Maxima's maximum exposure

Nissan's next-generation Teana (which we know as the Maxima) has been prematurely exposed via a leaked sales brochure -- and the pics contained therein reveal some distinct similarities with the Intima concept revealed at last October's Tokyo motor show.

Although the showroom variant hasn't carried over the novel glass roof, suicide doors and funky LED headlights of the Intima, its overall profile is clearly reminiscent of the design study.

The new-age Teana hasn't departed too far from the outgoing model either, as the latest iteration retains longish front and rear overhangs and a fastback-esque roofline.

BMW aficionados will also recognise the pronounced Hofmeister kink in the C-pillar. That said, Nissan hasn't made any attempt to endow the car with Euro-inspired styling as it looks distinctly Japanese in execution.

We haven't been able to decipher the Japanese blurb in the brochure, but all the relevant details will inevitably be announced when the car makes its public debut at the Beijing motor show later this month.

Meanwhile, we'd speculate that the existing 170kW/333Nm 3.5-litre V6 engine and Xtronic CVT with six-speed M-Mode (or an update of this combo) have been carried over to the new model.

The current-generation Maxima launched locally in December 2003 and enjoyed a relatively fruitful year in 2004 (when 5329 examples were flogged), but its sales have dipped appreciably of late, with just 1399 sold last year.

Priced from $35-40K, the Maxima represents keen value for money, but the downturn in the large-car segment has undoubtedly hurt it, just as the locally built Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon aren't achieving anywhere near the sales volumes of six or seven years ago.

Despite the fading fortunes of the Maxima, Nissan had a moderately good year sales-wise in 2007, with 60,015 sales to its credit.  It's worth noting, though, that the Navara 4x4 (18,245 sales), Tiida (13,756) and X-Trail (12,444), accounted for almost 75 per cent of the brand's overall sales volume.