Nissan’s Murano is a Big Deal
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- The effortlessly stylish Murano offers SUV buyers a lot of car for the money. Could this be Nissan’s next hot seller?
By Hadi Soedarsono
WHEN NISSAN DECIDED to create this new Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), its brief was for something a little different from what other manufacturers currently offer, something that was a bit more upmarket in feel than its own X-Trail. First unveiled at the 2002 New York Motor Show, the Murano, according to the Japanese manufacturer, is a crossover between an SUV and MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle).
Murano is the name of a group of islands in Venice, Italy, and the region is well known for producing some of the most exotic glassware in the world. Nissan said it took inspiration from this to create the Murano’s cabin, which explains the generously sized windscreens and windows.
The Murano should sell like hot cakes based on looks alone. It’s by far one of the handsomest SUVs around, with design cues borrowed from the 350Z. There are plenty of curves, the wheel arches are flared and the nose is steeply raked. The headlights and 18-inch alloys are similar to those of the 350Z, while the large chrome front grill and bumper lend proceedings a futuristic touch.
Nissan designed the Murano specifically to challenge the Lexus RX300. It has larger dimensions than the RX300, however, and comes in two flavors – the entry-level 2.5-litre and flagship 3.5-litre. The latter uses a 4×4 drivetrain, while the former is front-wheel driven.
