Glassy Smooth: Nissan Murano Platinum AWD

Welcome back Nissan Murano. It’s been a while. For a moment there, we thought you might be going the way of Blockbuster, Stein Mart and McDonald’s fried apple pie.

Back in the early 2000s when the cute-ute crossover hit the showrooms, it was the compact, fun-driving SUV to have. It came with a silky-smooth 3.5-liter V6 under the hood was just like the one used in the 350Z two-seater.

But after a clinic full of facelifts, updates and new versions—remember that stylistically challenged Murano CrossCabriolet?—after 2016 it all went quiet. Rogue and Pathfinder got all the love; Murano was pretty much forgotten.

Earlier this year however, Nissan pulled the wraps off fresh, new Murano with a bold, head-spinning design inspired by Nissan’s electric Ariya, lots of new tech, and a classy interior with lots of cool touches.

Best of all, Nissan didn’t get greedy with pricing. The base, yet nicely equipped Murano SV kicks off at just $41,965. Step up to the SL with its standard panoramic sunroof and 10-speaker Bose stereo stickers for $48,055.

For plenty of glam, splurge for the high-falutin Platinum flagship that I’ve just spent a week driving. It’s all glove-soft, quilted, semi-aniline leather, heated, cooled, and massaging front seats, heads-up display and cool-looking 21-inch alloys. All for $51,095.

Did I mention the customizable 64-color interior lighting? I loved the pinkish neon. Very Barbie.

And this is one terrific-looking compact crossover that puts the “sport” in sport-utility. The front-end styling is a real head-turner with its air-gulping intakes, skinny LED headlights, and stack of thin, horizontal LED running lights at each side.

Love that swoopy roofline too, that looks like it was modeled from a rolling wave. The roof curve is nicely accentuated with a swoop of brushed metal. There’s equal visual drama at the rear with an LED light bar spanning the entire width.

The Platinum model also gets a retro-style two-tone look with a black roof contrasting with our tester’s blue-green body color that Nissan calls Aurora Blue Metallic.

Overall, this latest Murano is pretty much the same size as the outgoing version, though it’s a welcome 2.6 inches wider for more interior space. Size wise, it’s still around 10 inches longer than Nissan’s best-selling Rogue.

Climb aboard and you’re in for a treat. Like before, it’s a two-row cabin with seats for five and no shortage of knee room and headroom for those in the back.

There’s a huge focus on quality as well, with lovely, perforated leather seats, nice dark wood elements, and high-quality plastics. At first glance you might think you’re sitting in an Infiniti rather than a Nissan.

A big change with this latest Murano is the switch from that previous 3.5-liter V6 to a more modern 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with the variable-compression tech used in Infiniti models, like the Q50 crossover.

I was a big fan of the old Teflon-smooth V6, and this new four-cylinder is a bit of a compromise by comparison. Its max power of 241-horsepower is down 19 horseys, but it does pack a more usable 20 extra pound-feet of torque.

But accelerating off the line, or punching out of an on-ramp, and the turbocharger on the new engine takes its sweet time to respond making the performance feel dull. Zero-to-60 acceleration takes a just-OK 7.2 seconds. It constantly feels like it needs Red Bull. Or hybrid-assist.

Thankfully, however, Nissan jettisoned the previous CVT continuously variable transmission, replacing it with a proper, smoother-shifting nine-speed automatic.

This so-so power delivery is balanced out with the new Murano’s vastly-improved, electrically assisted steering which is a joy to use in both city traffic and through the curves. Firm yet bump-absorbing suspension makes for a smooth ride too.

And the new Murano’s upscale luxury image is matched by the hushed refinement and silent running of that four-cylinder. Cruising at 75 miles per hour on I-75, there’s hardly a murmur from under the hood.

So welcome back Nissan Murano, it’s been worth the wait. This latest version has a lot to offer and makes a compelling choice in this packed mid-sized crossover segment of the market.

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