As Nissan gets ready to launch a diesel-powered version of the Maxima in 2010, it has also decided that they will not be offering the luxury sedan with a standard transmission. This is in sharp contrast to reports earlier this week that stated that the diesel Maxima would only be offered with a manual transmission.

Instead, the diesel-powered 2010 Nissan Maxima will only be offered with an automatic transmission. This is more in line with the family-friendly and “cruising” image of a luxury sedan like the Maxima. When you’re carting around the kids and grabbing groceries, you don’t want to be bothered with shifting gears. At least, that’s how it is in North America.

The reason why Nissan was considering a manual transmission for the diesel Maxima in the first place was because it could help to alleviate the turbo lag associated with the turbo diesel. By going with a standard tranny, however, Nissan would effectively cut out a huge portion of the American market.