09:38PM - 09.12.'14
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News Source: autoblog.com
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The Murano has an interesting position within the Nissan stable. On one hand, its size puts it between the Rogue and Pathfinder, both of which are geared more toward families, big and small. And while the Murano could easily be used for hauling your brood, that's not exactly its forte. After all, unlike it's siblings, it offers no third row accommodations. There's no rear-seat entertainment system available. There are no clever storage systems. That's because, in Nissan's eyes, the Murano is the flagship of its crossover range, and it's geared more toward older couples – empty-nesters, or folks who just never got around to having kids. This allows the Murano to be more premium in terms its styling and its available content. The Murano is less about taking the kids to soccer practice and more about taking four adults out to a wine tasting. Premium styling is indeed the big story here – this Murano looks fantastic, and is a rather dramatic departure from the oft-disliked second-generation model it replaces. Beyond that, the new Murano is more in line with the radical-looking, first-gen CUV that debuted in the early 2000s. But Nissan says the whole Murano package was developed with this flagship theme in mind – the company's executives call this the Maxima of its crossovers. To find out if that all holds true for the 2015 Murano, I headed up to California wine country – the vehicle's natural habitat, I've been led to understand – to see what's what. I don't think anyone loves the Nissan Murano as much as the automaker's senior creative manager in North America, Ken Lee. While presenting the third-generation crossover to members of the media during the car's launch in Napa, CA, Lee said it was the original Murano that made him want to work for Nissan in the first place. So when it came time to pen the 2015 model, Lee strived to "push the reset button," and create a product with an equally strong styling statement. The goal here was to design a Murano that would resonate as a premium vehicle not only as part of the Nissan lineup, but within the midsize crossover segment as a whole. I use the word "resonate" for a reason. Think back to the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, when Nissan debuted its Resonance concept – an aggressive, modern showcar that clearly showed a new direction for not just the Murano itself, but for all of the Japanese automaker's future designs. Nissan wanted to create "a concept car for the road" with this new Murano, Lee said. The styling is perhaps the most important factor of this new model, and truth be told, it almost didn't turn out like this. Good thing it did, though. The Resonance's conceptual elements look good in production form, like the powerful V shape that starts in the grille and runs up the hood, accented by angular headlamp clusters with LED running lamps. Along the sides, there's a strong character line extending from the front wheel well upwards toward the rear. From the front three-quarter view, the Murano looks sort of squat and plump, and the bold front elements look almost exaggerated. But things really smooth out when viewed in profile, and the vehicle looks much longer than before, even though the body has only been extended by about three inches. As for other dimensions, the Murano is just over an inch wider and half-an-inch shorter in height. The rear is where the new Murano really stands out, though. The strong, angled taillamps with the LEDs of this Platinum tester provide a bold signature to the rear fascia, and the floating roof design between the C and D pillars is something really unique. To my eyes, it looks fantastic. If you aren't a fan, you're going to be disappointed to learn that Nissan will be incorporating this styling element into many of its future products. And before I go any further, no, there will not be a CrossCabriolet version of this handsome fellow. Top-end Muranos like the Platinum trim pictured here ride on 20-inch wheels reminiscent of those used on the larger Pathfinder, while entry- and mid-level Muranos use 18-inch rollers that are still upscale, attractive, and don't look puny in contrast to the large wheel wells and strong body design. Other Platinum trim goodies include the aforementioned LED daytime running lamps, as well as HID headlamps – neither of which are currently available on the larger Pathfinder. In terms of being a "flagship," the Murano really does look like the most premium of Nissan's crossovers. It uses the boldest design, and has the strongest focus on styling, which is important, considering there isn't anything terribly revolutionary in terms of powertrain or mechanicals. |
