Auto News 5

I know the continuously variable in the CVT acronym refers to the mechanism within this infinite-ratio gearbox, but it also seems apt for describing the personality of the Maxima's CVT. Nissan tuned the gearbox to almost function as three different designs. In its default setting, the transaxle functions like a standard CVT, allowing the engine speed to rise to a certain point and remain there while velocity increases. In sport mode, however, it's stepped like a conventional automatic, and is tuned to hold onto revs before switching to a new drive ratio. If that isn't enough variety, a pair of column-mounted shift paddles allows the driver to trigger pseudo-shifts at his or her whim.
- Evan McCausland, Associate Web Editor

It's hard to avoid thinking of the Nissan Leaf when I first eye the Mercedes-Benz A-class E-cell outside of Valencia, Spain's dramatically modern City of Arts and Sciences. Even before the Leaf has landed in a buyer's hands, the first mass-market electric car has made itself an icon for battery-electric vehicles. Of course, it helps that the A-class is similarly shaped and sized, but the comparison of Leaf and E-cell also points out the fact that we're past the point where an electric car can impress on novelty alone. Nissan has set an aggressive benchmark in packaging, performance, and price, and anybody who wants to seriously compete in the electric-car market will have to challenge it on those terms.