Unlike several other automakers, namely Ford, Nissan has no intention of eliminating sedans. The Nissan Altima and Maxima have been around for years and have collected millions of loyal customers in the process. There have been some rumors, however, that the Maxima might be on borrowed time, but we'll just have to wait and see what transpires.

In the meantime, Nissan has just announced that the 2019 and 2020 Maxima has earned a 'Superior' rating while the 2019 and 2020 Altima received an 'Advanced' rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for front crash prevention systems in midsize sedans. Nissan offers buyers features like Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection which are, as oftentimes is the case, limited to luxury vehicles.

"The well-being of those inside our cars is just as important as the well-being of those outside our vehicles," said Rob Warren, director, and chief marketing manager, Nissan North America. "AEB with Pedestrian Detection is announced as standard or available on 10 Nissan vehicles for the 2020 model year, and we're working on expanding the technology further as quickly as possible." The IIHS evaluation process consists of three tests at two speeds each and this results in six possible outcomes.

In fact, the Maxima was the only vehicle tested that completely avoided the obstacle in all six tests. "Carmakers often roll out these kinds of advanced systems in more expensive luxury lines or as expensive options, so the superior performance of the standard systems on the more mainstream Maxima is noteworthy," said IIHS President David Harkey.

The way in which the Maxima's Automatic Emergency Braking works is that it uses a combination of radar and camera-based tech capable of tracking nearby vehicles and pedestrians. If a pedestrian is detected, the driver is given visual and audible alerts along with the automatic braking. The ultimate goal is to, at the very least, significantly reduce the severity of an impact, if not eliminate the accident from happening altogether.

The 2020 Nissan Maxima has a starting MSRP of $34,250 while the 2020 Altima begins at $24,100.