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Nissan has rolled out the newest generation of its flagship Maxima sedan, and it’s easily the best effort yet for this premium model that the automaker originally introduced in 1981.

With a starting price of $30,160 (plus $695 freight) for the base S model, and $32,860 for the uplevel SV, the new Maxima is well below the cost of similarly equipped entry-level luxury-brand cars, such as the Lexus ES 350 or Acura TL.

With options, though, the Maxima’s price can easily reach that of one of those luxury brands.

But that’s what you get with the Maxima – a luxury car, minus the trendy name. And in the case of the Lexus ES 350, the Maxima offers more sport and much more compelling styling. Where the Lexus bores, the Maxima dazzles, which is why Nissan calls it a “four-door sports car.”

The Maxima truly fits that mantra, which isn’t a new designation – Nissan called it that in marketing efforts in the past, although not with the recent models.

Nissan says it has intentionally designed the “sport” back into the Maxima for this, the seventh generation, for two reasons: to help differentiate it from the lower-priced Altima sedan, and to position it as a car for auto enthusiasts who want cutting-edge styling and great performance, but need a sedan for family or other personal needs.

Over the years, the Maxima has been one of the Nissan vehicles with the biggest followings, said Al Castignetti, Nissan Division vice president and general manager, who said that in the past, Maxima buyers traditionally have been the most loyal Nissan customers. Four of every five Maximas ever sold are still on the road, the automaker says.

“For 2009, Nissan is reclaiming its rich four-door sports car heritage with an infusion of emotional design, driving excitement and advanced technology,” Castignetti said.

Designers were instructed to give the new Maxima a “wow” level of style that “would clearly distinguish it from segment competitors,” Castignetti said.

The car’s design was inspired by the 2009 Nissan GT-R super car, and goals included creating “the best performing front engine, front-wheel drive car in the world,” Nissan said. Attributes include “class-leading acceleration, braking, handling, workmanship and cockpit design.”

The company sold more than 60,000 of the Maxima last year, and is looking for an increase in volume with the new model, although acknowledging that this is a tough year to introduce any new vehicle because of the steep decline in auto sales initially triggered by the higher gasoline prices of the spring and summer.

Sales have been encouraging. In October, Nissan posted a 33.5 percent drop in sales compared with October 2007, but Maxima sales totaled 4,341 for the month, up 33 percent from the 3,263 sold in the same month last year.

The Maxima officially competes in the same class of vehicles as the Toyota Avalon and higher-end models of the Honda Accord, but it’s sportier than its competitors, and as a result, it appeals to a younger range of consumers – especially the Avalon, which is aimed at people over 50.

People who shop the Maxima probably also would be looking at such vehicles as the Acura TL, ES 350 and Infiniti G35, all of which come with similar 3.5-liter V-6 engines and sport or luxury features.

Under the hood is a revised version of the 3.5-liter V-6 engine used in the 2008 Maxima and other Nissans, including the current Altima. In the 2009 Maxima, this engine got a boost of 35 horsepower and 9 foot-pounds of torque over the ’08 model, yet has slightly better highway fuel economy.

The engine is now rated at 290 horsepower and 260 foot-pounds of torque, and EPA ratings are 19 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway versus 19/25 for the 2008 model. Unfortunately, though, Nissan recommends premium fuel.

The only transmission is a continuously variable automatic that also comes with a manual-shift feature.

Maxima prototypes were tested at Germany’s Nürburgring racetrack, which helped Nissan engineers tweak the suspension, steering and transmission to accomplish the goals of making it a sport sedan, the company said.

Our tester was the SV model with two options groups: the Sport Package ($2,300), which added the sport suspension, heated outside mirrors, front stabilizer bar, 19-inch alloy wheels, all-season tires, rear spoiler, high-intensity headlights, upgraded leather seats, heated front seats, heated premium leather steering wheel, power-tilt and automatic tilt-away steering column with memory, power memory driver’s seat, and more; and the Sport Technology Package ($2,250), which brought a navigation system, single-disc CD player and built-in 9.3-gigabyte hard drive to store music onboard, XM nav traffic, and a backup camera.

Other extras included a Bluetooth hands-free phone system ($300) and carpeted floor mats ($180). Total sticker on our car, including freight, was $38,585.

Driving the new Maxima is great fun, and the handling of our test vehicle, the SV model, was crisp on some fun roads in the Hill Country. But some enthusiasts would appreciate a manual transmission on this car, which should be available on a vehicle that is billed as a sports car.

Nissan used the chassis of the redesigned Altima for the new Maxima, but altered it significantly to give the car its sporty handling.

The car has a 109.3-inch wheelbase, 1.9 inches shorter than the ’08 model, and is 73.2 inches wide, which an increase of 1.5 inches. The extra width provides better stability, Nissan said.

Standard safety features include electronic stability control, traction control, front seat-mounted side air bags, front and rear side-curtain air bags, four-wheel antilock disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, and a tire-pressure monitoring system.

Other standard features include a moon roof, eight-way power driver’s seat and four-way power front passenger seat, 18-inch wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control with illuminated steering-wheel-mounted controls, pushbutton start, power windows/mirrors/door locks, and an AM/FM/compact-disc audio system with six-disc changer. An interface for an iPod or other auxiliary audio device is optional.

SV models come with leather sport seats, a Bose premium audio system, fog lights, and outside mirrors with turn-signal indicators.

The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III have appeared regularly in the Star-Telegram since 1995. Contact him at 210-250-3236; chambers@star-telegram.com

2009 Nissan Maxima

The package: Midsize, four-door, front-drive, five-passenger, V-6 powered premium sport sedan.

Highlights: Completely redesigned for 2009, this is the best Maxima yet, and is being touted by Nissan as a “four-door sports car.”

Negatives: Can get pricey with options; no manual gearbox offered; no four-cylinder engine offered.

Length: 190.6 inches.

Engine: 3.5-liter V-6.

Transmission: Continuously variable automatic with manual-shift feature.

Power/torque: 290 HP./261 foot-pounds.

Brakes, front/rear: Disc/disc, antilock.

Curb weight: 3,556-3,579 pounds.

Trunk capacity: 14.2 cubic feet.

EPA fuel economy: 19 city/26 highway.

Fuel capacity/type: 20.0 gallons/premium unleaded.

Major competitors: Honda Accord EX V-6, Toyota Avalon, Toyota

Camry V-6, Pontiac G8, and even the Acura TL, Lexus ES 350, Cadillac CTS, and Lincoln MKZ.

Base price range: $30,160-$32,860 (plus $695 freight).

Price as tested: $38,585 with freight and options (SV model).

On the Road rating: 9.2 (of a possible 10).

Prices shown are manufacturer’s suggested list; actual selling price may vary.