Nissan Murano 2015

The Nissan Murano for 2015 isn’t really designed to be a family car. It’s more of a Sports-Utility vehicle for small household with active lives. The Murano only comes in one body style, a five-door crossover.

New For 2015, But Not A Makeover

The redesign of the 2015 Murano is mostly interior changes. The exterior’s striking looks are tweaked, but not a lot of big changes are seen. The nighttime looks are noticeably different due to LED headlights available as an upgrade. The Murano’s swooping fenders and horizontal styling emphasis in the latest model draws the eye away from the tall body design that all SUVs of this type require.

Inside, It’s Much Different

The interior has been redesigned with more of an eye toward luxury and comfort. The former version had bits of hard plastic on display here and there in the cockpit, but the 2015 Murano has opted for softer, more elegant surfaces. The center console has been extended into the back seat, and offers rear seat occupants to charge and store their phones as well. Nissan has streamlined the dashboard on the 2015, cutting down the number of controls available from 25 to 10. The lack of clutter is noticeable.

The Murano looks very compact on the outside, and the back is slanted like a sportier model, but the cargo area is still among the largest in its class. The rear seats fold flat for even more room, but Nissan estimates that four full-sized suitcases will fit behind the rear seat in any case. There’s an optional power assist for lowering the seat back available.

Under The Hood

The Murano will have the same powertrain as the much larger Pathfinder, so it’s bound to be powerful. It’s standard front-wheel drive, but offers four-wheel as an option, and the powerplant is more than hefty enough to merit it.

Specifications:

• Engine: V6
• Horsepower: 260
• Displacement: 3.5 Liter
• 0-60 time: 7 sec.
• Top Speed: 120 mph
• Wheelbase: 111.2 inches, Length 192.4 inches, Width 75.4 inches, Height 66.5 inches
• Min. ground clearance 6.9 inches

Safety First

The Nissan Murano 2015 hasn’t been crash tested yet, but Nissan has a long track record with their previous versions. Along with the usual air bags and restraint systems, the Murano will offer other optional features like adaptive cruise control, predictive forward collision warning, forward emergency braking, and blind-spot warnings. The Murano also has an innovative alert system to tell drivers who are backing out of driveways or parking spaces when a vehicle is approaching from either side, a real improvement on regular backup cameras.

The Murano 2015 has four trim levels, offering such amenities as dual-zone climate control, pushbutton ignition with an intelligent key system, heated steering wheel, remote engine starting, and heated front and rear seats. There’s a Bose AM/FM/CD unit with eleven speakers scattered throughout the cabin, and navigation and mobile applications built in.

The Murano is expected to get up to 24 combined highway/city miles per gallon on its V-6 engine, about 20 percent superior to the model it replaces.