Yahoo Autos The 2019 Nissan Murano Solidifies Its Standing as a Semi-Luxury Crossover
Nissan has tweaked the mid-size Murano crossover for 2019, sprinkling some extra style and touting more safety features just as it has for the refreshed 2019 Maxima sedan.
The first 2003 Murano, a vehicle so attractive we once compared it to Shania Twain, helped cement the car-based-crossover segment in buyer’s brains. Three generations onward, the Murano has become the semi-luxury, semi-invisible model in Nissan’s lineup next to the cheaper Rogue, which outsells the Murano by nearly five to one. Altima sedan sales are more than 2.5 times the Murano’s 68,962 U.S. sales through October. But for those who want V-6 power, more space, and flashier looks in a tall, wagonish body, the Murano remains the staple in Nissan dealerships.
The 2019 model’s V-shaped grille packs a bigger bulge while its LED headlights, fog lights, and taillights sink into new shapes. You’ll also notice new spokes for the 18- and 20-inch wheels. In keeping with the industry shift to brighter exterior paint, Nissan added a reddish-orange Sunset Drift with Chromaflair, a pigment with aluminum flakes that creates a color-shifting effect when viewed at varying angles. A new brown and dark blue are also available.
The top Platinum trim gains semi-aniline leather (one of the softest grades available for a vehicle) with diamond-stitched seat inserts and contrast piping across the seats, door armrests, and center console. Lest the cheaper seats feel squeezed, Nissan updated the faux wood and aluminum-style patterns for the S, SV, and SL trims. An updated infotainment system finally rids the Murano of its VCR-style screen. Now there's a higher-resolution unit that works with swiping and pinching gestures. SL and Platinum trims get a better navigation system with online point-of-interest search and satellite images.
The Murano’s 260-hp 3.5-liter V-6 and continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) carry over on both front- and all-wheel drive models. But Nissan’s new suite of driver-assist technology, dubbed Safety Shield 360, can now stop the vehicle in reverse and detect pedestrians up front, and it also includes lane-departure warning and auto high-beams. Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and front automated emergency braking, which are already available on the Murano, are now bundled with those new features. They’re only available, however, on the SL with the Technology package or the Platinum. Nissan’s semi-automated driving functionality, ProPilot Assist, is still not on the Murano. A passenger knee airbag and rear thorax side airbags-a rarity even on high-end luxury cars-are standard across the board.
Expect the 2019 Murano to rise mildly above the 2018 model’s $32,045 base price when it arrives in December.
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