OVERVIEW Fashionable alternative to the typical mid-sized family crossover PROSWell contented, comfortable, stylish CONSLimited towing capability, smallish cargo area, limited rear-view visibility VALUE FOR MONEYGood WHAT TO CHANGE?An optional engine choice would be nice HOW TO SPEC IT?Murano SL AWD ($42,948) The mid-sized crossover/SUV segment is full of well-known nameplates: Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Explorer, Dodge Durango, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, to name a few. In all 15 or so models all fight for market share, and this field has grown in the past 12 months with additions such as the Volkswagen Atlas, Honda Passport, Subaru Ascent and Chevrolet Blazer (old name, new SUV). Oh, and let’s not forget the brand-new Hyundai/Kia twins as well — the Palisade and Telluride, respectively. Some of the aforementioned have three rows of seats; some have two. These are the workhorses of the entire SUV segment — the family vehicles, the haulers. They usually aren’t sexy; they’re not (with some exception) overpowered or overpriced. They just are. Which doesn’t mean they can’t be good looking or well equipped or, depending on your definition, borderline luxurious. As an example I offer Nissan’s Murano, specifically the topline Platinum edition being tested. The name has been familiar to Canadians since 2002; the third-generation model has been around since 2015, with the 2019 version receiving a mild exterior refresh — more pronounced V-motion’ grille, redesigned LED headlights and taillights, new LED fog lights, new wheel designs  — and some interior enhancements. Personally, I’ve always liked the looks of the Murano, Nissan’s designers going the extra mile to make it distinctive and less boxy. OK, Gen 3 is a bit thick around the middle in profile, but it has a bold character line that ties it in with the flagship Maxima sedan. The downside to fashion over function is a big rear pillar that creates a significant blind spot. The mitigating factor is the Platinum’s standard Around View Monitor, which provides a virtual 360-degree scene of the crossover in bird’s-eye view through video processed by four cameras that display the composite footage on the screen. The powertrain for North American Muranos is the same as it’s been for the past 17 years, at least from a displacement perspective: a 3.5-litre V6 that puts out a solid but not class-leading 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. It’s mated to a continuously variable transmission that Nissan calls Xtronic. Except for the addition of a hybrid version in 2016 that lasted a single model year, Nissan has not offered any other engine/transmission combo since Day One. And as long as you’re just hauling people and maybe a small U-Haul trailer — the crossover’s maximum towing capability is a pitiful 1,500 pounds — acceleration is good enough, about eight seconds to reach 100 kilometres an hour. The other thing is that, while more manufacturers turn to turbocharged four-cylinders to power their rigs (Santa Fe, Edge, Mazda CX-9, Subaru Ascent, etc.), there is something to be said about the easy flow of power from a naturally aspirated six-cylinder. Though not particularly heavy, at least for a mid-sized crossover, the 1,836-kilogram Murano is a bit sluggish in the curves, particularly the steering, which is wooden moving off centre. The ride is comfortable, though, courtesy of the four-wheel independent suspension. The Murano is available in four trim levels — S, SV, SL and Platinum — the last with a long menu of features designed to keep you comfy, entertained and safe for just $45,998, a reasonable price considering. Does this make the Murano Platinum a competitor to one of the known luxury models — Lexus RX, for instance, or Nissan’s own upscale Infiniti QX50? Well, owners of those vehicles would likely say “definitely not.” Those contemplating a step up from the usual might counter with a “not so fast.” One of the 2019 Platinum model’s enhancements is new premium semi-aniline leather-appointed seats with diamond-quilted inserts and contrasting micro-piping trim for the seats, door armrests and centre console. The seats look terrific and are very comfortable. Another upgrade is the Platinum’s dark wood-tone trim finish — other versions get different finishes — that doesn’t really complement the tester’s black cabin. In addition, all 2019 Muranos come with Nissan’s rear door alert and intelligent driver alertness safety features, the latter “learning” each individual driver’s steering patterns and helping alert him/her when drowsy driving is detected. Actually, as a family vehicle, especially one operating in a congested city setting, the Murano is almost ridiculously equipped with safety, security and driver assistance technologies. Most fall under the banner of Safety Shield 360, a suite of advanced technologies that includes intelligent emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear
Origin: SUV Review: 2019 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD