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By
EWAN KENNEDY
22 August 2005
And now for something completely different! This isn’t a concept
car, this is the new Nissan Murano SUV and you can buy one from your
local dealer today. Nissan has not only pulled itself back from the
brink of financial disaster in recent years, it has also drawn itself
away from the styling pack to create some fascinating new ideas. None of
them more unusual than the Murano.
Just grab a look at that sensationally shining
front with its tiny headlights, at the side profile that’s
dominated by a D-pillar that curves dramatically upwards towards
the roof, and at the way the rear lights curve courageously
forward over the guards. Most of all take a long stare at that
complex rear tailgate. A tailgate that’s so dramatic in its
shape that it couldn’t be stamped from steel, rather it uses
high-tech plastic with a skeleton of steel to reinforce it.
Then there's the interior, with a sensational
metallic look on the hard surfaces, as well as an instrument panel
that owes a lot to big brother Nissan 350Z in its style. An SUV
with sports car instruments? Why not, says Nissan's designers.
A crossover that sits roughly halfway between a
fully fledged offroader and a passenger car, Murano is long and
wide, but significantly lower than the typical SUV. There's a huge
amount of interior space with stretch out legroom for five
passengers, as well as decent shoulder and elbow room in all
seats.
We have to back off from our praise at this
stage, because in this world you never get something for nothing.
That dramatic rear end of this big Nissan certainly looks great,
but it robs the boot of a lot of height except in the area
immediately behind the back seat. There's plenty of length and
width, but have a think about what you may want to carry in the
way of tall loads before falling in love with Murano's styling.
Naturally, you can increase luggage room by
folding the rear seat down – it’s a split-fold item that goes
virtually flat – but the clever thing about this seat is that
folding it down simply requires the flick of a pair of levers
conveniently set near the rear of the boot. Then spring loading
takes over and the seats quietly get themselves out of the way.
Power comes from a 3.5-litre, V6, 172kW engine
that’s a close relation to the one used in the Nissan 350Z as
well the Nissan Maxima.
Fascinatingly, this engine is mated to a
continuously variable transmission, a unit that breaks new ground
in being able to cope with more power than has ever been seen
before. As seems to be the way with the latest generation of
continuously variable transmissions, the Nissan unit has a
semi-manual function, with six preset ratios that can be accessed
through a tiptronic-type shift lever.
Power is normally taken to the front wheels
only, but if sensors realise that the front wheels are spinning
some power is taken back to the rear wheels, as much as 50 per
cent in extreme circumstances. The AWD system can be locked in,
though only at low speeds.
The limiting factor is likely to be ground
clearance, at 180mm it sits about two-thirds of the way towards a
full 4WD.
We’ve driven the new Nissan Murano on sealed
roads as well as on slippery dirt tracks and over a low-level,
water crossing. It’s particularly impressive on normal roads,
with the body having a solid feel that’s backed up by excellent
noise and vibration suppression. The result is a ride that’s
almost as soft as that of a luxury car – and quieter than many
of them.
Handling is good for a vehicle with a highish
centre of gravity and Murano can be hustled around corners at
speeds higher than most owners will ever attempt. It gets buffeted
more than we expected by crosswinds and can wander around in a
manner than verges on being disconcerting at times. Then again,
our testing was done in central Victoria during a particularly bad
period of gales so maybe we found the worst in it.
Incidentally, the word Murano is a genuine
Italian one – which makes a pleasant change from the host of
pseudo-Italian names that are actually generated by Japanese
computers. Murano is the name given to type of sculpted-glass
design hailing from islands near Venice.
Nissan Murano sells for $51,990 in its ST
format, with a Bose six-speaker stereo, in-dash six-CD stacker,
climate-controlled air conditioning, power windows and door
mirrors and xenon headlights. Paying another $5000 gets you the Ti
luxury variant with leather trim, heated front seats, a power
sunroof, roof rails and rear parking sensors.
Murano is likely to sell on its styling alone,
yet there's a lot more to it than simply looks. The capacious
interior, quiet ride and sheer driving comfort will appeal to a
lot of potential owners.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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