|  Daniel Lafrance
May 12, 2010
2010 Nissan Murano – Road Test
At first glance
It’s not necessarily easy to describe the Nissan Murano. This modern crossover, which was redesigned last year, offers personal lines which were qualified at its launch as art in motion. Its curves are evident, and the Murano truly reflects a sense of heaviness and impressive size.
Its recent make-over has allowed refining certain details. The front lights, for example, are more slender and are directly embedded in the vehicles lateral edge, while the rear lights have lost their impressive size, undergoing a slimming cure.
Murano’s distinguishing sign, its 20’’ wheels and its grille which, even touched up, still give the impression that the vehicle is smiling at everyone in its path, while clearly drawing attention to the Nissan logo in dead centre.
View of the interior
The Murano is first and foremost a passenger vehicle with its remarkable comfort, similar to that of the high-end Infiniti banner, Nissan’s sister company. Its finish is practically faultless, a rare occurrence for a company whose reputation is more often directed toward inappropriate materials.
The seats are leather (at least on our test model), wrap style and offering adequate support, even if your build slightly exceeds average width. On the other hand, for tall people, the backrest may be slightly on the short side, making long trips more problematic.
A word about standard equipment – rather elementary. Instead, we should examine option packages, including a panoramic sliding roof and hard drive navigation providing all desired comfort, which obviously increases purchase price.
Finally, the loading capacity is noteworthy, even though the rear hatch is a bit high for it to be considered easily accessible.
 And on the road
The Murano is above all a family-oriented crossover. Forget pedal to the floor accelerations; they’re replaced by a smooth, efficient engine. The Murano is powered by Nissan’s famous 3.5L engine delivering 265 hp. The intuitive all-wheel-drive system makes for confident handling, although a bit slow. The only real drawback is that the CVT (continuous variation) requires some experience, but you quickly get used to it.
The suspensions are smooth, and make rough roads pleasant for driving. On the downside, breaking requires a little patience, even when it’s done in urgency.
Conclusion:
Good finish, pleasant, the Murano is definitely an option in the affordable crossover niche, but there’s fierce competition, mainly from Ford Edge, Ford Flex, GMC Acadia and Hyundai Veracruz, which have a lot to offer.
The expensive options, the super grade fuel it requires and its unique style limit the amount of interest it can produce.
A few statistics on the Murano:
8… seconds 0-100km/h
42.1%... depreciation
381… sales in Canada (March 2010)
4557… annual sales (2009)
$38,298 to $47,948... price
Technical data:
Engine: V6 3.5L DACT
Power: 265 hp @ 6,000 rpm
Torque: 248 ft-lb @ 4,400 rpm
Drive: all-wheel traction
Transmission: continuous variation transmission (CVT)
Brakes: 4-wheel disc
Fuel consumption (l/100 km): 11.8 (city)/8.7 (highway)
Towing capacity: 1,588 kg | |
