Nissan ’s clean diesel-powered Maxima sedan is headed for our shores in 2010, but it’s still unclear what type of transmission the Japanese automaker will equip the diesel Maxima with. According to a top ranking Nissan official, the automaker is still debating whether to use an automatic or manual transmission.
Yo Usuba, Nissan senior vice president in charge of powertrains, revealed to Automotive News that no decision has been made on which type of gearbox to give the diesel Maxima. While Americans heavily favor automatics over manuals, Nissan is concerned that turbo lag associated with turbocharged engines mated to an automatic transmission would deter new buyers from opting for the diesel powertrain.
The easiest solution for Nissan would be to pair the turbo diesel engine with a manual transmission, therefore giving the driver better response. This scenario seems fairly likely as the automaker has made a similar decision with its upcoming JDM X-Trail SUV. Like Americans, Japanese buyers prefer automatics but Nissan decided to only offer the diesel X-Trail with a manual transmission.
“We really struggled with how to show people how good these new diesel engines are,” Usuba said, “and we decided that a manual transmission is the best combination.”
So while no decision has officially been made, it seems like a pretty safe bet that the diesel-powered 2010 Nissan Maxima will come with three pedals.
