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2016 Nissan Maxima previewed in With Dad Super Bowl commercial

If you've been paying attention to this year's Super Bowl commercials, something in Nissan's heart-string-pulling "With Dad" ad might've caught your attention. Near the end of the commercial, a shiny, new sedan comes into focus: the 2016 Nissan Maxima. We got our first look at the next-generation Maxima in concept form at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, and we've spotted it out testing wearing heavy camouflage. The 2016 Maxima is expected to debut early this year – likely at the New York Auto Show – and this Nissan ad is our first real look at the new sedan in its final form. Do we like what we see? That's hard to say. There's no shortage of Nissan's latest design language here on its range-topping sedan, but we can't quite tell if it results in an overall handsome package. Of course, we'll wait to fully dissect the new design when we can see the car for more than a split second. Speaking of TV, according to Automotive News, this ad represents Nissan's return to Super Bowl advertising after an 18-year hiatus. Seems fitting, then, that the company brings a very powerful ad to the small screen. Have a look at Nissan's With Dad spot above, where you can also get a glimpse at the company's highly anticipated, front-engined racecar (0:49 mark), and a second, rear view of the Maxima (1:27 mark). Let us know what you think of the new Maxima – and the ad – in Comments.

Leopard walks in, shuts down a Mercedes-Benz plant

In recent months the auto industry has seen plant closures due to a host of reasons — parts shortages, recalls, natural disasters, and even a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Now it can add to that list the threat of an invading leopard. A Mercedes-Benz factory in Pune, India, was forced to halt production for a few hours when a wayward jungle cat wandered into the facility, When the 3-year-old male leopard was spotted inside the manufacturing unit of the factory, it caused a panic among workers, according to a release by rescue organization Wildlife SOS discovered by The Drive. The site was shut down for about six hours as a Wildlife SOS rapid response team from the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre and the State Forest Department safely removed the curious cat. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The team's veterinary officers Dr. Nikhil Bangar and Dr. Shubham Patil carried out the rescue operation, tranquilizing the feline and loading it into a wildlife carrier. The rescue took about four hours, and Wildlife SOS reports that neither the creature nor any workers sustained injuries. The leopard was released back into the wild.  No one is quite sure how it got onto the factory grounds, but Wildlife SOS says that the forests in the surrounding region have one of the highest densities of leopards in the world. It's also suffering from rapid deforestation. That encroachment by humans has led to a decrease in the leopard's natural prey as well, so wildlife experts think it may have been looking for food.  The Mercedes plant builds the Maybach S 560, S-Class, E-Class Long Wheelbase, C-Class, CLA, GLA, GLE and GLS for the Indian market.  We have a different theory. We believe that the cat was seeking to set the record straight with Mercedes. When the S 65 AMG debuted, Mercedes claimed it featured the world's first Road Surface Scan technology to detect pavement undulations and adjust suspension damping accordingly. The only problem with that claim: Nissan had the technology some 30 years earlier in several mid-80s models, including the Maxima and Japan's version of the Infiniti M30, which was called — you guessed it — the Leopard. 

Nissan teases crossover concept for Frankfurt

Nissan released a teaser shot on Monday of a crossover concept that will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and it's quite the tease. Nissan literally gave us no further information. Speculation is rampant as to the vehicle's identity. Autocar suggests it could wear the famous Z badge, which would be a stunning departure from the Z's sports-car heritage. Other theories indicate it could be the next-generation Juke. The photo does show off Nissan's latest design language which is used by the Murano and Maxima in production. The only other info we have is a cryptic line from Nissan's press release: "So can Nissan continue to innovate and move the bar higher? What if Nissan created a new way to feel driving excitement? The answer will come at the Frankfurt Motor Show." Expect more information and images to dribble out and or/leak this week in the run-up to the show. Related Video: