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2014 Nissan Maxima gets new Limited Edition model, pricing

With a new Maxima expected to debut next year for the 2015 model year, Nissan is only making small changes to its big sedan for 2014. Buyers looking to get behind the wheel of Nissan's "4-Door Sports Car" will be happy to know that the base price for the 2014 Maxima carries over from 2013 starting at $31,000 (*excluding the $810 destination charge).
Aside from two new colors, the only change to the base Maxima S is the addition of a new option group. Sounding very similar to the Sport Package available on the SV, the $750 Limited Edition Package adds smoked Xenon headlights, dark-accented 18-inch wheels, a rear spoiler and fog lights. Stepping up to the SV trim level, the Maxima now comes standard with a rearview camera, Xenon headlights and a seven-inch screen, but its price has also been increased by $850, so it starts at $34,090. Scroll down for more info on the 2014 Maxima.

Renault-Nissan rejig how they manage Daimler partnership, sources say

PARIS — The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance is set to scrap a role overseeing ties with Daimler in favor of individual relations with the German group, three sources told Reuters, as they try to better manage a partnership that has not met initial hopes. The shift comes as alliance-level executive Jacques Verdonck, who was in charge of the cooperation with Daimler, retires at the end of the month, the sources familiar with the matter said. France's Renault will instead rely on its head of partnerships, Sandra Gomez, while Nissan will do the same with Catherine Perez. Mitsubishi will also have a person in charge of partnerships, the sources said, adding the bilateral approach was in line with the new "leader-follower" strategy of the alliance. That involves leaning on the strengths of each carmaker in certain areas. Renault and Daimler declined to comment, while Nissan could not immediately be reached for comment. The plan marks another shift following the end of the Carlos Ghosn era at the alliance. The architect of the Franco-Japanese partnership, who also extended the collaboration to Daimler, was arrested on financial misconduct charges in Japan in late 2018, before fleeing to Lebanon in 2019. He denies any wrongdoing. His exit strained already difficult relations between Nissan and Renault, which are now working to get back on track with cost-saving joint production projects among other steps. The partnership with Daimler - which owns high-end brand Mercedes-Benz, contrasting with the more accessible models produced by the others - has also looked in danger of losing steam. Nissan and Renault, both hit by losses, recently sold down their stakes in the German group. Collaborations on Renault's compact Twingo car and Daimler's Smart model are set to end, and some targets for industrial cooperation have been downgraded over the years. But Daimler still has a factory in Mexico with Nissan, and has been exploring the possibility of jointly developing at least one large van model with Renault. An industry shift towards electric vehicles could yet yield other opportunities, one of the sources said. "The collaboration with Daimler is at present made up of Renault-Daimler projects, Nissan-Daimler ones and some between the three," another of the sources said, with yet another saying that the changes reflected a more pragmatic approach.

You'll soon be able to buy an EV in China for just $8,000 after incentives

Renault is eventually looking to sell an electric vehicle in China that will cost as little as $8,000 after government incentives kick in. According to Reuters, Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn offered the prediction at the New York Times Energy for Tomorrow conference in Paris this week. Granted, China government incentives are approaching $20,000 per vehicle, as China looks to address its cities' notorious pollution problem, so there's some wiggle room with that price. And of course, the devil is in the details, and Ghosn didn't provide any. Still, such a low-priced EV would likely challenge the dominance of China-based EV makers BYD and Kandi. And the effort would likely be lucrative, given that it has been predicted that China will become the world's largest EV market by the end of the decade. In fact, the publication EV Sales said earlier this year that as many as 300,000 EVs will be sold in China in 2016 (by comparison, Americans bought about 100,000 EVs and plug-in hybrids combined through the first 10 months of the year). BYD is expected to sell 75,000 Tang SUV units this year. With such growth expectations in mind, automakers are focusing on China for potential EV development. Earlier this year, Volkswagen Group said it signed a memorandum of understanding with China's Jianghuai Automobile (JAC) for plug-in vehicle production. Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler also stated its goal to broaden plug-in vehicle sales in China. Renault appears to be trying to make an early mark in China. Dongfeng Renault Automobile Co., the Chinese joint venture between Renault and Donfeng, is looking to start testing a self-driving electric vehicle this month. Dongfeng Renault will use a 1.5-mile stretch of road in Beijing's Caidian district for testing purposes. Related Video: