Very first Drive Assessment
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Nissan’;s new crossover resonates with us.
When Nissan showed its bold Resonance concept at the 2013 Detroit auto show, there was no query that the car forecast the third-generation Murano. That automobile is now right here, appearing in production metal and plastic with most of the show car’s intent intact. Nissan execs are proud of their new “flagship crossover,” as they contact the 2015 Murano, throwing about additional clichés like “concept vehicle for the street” and speaking about how a lot the interior resembles a “lounge on wheels.” Which is by an appropriate measure significantly less temerarious than the concept’s press release, which proclaimed that designers had drawn inspiration from “the futuristic allure of hypersonic travel.”
Alas, travel in the new Murano is slower—and decidedly familiar. Nissan’s 2-decades-old VQ engine drives the wheels through a continuously variable transmission, just like each and every Murano to come ahead of. Displacement remains at 3.5 liters, as does the Murano’s 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque. Whilst we retain a fondness for the naturally aspirated VQ, in this era of ubiquitous turbocharging and rampant power escalation, 260 horses no longer seems like a lot. It is enough, nevertheless, to adequately motivate the Murano, at least for these drivers looking to basically get from A to B. The transmission remains the weak link for enthusiasts, despite the fact that the Xtronic CVT now has a manual shift mode that imitates a standard automatic. We may possibly locate this more rewarding if the Murano offered shift paddles instead of requiring the driver to tug at the console-mounted shifter.
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With its sheetmetal curving differently for 2015, the Murano’s dimensions and priorities have shifted a bit. While the wheelbase remains unchanged at 111.2 inches, length increases by 2.9 inches to 192.8. Cargo capacity benefits, growing to 39.6 cubic feet. The Murano is also wider and lower, losing some ground clearance and seeing its angle of strategy reduce by more than half. Nissan has ultimately come to the clear conclusion that off-road capacity has dropped beneath even AM radio on crossover buyers’ lists of should-have characteristics. Predictably then, the Murano no longer involves a locking mode for its front-wheel-biased all-wheel-drive program, or even a torque-split show like the one integrated in the Pathfinder.
It is on the Edge . . . of Styling
For the very first time because its original launch 12 years ago, nevertheless, the Murano is on the cutting edge of styling. Oddly adequate, it most resembles the fundamental design of the BMW i3, even though larger and a lot more totally realized. So the Murano is not precisely attractive, but it is various. Sculpted sides and taillights that resemble boomerangs give it an athleticism that is somewhat at odds with a bulbous front finish. The “floating roof” from the concept is executed by signifies of several black plastic exterior trim pieces that appear like a triumph of kind more than function. But Nissan has managed to drop the Murano’s claimed coefficient of drag from .37 to .31, in part by designing the hood such that it kicks up at its trailing edge, thereby routing air smoothly up more than the roof.
We noticed this simply because the lip sits so far forward of the windshield that the cowl is massive, which looks rather strange from the driver’s seat. So function clearly had its spot at the table the Murano’s EPA combined fuel-economy rating sees a dramatic improvement from 20 mpg to 24 regardless of the quantity of driven wheels. This reflects a clear corporate commitment to boosting mileage. Nissan had the biggest improvement in typical fuel economy of any carmaker from 2012 to 2013, according to a current EPA report.
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Like other Nissans, the new Murano has also slimmed down, to an typical stated weight of less than 3900 pounds. The 4 trim levels (the familiar S, SV, SL, and a new Platinum designation that replaces the old leading-of-the-line LE) are each and every offered with either front- or all-wheel drive listed weights range from as little as 33 pounds lighter for the base model to as significantly as 146 pounds lighter for the 4-wheel-drive SL.
Significantly less for The Jetsons than It Seems
From behind the wheel, the Murano appears less of a futuristic notion than just a genuinely nice Nissan. The switchgear is common Nissan stuff, and the “NASA-inspired Zero Gravity seats” from its Altima platform-mate are now standard on the Murano, both in the front and second row. Even though they may possibly not rank with Tang and Velcro, they are indeed comfy.
The interior is trimmed with unapologetically plastic accents in a single of 2 patterns that are tied to the interior colour option. One particular resembles nothing at all so much as modern bathroom tile, while the other appears similar to the silver wood that graces particular Mercedes-Benz S-classes. Novel, yes, but both finishes are far a lot more convincing and aesthetically pleasing than the fake carbon fiber or metal-appear plastic that many automakers use to connote upmarket aspirations.
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Acoustic laminated glass and plenty of sound deadening contribute to a quiet cabin, 1 that is mostly free of road noise. To the average purchaser, this is exactly where the new Murano tends to make its ideal justification as a premium item. An upgraded infotainment method with smartphone integration and new safety technologies like emergency braking and a sonar-primarily based frontal-crash warning technique tick all-essential boxes on the attributes sheet.
The Murano is priced appropriate on leading of its bigger, 3-row Pathfinder sibling, beginning at $ 30,445, with a leading-of-the-heap Platinum grazing the $ 40,000 mark. All-wheel-drive models command $ 1600 much more. Nissan would have us think that all that design and style is worth the money we might posit that the Murano’s superior driving dynamics are far more deserving of your tough-earned dollars. We are impressed with the nicely weighted steering, the well-damped suspension, and the firm brake pedal. Just as its predecessor, the new Murano does a good job of toeing that fine line in between isolating and involving. Now that is a notion that truly resonates.
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