2025 Nissan Murano Is Back in the Game

Nissan’s mid-size SUV was getting old, almost old enough to need an annual tailpipe inspection. Among a crop of competitive fresh faces, the third-generation Murano had gone stale. Now, after nearly every other major player in Nissan’s lineup has been refreshed or redone, the 2025 Nissan Murano finally gets its day.

The fourth-generation Murano is more of a major refresh than an all-new vehicle. Underneath its shapely new sheetmetal, distinct lighting elements, swooping roofline, and bulging fenders lie structure and chassis components from the outgoing model—and that’s fine. The Murano’s sleek and clean design conceals those historic elements. Though the wheelbase and overall length stay roughly the same, the new Murano is 2.6 inches wider than its predecessor, and rolling on 20- or 21-inch wheel options, its front and rear tracks are 2.1 inches wider than before.

That little bit of extra stance pairs exceptionally well with new passive dampers and a suspension tuned for less body roll. During our initial drive, the Murano’s lateral motions were largely kept in check. On Tennessee’s buttery smooth roads, the wheel motions of the big 21-inch alloys felt adequately damped with no ugliness transmitted into the cabin. In even bigger news, the Murano’s steering is vastly improved too; gone is the dimwitted hydraulically assisted steering rack, and in its place is a better and more modern electronically assisted getup. Knock on the steering’s door midcorner, and unlike before, it actually answers. There’s some solid precision there as well.

Under the hood, the variable-compression-ratio and variable-displacement 2.0-liter turbo four—branded VC-Turbo—nestles into the Murano’s engine bay, but the maligned continuously variable automatic transmission has been sent packing, and Nissan mated the VC-Turbo to a nine-speed automatic. We couldn’t be happier. No, you won’t find the nine-speed very sporting, but dip into the 2.0-liter’s 241 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque (down 19 ponies but up 20 pound-feet over the former V-6), and the automatic will shift through its ratios smoothly. The gearbox is quick to find the highest gear possible, but that’s expected when the ultimate end goal is fuel economy. Speaking of which, the EPA estimates 23 mpg combined, the same as the outgoing powertrain. No matter what, though, we bid good riddance to the old rubber-band CVT. We do not miss you.

Inside, the Murano offers a more welcoming environment. Nissan said it went to great lengths to create comfortable seats, and we’d agree. The heated, ventilated, and massaging chairs provided on the $50,990 Platinum trim proved superb. Other Platinum equipment includes a head-up display, heated rear seats, and the aforementioned 21-inch wheels. With slimmer A-pillars and sail windows, we found greater forward visibility than before. In the Platinum model, your fingers land on plenty of soft touch points, including a leather-wrapped dashboard that seems a cut above what you’d find in a Honda Passport or Chevrolet Blazer. The lower H-point for the front seats increases headroom, and the wider body opens up the cabin a bit. Equipped with the moonroof, there’s a whopping eight cubic feet of additional passenger volume in the front row, but the accommodations in both rows are spacious.

Stepping down to the $47,950 SL trim on 20-inch wheels is a rational move. There’s plenty of standard equipment on the SL, too, highlighted by a 360-degree camera system, a 10-speaker Bose stereo, a panoramic sunroof, a heated steering wheel, and 64 colors’ worth of ambient light (if you’re into that sort of thing). The base SV kicks off at $41,860 and is the only trim offered with front-wheel drive, but all-wheel drive can be tacked on for $1000. And for that price, why not? On the infotainment front, all Muranos feature dual 12.3-inch displays for instrumentation and infotainment, with standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

It may have taken Nissan a decade to get with the program, but the Murano’s across-the-board improvements help shape it into a much stronger contender in the very important mid-size SUV segment. The Murano may not fix all of Nissan’s sales woes, but it represents an important step forward.

Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com