As the New York Auto Show approaches, Nissan has unveiled its new, third-generation Murano SUV.
The new design is clearly an important step for Nissan, as a huge chunk of the press release is dedicated to describing the new car.
It certainly looks a lot more modern and smooth compared to several of its competitors. The nose section will also feature LED headlights. The headlights also took some of its design inspiration from Nissan’s 370Z sports car. Another result of the design and all the time spent in the wind tunnel, is a drag coefficient of 0,31.
On the interior, the Murano will feature Nissan’s latest Advanced Drive-Assist display made up of a 7,0-inch colour screen. The sunroof has a 40% longer sliding length while the overall opening has increased by 29%.
Attention was also paid to the effortless changing of the rear seat configuration. When large items need to loaded in the rear, the seats can be folded flat from the boot, or brought back up (with power) without moving from the boot area.
It seems the same (or at least similar) drivetrain will power the Murano than the outgoing model. The 3,5-litre, V6 petrol unit’s power and torque figures seem to be unchanged at 191 kW ad 336 N.m. The CVT transmission was also kept from the previous model.
However, through a 60 kg weight reduction, improved aerodynamics and changes to the transmission and engine, Nissan claims “fuel economy is projected to be enhanced by approximately 20%”. Overseas the Murano will be offered in both 4×2 and 4×4 derivatives.
Safety features include blind spot warning (BSW), predictive forward collision warning (PFCW), forward emergency braking (FEB) and the new cross traffic alert (CTA) system. These systems make use of the four radars (front, rear and one on each side) to calculate any potential danger. Some of the passive safety features include seven airbags.
Expect the new Nissan Murano to arrive in South Africa before the end of the year.