A half-dozen islets joined to Venice by an umbilical cord made of bridges, the region of Murano is best-known for narrow streets and expert glass-makers.
It's a place of brittle beauty, a gathering of craftsmen who are expert in creating crystalline excellence. In other words: a bit of an odd place to name a mainstream crossover after. But perhaps said vehicle isn't so middle-of-the-road.
Meet the new Nissan Murano, totally redesigned for the 2015 model year. Yes, it has underpinnings shared with the seven-seater Pathfinder, a Continuously Variable Transmission, and a workaday V-6. No, it isn't all that ordinary.
I mean, just look at it!
Design
Every manufacturer has its own design language, and Nissan's current efforts could well be called "Say What Now?" Never mind the plump little dumpling that bowed in 2003 with a chrome-laden grin, this new one's all edges and angles, sharp details and creased surfaces. It looks like somebody pressed pause halfway through the previous generation transforming into a space robot.
The front end is dominated by a huge V-shaped grille bearing the Nissan badge. On either side of this, the L-shaped headlights appear to be smearing down the sides of the vehicle with eye-watering speed.
The front and rear haunches are hunched and muscular, and the roof appears to be floating in space out back thanks to a blacked-out C-pillar.
Walking around to the back is a surprise, simply because it's so conventional by comparison: LED-ringed taillights, but otherwise reserved.
If you're looking for a dollop of style for your everyday driver, the Murano gives you two-scoops of Japanese gelato and then smothers that in walnut fudge sauce. It's nutty, and I like it.
Environment
Inside, my Platinum-trim tester seemed to beg the question, "So why exactly would you consider an Infiniti?" The Murano has always felt like its top-level editions overlapped heavily with Nissan's luxury car wing, and this one is no different.
Designed for five passengers only — and the better for it — the Murano provides a comfortable place to be for all passengers. Usually, nattering on about collaborations with NASA and the like can be strictly marketing mumbo-jumbo, but the so-called "zero-gravity" seats are actually quite excellent. Mind you, the older versions of the car were similarly cushy.
The central screen is eight inches in diameter, and most touchscreen duties are backed up by buttons. Acura could take note here at how relatively unfussy Nissan has managed to make their control layout. A large information display between the gauges supplements the dash display.
Cargo room is very good, slightly ahead of the Ford Edge and Toyota Venza. Naturally, the seats all fold flat, so if this is your antiquing transportation, there's more than enough room for that colossal armoire (full confession: I'm not really sure what an armoire actually is).
Performance
The Murano is available in both front-and all-wheel-drive versions, with the basic model front-drive only, and the top two trims all-wheel only. Power comes from a familiar 3.5-litre V-6 making 260 h.p. at 6,000 r.p.m. and 240 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 r.p.m. The only available transmission is Nissan's Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), something the first Murano championed as a unique feature for both smoothing out the ride and improving fuel economy. These days the only Nissan with a non-CVT transmission is either going to be a sportscar or a truck, and other manufacturers like Subaru have also adopted the technology range wide.
The main impression of the Murano's V-6 plus CVT combination is no impression at all. This is a very unobtrusive setup, with noise and vibration well damped down. It's not as noiseless as an all-electric Leaf or anything, but this crossover is certainly among the quietest machines in Nissan's range.
The steering is light and effortless, and even though this Platinum version comes with large, 20-inch alloys, the suspension is quite composed. Very rough pavement might unsettle things a little, but for day-to-day driving, the Murano makes for a good wafter. It's not particularly sporty, but instead competent and polished. All-wheel-drive versions of this comfy crossover would make the ideal vehicle for apres-ski: simply lower your aching quads into the seat, dial up the active cruise-control and slide on down the Sea-to-Sky highway without effort. A note: if you do intend to participate in winter sports with your Murano, 18-inch wheels will clear the brakes, and make for a less expensive set of snow tires.
Features
Everything that might be expected is standard on the Murano, from Bluetooth to heated seats. Less expected, perhaps, is the inclusion of standard satellite navigation on the basic front-wheel-drive S model.
So why should you move up the range? Well, the $43,498 Platinum spec is crammed full of tech. All four seating positions are heated and the fronts are cooled as well, daytime running lights are LEDs, you get Nissan's excellent 360-degree camera system, and there's a sonorous BOSE audio system with 11 speakers and dual subwoofers.
Official ratings for all-wheel-drive models are very good and 11.2 litres/100 kilometres city and 8.3 l/100 km highway. Front-wheel-drive saves nearly nothing (just 0.2 l/100 km on the highway), so it's worth springing for the AWD version for better traction and resale down the line.
Green light
Comfortable seats; smooth ride; feature-packed base model; high-tech top models.
Stop sign
Styling can be polarizing; not much sporting performance; some interior plastics don't match overall upscale feel.
The checkered flag
Beautiful without being brittle, comfortable without being uninteresting, high-tech without being confusing. A great result from Nissan's craftspeople.
Competitor
Ford Edge ($31,999): When first it debuted, the Ford Edge was equally polarizing in styling. That giant grille seemed like the sort of thing the Jolly Green Giant would use as a shaver, and the wheel diameter was intended for maximum curb appeal.
The current Edge is a bit filed down these days, favouring a broad appeal over shocking style. It's still plenty handsome, and has an interior quality that's right up there with the best. If the Murano asks the question "Why an Infiniti?", the Edge might have you reconsidering the need for Lincoln to exist.
However, where the Nissan has a simple, straightforward layout for infotainment, Ford's system still requires a bit of a learning curve.
