AutoblogGreen

Just over a month before we get to see the 2009 Nissan Maxima for real at the New York Auto Show, the first spy shots of the new sedan have popped up on the net. According to a Nissan spokesman we talked to at the Chicago Auto Show, the new Maxima will be returning to a sportier flavor more akin to the "four door sports car" tag-line it used to carry. More importantly, the new top Nissan will also be the first platform for Nissan's first U.S.-market diesel. The 3.0L V-6 being developed by Nissan and French partner Renault will find a home in the Maxima for 2010. It's also being reported that the Altima Maxima will get a hybrid variant although whether that is the Toyota-licensed system currently used in the Maxima or the new in-house Nissan developed system is unclear. Either way the diesel is probably the more interesting choice anyway. Perhaps we'll see a diesel-hybrid? We'll let you know when we get to New York.

[Source: LeftLaneNews]