Love it or hate it, the 2016 Nissan Maxima is now one step closer to hitting the streets. Following its surprise debut during a touching Super Bowl XLIX commercial and its official introduction at the New York Auto Show,->ke226 the all-new Maxima->ke540 has officially entered production at Nissan’s->ke62 Smyrna, TN assembly plant.

The Maxima has been built in the U.S. (for domestic and export markets) since 2003, and Nissan has rolled out about 800,000 of the sporty sedans->ke142 since then. Nissan’s self-proclaimed “4-Door Sports Car”->ke506 has changed a lot over the last 12 years, but it has been one of the most fun-to-drive mid-size->ke1695 sedans on the market. And that doesn’t seem to be changing for the 2016 model year.

Though its looks are definitely polarizing, the 2016 Nissan Maxima finally has a styling that matches its attitude, and backing up this new look is a familiar powertrain, consisting of the 300-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 paired to Nissan’s Xtronic continuously variable transmission. Rolling off the same assembly line as the Altima,->ke542 Leaf,->ke3484 Rogue,->ke2176 Pathfinder->ke548 and Infiniti QX60, the new Maxima goes on sale this summer with a base MSRP of $32,410.

Continue reading to learn more about the new generation Nissan Maxima.

Why it matters

Nissan says that its Smyrna, TN facility is already the “top-producing automotive plant in North America,” with 648,000 units produced in 2014, and that number should continue to grow with the launch of the new Maxima.

2016 Nissan Maxima

Read our full review here.