AutoCar

Nissan Murano

Local Launch
Sydney, NSW

What we liked
>>Competitive pricing
>>Comfortable leather seats
>>Quiet ride

Not so much
>>Polarising style
>>Engine lacks punch
>>Nervous handling over bumpy and twisting road

Overall rating: 2.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 2.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 2.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 2.5/5.0

OVERVIEW
Design. Design. Design. You couldn't escape the 'D word' at the launch of the updated Nissan Murano.

'Design Delivers' was the motto written across the back of the t-shirts, the presentation was held at GYD, a trendy Sydney designer furniture complex and leading Australian designer Ken Cato was brought in to make a speech. And it was all because the Murano's 'love-it-or-hate-it' styling remains its major selling point.

Cato gave a very thoughtful talk on the importance of design, its role in society and why the Murano is an attractive car. But it was hard not to think that great style doesn't need to be explained...

Having said that, the point was made during the launch that most products these days -- whether they are televisions, computers or cars -- all do pretty much the same thing for the same price, which means style is all that separates one from the other. If that's true then the new Murano certainly stands out.

Every body panel is different on the new model, but in what Nissan calls an 'evolution of an iconic shape' overall the car retains a strong resemblance to the 2003 original. The front grille remains the standout feature with vertical chrome bars running in between its "arrowhead cool-eye" headlights. The taillights have been changed from the vertical to horizontal units. But the upswept triangular rear side window remains similar to the outgoing model because of its role as a signature of Nissan crossovers (a signature that does little to help rearward visibility!).

Nissan has high hopes, in relative terms, for the Murano with a target of 200 sales per month. That would be a major boost for the car (over double what it was selling last year) and needs to happen in an increasingly competitive SUV marketplace.