Nissan Murano

The Nissan Murano was first introduced to South Africa in 2004 and came as somewhat of a revelation. Its bold styling, mimicking a sleek coupé-like profile on top of a substantial mass of sports SUV, was flamboyant and daring.

Being a Nissan it was of course robust in its design, which was supported by a sporty demeanour and full SUV practicality, earning the Murano the honour of being the very first SUV nominated as a finalist in the South African Car of the Year competition in 2005.

This year sees the release of a new Murano – one I believe has grown up a little. Nissan has refined the eccentric shape, introducing a more distinct aura of modern art. It’s certainly different, in keeping with the original’s legacy. The jury is still out on whether I like it or not, clearly a week wasn’t enough for the car to have grown on me. There is no arguing however that the overall design is sleeker and more sophisticated.

There was no doubting that the original Murano’s core focus was appearance and luxury. That theme is continued through the high-quality cabin that is now naturally lit through a new double panel glass roof. Everything surrounding the occupants has a little added premium feel, with softer finishing’s and nicer leather.

Nissan has also thrown in all the toys available in their arsenal. The tailgate, for example, is electrically powered to open and close at the touch of a button. Furthermore the rear seats fold entirely flat at the touch of another button. New to the standard specification is Nissan’s renowned infotainment system, featuring a massive hard drive to store music and movies and a Satnav system – all controlled via a touch screen display. This goes further to include full Bluetooth capabilities, USB and iPod connectivity, DVD functionality and parking cameras. Oh and I almost forgot to mention the banging 11-speaker BOSE audio system the Murano is equipped with as standard.

Supporting its sporting presence is the heart of a true sports car – the same 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine which powered the growling 350Z sports coupé. Producing 191kW and 336Nm, performance credentials are suitably athletic. The 0-100km/h dash is achieved in 8.0-seconds and top speed is over 200km/h.

Still showing face is a revised version of Nissan’s CVT gearbox system, which has new shift control logic and an intelligent four-wheel-drive system. The combination of that brilliant 350Z motor and what is an incredibly smooth gearbox makes driving the Murano a pleasure. There’s little to fault about the way this thing shifts – only problem is fuel consumption, which came in at a rather hefty 13 litres/100km on test.

Ultimately, like many SUV’s, the Murano is built on passenger car underpinnings. Independent suspension all round with a versatile multi-link rear suspension design and changes to the damping ensure an even smoother ride. Handling is decent enough, but don’t let the sporting credentials of that engine lead you to believe the Murano is anything but a big, high-riding SUV. Also the speed sensitive power steering doesn’t provide particularly accurate feedback.

Lastly, the Murano upholds Nissan’s values by offering all of this luxury, premium equipment and advanced features at a very attractive price. While I’m not convinced the Murano’s futuristic styling will be everybody’s cup of tea, there’s no faulting the quality and luxury on offer here. 

Price: R562 925
Engine: 3498cc six cylinder petrol
Power: 191 kW
Torque: 336 Nm
Acceleration (0-100 km/h): 8.0
Top speed (km/h): 210
Fuel consumption (l/100km): 10.9 (claimed)

Miles Downard
First published in Autodealer KZN