Test Drive: Nissan Murano turns heads, wins hearts

The 2015 Nissan Murano has bold new sheet metal and a smooth, composed ride.
The 2015 Nissan Murano has bold new sheet metal and a smooth, composed ride.

A dozen years ago, Nissan introduced the first-generation Murano crossover and, in the process, captured lightning in a bottle.

Consumers loved the swoopy five-seater, which proved that a crossover didn't have to be shaped like a boxcar to get the job done. The Murano was not just visually interesting, it was downright dapper. Nissan is trying to recapture that magic with the introduction of the third-generation Murano, which shares some styling cues with the jaunty little Juke, the company's break-out compact crossover.

FAST FACTS

* Model: 2015 Nissan Murano * Exterior color: Pacific Sunset * Interior color: Beige * Engine: 3.5-liter V-6 * Horsepower: 260 * Transmission: continuously variable * Fuel economy: 28 mpg highway, 21 mpg city * Dealer: Nissan of Chattanooga East * Price (as tested): $40,305

photo The 2015 Nissan Murano has bold new sheet metal and a smooth, composed ride.

Danny McVay, general manager at Nissan of Chattanooga East, set us up this week with a 2015 Murano dressed in Pacific Sunset paint -- bronze to you and me. The unorthodox color accentuates the Murano's shapely sheet metal. There's almost nowhere your eyes can land on the exterior of the Murano where's there's not an interesting line or bold curve to behold.

The new Muranos have been on the ground here for only about a month, so if you snap up one today you'll probably be the coolest soccer parents on the block. From the bold "V-Motion" grille -- accented with shapely LED head-lamp clusters -- to the sculpted rear hatch, the Murano has lines that work together to turn heads and win hearts.

Our tester, in SL trim -- which is a notch below the top-of-the-line Platinum version -- carries a sticker price of $40,305 including options and destination charges. Base prices range from about $29,560 (S trim) to $39,000 (Platinum) before options are added.

STYLING AND FEATURES

Design lines dip and dart everywhere on the shell of the Murano. Some start at the front and wrap all the way around to the tail. Chrome running boards draw the eye to the bottom of the vehicle, while a floating roof design accents the top. A power tailgate makes loading groceries easier, and the rear seats flip down for those times when you need to carry more. Even with all the seats upright, the Murano boasts almost 40 cubic feet of cargo space, tops in its segment.

Our Murano comes with front-wheel drive, although all-wheel drive is an option. It is powered by Nissan's silky 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine. There's no four-cylinder option.

Our SL tester includes such premium standard equipment as voice-controlled navigation and zero-gravity seats (heated in the front) with leather upholstery throughout. A $2,260 technology package adds a power sunroof, intelligent cruise control and forward collision warning. The sunroof is a panoramic, two-stage unit that creates an expansive sky view.

The Murano's interior is one of our favorites in any non-luxury vehicle, and would actually look at home inside an Infiniti, Nissan's premium brand. Our interior was done in a creamy beige color.

Nissan has taken some risks with accents that are neither brushed metal or faux wood, but something in between. Overall, the interior design is light, bright and airy -- a welcome break from today's ubiquitous black-on-black interiors.

The Murano's IT brain is concentrated in an 8-inch touch screen that houses the navigation system and Nissan's excellent Around View Monitor, a 360-degree overhead camera angle that looks as if it were emanating from a small drone hovering over your car. It's hard to overestimate how useful this is when backing up or parking in a tight space.

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

The Murano's potent 260-horsepower V-6 engine makes it fun to drive. It will sprint from zero to 60 miles per hour in about 7.5 seconds, which is about par for this segment.

The big news in the Murano's drive train is a continuously variable transmission, which offers an unlimited range of power ratios, unlike a traditional gearbox that usually offers only five or six shift points. The CVT improves fuel consumption (28 mpg highway, 21 mpg city) and is particularly well-suited for our hills and mountains around Chattanooga as the transmission never has to hunt for the right gear.

On our test drive, we zipped around Missionary Ridge and cruised down city streets. The Murano's suspension is lightly sprung, and soaks up most road imperfections without complaint. The seats in the Murano, which borrow space-age technology front NASA, are especially comfortable.

BOTTOM LINE

The high points of the Murano in my opinion, are, in order: Its avant-garde looks, its comfy seats and its excellent CVT transmission. Furthermore, it's one of those vehicles that just seems like more than the sum of its parts.

How many other SUVs are fully functional but also a delight to look at? In that regard, the Murano is pretty much a segment of one.

Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.

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