HERE’S the SUV that broke the sports utility mould. Because in the case of Nissan’s Murano the S should stand for sexy not sports.
While everyone else was doing boring Nissan shook up the market with this stylish number, distinguished by sleek lines and catwalk model face. Everyone thought it had come straight off the set of the eighties TV favourite Knightrider.
Sadly that thin and ever so wide grille has been changed for something no doubt more practical. Shame. Yet Murano is still top of the SUV tree for looks.
Why don’t you see that many about? Simple, it cost a lot to run and own. You had to be well off to buy it in the first place and we know rich people stay rich because they don’t like throwing money away and that is what happened if you bought a Murano.
The V6 petrol engine sounded great and went like the wind but it did nothing much to the gallon so Murano running costs were on the high side.
Motoring hacks always asked Nissan why they couldn’t find an oil burner to make Murano a bit more family friendly and the answer was always ‘we haven’t an engine that will fit.’ What they really meant was they didn’t have an engine good enough to match the car’s expensive looks and expectations.
Well they have managed to find something, the tried and trusted 2.5 litre which has been given a few tweaks to bring it up to scratch. Sorry but I couldn’t help feeling I was driving second best. Murano deserves a throbbing 3-litre V6 instead of this four pot 16-valver which does the job of knocking down running costs to a more reasonable level, but not much else.
For £38k you expect a little bit more from under the bonnet because taking 10.5 seconds to hit 62mph is a bit pedestrian by today’s standards, and the 187bhp is no better than the 2.2 litre oil burner in the Hyundai Santa Fe that costs a lot less.
The upside is the engine is fairly well muffled and sounds refined when bumbling along the motorway. The news to gladden the hearts of potential SUV owners is that Murano should average around 35mpg which is a damn sight better than the petrol and not bad for a big four wheel drive.
It could do even better on fuel if the gear ratios allowed for the auto box to engage sixth gear sooner than 57mph. Audi’s new A7 is in seventh gear by the time it reaches 50mph!
Nevertheless Murano is still a sophisticated machine. As well as the stylish body the interior is pleasingly upmarket and comfortable with loads of room front and back. As for kit it has just about everything you could wish for and the only notable extra was the drop down DVD for back seat passengers at £575.
As with most up market Nissan’s a reversing camera built into the sat nav screen is standard fair, but Murano goes one step further and it is a very useful one. Alloy wheels look the business but are so easy to scuff because the metal protrudes outside the tyre rubber. The slightest graze will spoil them and of course they cost a fortune to replace but Murano’s side camera should solve that problem once and for all.
It’s easy to work, just hit a button on the dash for a full length view of the nearside so you can park close to the kerb without worrying about scraping an alloy.
In the scheme of things Nissan is decent value for an upmarket SUV because it is so well equipped. Some rivals have sharper handling although for many comfort is the key and Murano is not short in this area.
Yes, the four cylinder diesel is a bit of a disappointment, but I could live with it.
Nissan factfile
Murano 2.5dCi 4x4
Engine: 2.5 litre; 187hp
Performance: 0-62mph 10.5secs; 122mph
Economy: 35.3mpg combined
Emissions: 210g/km. VED £550
Insurance group 40
Price: £38,595