The Murano competes in price and size with the Ford Edge, Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. It seats five. The Murano comes in four trim levels: S, SL, SV and LE. All four come with front- or all-wheel drive.
New for 2011 The Murano gets both exterior and interior styling tweaks, and there is a new SV trim level that’s a midrange offering, positioned just above the S trim.
Exterior The front end has bold headlight clusters and optional bi-xenon headlights. The rear end has some distinctive shapes, including a rear window designed for good rear visibility. LED taillights and dual chrome tailpipes are standard, while a roof rack and a power liftgate are optional. For 2011, the grille and front bumper have been reworked, and there are new taillights. Exterior features include:
Standard 18-inch wheels
Optional 20-inch wheels
Optional fog lights
Optional moonroof
Optional roof rails
Interior The Murano’s interior can incorporate double-stitched leather or wood trim. The interior was refreshed for 2011 and now includes new center-stack materials and a new wood grain hue. Interior features include:
Standard six-CD changer and MP3 jack
Standard tilt/telescoping steering wheel
Available Bose premium audio with XM Satellite Radio
Available backseat 7-inch screen for DVDs
Available heated front and rear seats
Available rain-sensing wipers
Available 7-inch dashboard display with rearview camera and navigation system
Under the Hood Nissan’s familiar 3.5-liter V-6 powers the Murano, producing 260 horsepower and 240 pounds-feet of torque. The transmission is a continuously variable one, called Xtronic, which is one of the most time-proven ones on the market. All trims are available in either front- or all-wheel drive. Mechanical features include:
Standard continuously variable automatic transmission
Standard push-button start
Safety In addition to the required front airbags, the Murano has side-impact airbags for front occupants and side curtains to protect both rows of seats. The curtains are designed to deploy in the event of a rollover, too. Safety features include:
Standard front- and side-impact airbags
Standard side curtain airbags for both rows
Standard active head restraints
Standard four-wheel-disc antilock brakes
Standard electronic stability system with traction control
