OREANDA-NEWS. February 15, 2016. Two Nissan flagship vehicles, the all-new TITAN XD full-size pickup and the Maxima sports sedan, were announced today as category winners of the MotorWeek's 2016 Drivers' Choice Awards at the Chicago Auto Show. TITAN XD, Maxima and the other Drivers' Choice winners will be featured in a special episode of MotorWeek, which will air on public television stations nationwide beginning February 12, 2016, and on cable's Velocity beginning February 23, 2016.

In selecting the TITAN XD for its latest in a string of recent media honors, MotorWeek senior executive producer and longtime host John Davis reported: "The Nissan Titan XD is indeed a 'heavier' duty version of the second generation Titan full-size 'light duty' pickup truck. It's all-new all around, with vastly increased capabilities. Despite the domestic dominance of the full-size truck market, this TITAN shows Nissan is not quitting, and in fact has found a way to brilliantly cover a niche that their bigger rivals have ignored."

Regarding the 2016 Maxima, the eighth generation of Nissan's popular "4-Door Sports Car," Davis said: "The redesigned Nissan Maxima is one of the most stimulating sedans we've come across in years. It's rakish and radical. But the big deal here is that despite both its front-wheel drive nature and CVT automatic transmission, it manages to stand out as a true sport sedan performer."

The Drivers' Choice Awards recognize the best models in a variety of lifestyle categories ranging from family sedan to luxury car, large utilities and pickups. Awarded annually since 1983, MotorWeek bases its Drivers' Choice Awards on superior performance, technology, practicality, dollar value and driving experience. Unlike other industry benchmarks, MotorWeek's award categories reflect consumer buying trends and the full range of buyer preferences.

"As regular viewers of MotorWeek know, the program provides a unique, consumer-focused voice absent hype or hyperbole," said Michael Bunce, vice president, Product Planning, Nissan North America, Inc.  "To have two vehicles – our brand new TITAN XD and Maxima, one of our longest established nameplates – selected to their 2016 Drivers' Choice list is a distinct honor."

The 2016 Nissan TITAN XD is anchored by a powerful 310-horsepower Cummins® 5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel and mated to a heavy-duty 6-speed Aisin automatic transmission, and has a maximum towing capacity rating of more than 12,300 pounds when properly equipped.

The TITAN XD is the flagship of a complete family of Nissan TITAN full-size pickups and is offered in five grade levels: S, SV, SL, PRO-4X and Platinum Reserve. Overall, the TITAN lineup will include three cab configurations, two frame sizes, three powertrain offerings and five grade levels. The additional TITAN models will begin rolling out this spring, eventually offering models that will compete in more than 85 percent of light truck segments. The 2016 Nissan TITAN XD is assembled in Canton, Mississippi, with engines assembled in Indiana and Tennessee (5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel and 5.6-liter Endurance® V8 gasoline engine respectively)

The 2016 Nissan Maxima sets the standard for style, performance and technology in the large sedan segment. Its groundbreaking presence is also intended to "Maximize" the Nissan brand itself – as a halo vehicle showcasing the company's cutting edge design, performance and innovation leadership. Helping Maxima push the performance envelope in its segment is a completely revised 300-horsepower 3.5-liter VQ-series V6 engine and new performance-oriented Xtronic transmission.

Maxima's next-generation technology features include a standard NissanConnect with navigation and available 11-speaker Bose® premium audio system, NissanConnect Services powered by SiriusXM® (SiriusXM® subscription required, sold separately), and Around View® Monitor (AVM) with Moving Object Detection (MOD). Maxima also offers an extensive range of available safety, security and driving aids, including Predictive Forward Collision Warning (PFCW), Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), Forward Emergency Braking (FEB), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Blind Spot Warning (BSW) and Driver Attention Alert (DAA) system*.

The 2016 Maxima is available in five well-equipped models (all equipment is grade standard, no available options): Maxima S, SV, SL, SR and Platinum. It is assembled in Smyrna, Tennessee, with engines assembled in Decherd, Tennessee.

For more information on the 2016 Nissan TITAN XD and 2016 Nissan Maxima, including photography, please visit NissanNews.com.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment. For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

About MotorWeek
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