MAXIMA. Reviewing the development history of MAXIMA models, it has been 42 years. At present, the car has developed to the eighth generation. Compared with the same class models, MAXIMA models of previous generations can occupy the top five or six positions in the North American market. It is not only the mainstream product of North American luxury sedan, but also one of the best-selling models owned by Nissan.

According to the concern of the automobile industry, as the mainstream high-end model in the North American market, the first generation MAXIMA model was launched in 1981, with a 2.4-liter in-line six-cylinder engine and rear drive. In 1984, the second generation MAXIMA entered the North American market, positioning the compact bridge car. In appearance, the new car eliminated the front and rear drive design style and replaced the front drive structure. The American version carries a 3.0L V6 naturally aspirated engine, while the Japanese version carries the same series of 2.0LV6 engine, which is also equipped with 4AT or 5MT gearbox, compared with the first generation model. The second generation of MAXIMA is more inclined to luxury high-performance coupe, so it is fully accepted by the American market. In 1988, the third generation of MAXIMA was officially launched, this generation of models changed greatly, mainly designed in coupe style, and finally completely became a four-door coupe with larger body size and power equipped with VG30's 3.0LV6 engine. At that time, this engine was selected as the "Top Ten Ward engine", and then the VQ series engine was certified by this authority.

From 1994 to 2000, Nissan launched the fourth-and fifth-generation Nissan MAXIMA, and reached a sales peak, becoming a household name in the North American market. In the whole car system, the fourth generation model is the most influential model, and Nissan demeanor A31 belongs to the same platform. The fourth-generation North American version of the MAXIMA model is equipped with a VQ30DE engine, and 0-100km/h acceleration takes only 6.6s. In 1999, the fifth generation MAXIMA model was launched, and there is little difference between this generation model and the fourth generation model. The main difference is that the appearance is optimized and the power is equipped with VQ35DE engine.

In 2003, the sixth generation MAXIMA model was launched, because the model was highly recognized by consumers in the United States market. At the same time, in order to reduce costs, Nissan moved the production of the sixth generation MAXIMA model from Japan to Smyrna, Tennessee, USA, and defined it as a higher-level car. Perhaps because of American production, the MAXIMA model completely got rid of the shadow of Nissan demeanor and was equipped with 225hp 3.5L engine. The sixth generation of Sima models are divided into two models: the sports version and the deluxe version, both of which greatly strengthen their respective attributes. When the seventh-generation MAXIMA model was launched in 2008, the new car still focused on the luxury route, but improved in terms of power. with 290hp's 3.5L engine, it was positioned as a luxury sedan with a performance comparable to that of a sports car.

The car, currently on sale for the eighth generation, was unveiled at the New York Auto Show in 2015, using the latest design styles of the Nissan family, including the V-MOTION front face, rotary dart headlights and suspended roof, with a more sporty interior, a steering wheel with a flat-bottomed, three-spoke design, an integrated center console with a driver-oriented design and a large LCD screen. In order to capture more market share, Nissan officially introduced the eighth generation MAXIMA model to the domestic market in 2016, and named it "Sima" in Chinese. Dongfeng Nissan announced the listing of Sima at the Beijing Auto Show on April 25, 2016, with a price of 23.48-267800 yuan. In appearance, Dongfeng Nissan Sima is more athletic, the front face continues to use the overseas version of the MAXIMA model, using V-shaped family grille design, the overall design style and positioning business are obviously different from the sound of nature. In the power part, instead of using the VQ35 series engine, the new car is equipped with a 2.5L naturally aspirated engine with a maximum output power of 186hp and a peak torque of 234Nm, matching a seven-speed CVT continuously variable transmission.

However, it is a pity that this model, which was highly recognized by consumers in the North American market, eventually had to be discontinued with the development of the times. According to the latest figures, Nissan sold only 3753 MAXIMA vehicles in the first half of 2022, down 62 per cent from a year earlier. Perhaps because of weak sales, Nissan finally decided to stop production of the Nissan MAXIMA.

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