2015 Nissan Murano: Back From The Wilderness
2015 Nissan Murano gets a Resonance-inspired look
Imthishan Giado
Few people realise the Murano’s place in history. One of the first ‘real’ crossovers, ditching boxy styling for car-like looks and handling, Murano suffered a tepid overstyled, undercooked second generation that got lost in the crossover traffic jam we’ve experienced in the last five years.
This latest car borrows heavily from the Resonance Concept I photographed early last year at the Detroit Motor Show. As such, the Murano now wears the Nissan V-Motion family face tied to a steroid-infused body. Note the chunky oversized fenders and the dramatic swage line that rides the flanks. Take note, Lexus: this is what aggressive Japanese design should look like. They’ve even somehow managed to make fish hook headlamps work.
Engine-wise, don’t expect any surprises. Under the hood is a VQ-series V6 hooked up to a CVT as always, good for 260bhp and 240lb ft of torque. While most crossovers have since moved to boosted fours, the Murano continues to soldier on with this aging V6-CVT combo, chiefly due to the fact it’s a much larger vehicle, closer to a Pathfinder than an X-Trail. It’ll interesting to see how Nissan markets the Murano, seeing as the Japanese firm already offers the larger, more practical Pathfinder in this market.
The Murano will be officially unveiled at the 2014 New York Auto Show.
