10 Things You Need To Know About The 2015 Nissan Murano

The 2015 Nissan Murano is indicative of the Japanese brand's new style-first strategy, as the redesigned mid-size crossover leaves its somewhat anonymous looks behind in favor of fresh sheet metal and glass that makes it one of the best-looking people movers in its class.  In addition to wowing with its first impression, the new Murano is also more efficient than ever before while additionally improving on the amount of room it has to offer when transporting both people and cargo. 

Let's take a look at 10 things you need to know about the 2015 Nissan Murano.

01. The 2015 Nissan Murano Features Bolder Styling

From the front, it's immediately clear that the 2015 Nissan Murano has been given a new set of aggressive styling cues designed to bring it in line with the looks of both the larger Nissan Pathfinder and smaller Nissan Rogue SUVs.  Run your eyes down its profile, however, and you'll discover an attention to detail that can't be found in either of its siblings' designs.  This is especially true at the rear of the Nissan Murano, where stylists have visually erased the presence of the crossover's C-pillar to provide the illusion that the entire roof 'floats' on top of a sea of glass.  It's a bold overall presentation that serves to set the Murano apart from most other models in its segment.

02. The 2015 Nissan Murano Is Bigger And Lighter Than Before

The 2015 Nissan Murano has been pushed out in two key dimensions in order to keep its interior volume competitive, but there's no need to worry about the mid-size crossover growing too large to be practical for families dealing with urban traffic - and parking - on a daily basis.  The Nissan Murano has only grown by three inches in terms of overall length, and it's also roughly one in wider than it was in 2014.  Combined with the crossover's half-inch lower height, however, the extra size of the 2015 Murano is emphasized to the eye, making a more solid impression.  Defying expectations, the larger Nissan actually weighs in at almost 150 lbs less than its predecessor thanks to the use of lighter, stronger materials throughout.

03. The 2015 Nissan Murano Provides A More Spacious Interior

Pushing out the 2015 Nissan Murano's length and width has translated into a more accommodating interior for riders at almost every position.  Total interior volume for the Nissan Murano has been increased by 7.3 cubic feet, bringing the total to 147.7 cubic feet, but more importantly rear legroom is up by 2.4 inches, making the vehicle more competitive with other two-row crossovers.  Cargo room is better for 2015 as well: you get almost eight additional cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place, and folding them down reveals 69.9 cubic feet of total storage space, which is an improvement of nearly five and a half cubes.

04. The 2015 Nissan Murano Updates Its Cabin Quality

If it's not enough for you that the 2015 Nissan Murano's passenger compartment is now more spacious than ever before, how would you feel knowing that it's also been given a quality makeover?  The Nissan Murano's interior plastics and trim have all been taken up-market in an effort to further civilize the crossover's utilitarian roots.  The vehicle's center stack has also been redesigned to reduce the amount of button clutter, and Nissan has brought the dashboard and gauge cluster further in line with its other crossover models, finishing the trend begun with the new Murano's exterior styling.

05. The 2015 Nissan Murano Maintains Last Year's V-6

Not everything is brand new with the 2015 Nissan Murano.  Under the hood, the Nissan Murano carries over the 2014 edition's 3.5-liter V-6, a unit that has been tuned to provide 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque.  Although these numbers may seem modest, Nissan's weight reduction efforts have been able to keep the Murano's mass at under 4,000 lbs, which makes it significantly less ponderous than some of its competitors out on the road.  As a result acceleration is healthy both around town and on the highway, without incurring the fuel mileage penalty associated with a more robust power plant.

06. The 2015 Nissan Murano Improves On Fuel Mileage

The 2015 Nissan Murano might not deliver extra power compared to the previous model, but it does take a sizable step forward in the fuel economy department.  A big part of the Nissan Murano's increased frugality has to do with the reprogramming of its continuously-variable automatic transmission, which helps it deliver 21-mpg in stop and go driving and 28-mpg on the highway.  This represents an improvement of three and four miles per gallon for each respective measure in base model Muranos (versus 2014), a considerable boost in fuel savings that is also tied-in to the crossover's more aerodynamic body shape and use of low rolling resistance tires.

07. The 2015 Nissan Murano Can Be With All-Wheel Drive

The 2015 Nissan Murano is initially offered in front-wheel drive form, but all-wheel drive can be specified at ordering time for those seeking additional grip when dealing with slippery road conditions.  It's important to note that despite its additional ride height when compared to a sedan, the Nissan Murano is not intended for off-road duty - this crossover is more at home dealing with snow and ice in all-wheel drive form.  Typically, selecting an all-wheel drive crossover translates into thirstier fuel mileage, but not so with the Murano, which boasts an identical 24-mpg city / 28-mpg highway for both front-wheel and all-wheel drive models.

08. The 2015 Nissan Murano Introduces New Platinum Trim Level

The 2015 Nissan Murano provides crossover shoppers with a new top-tier trim level for the current model year.  The Nissan Murano Platinum turns up the luxury inside the vehicle, including leather upholstery throughout the cabin as well as the use of imitation wood accents.  The Platinum trim's available features include cooled seats up front, heated seats in both rows, a touchscreen navigation system, a power tailgate, HD radio, Nissan's 360-degree AroundView camera system, LED headlights, 20-inch rims, and Bluetooth connectivity with voice command capability.  In addition, the Murano Platinum can also be ordered with a panoramic sunroof as well as number of active safety features such as a forward collision warning system with automatic braking.

09. The 2015 Nissan Murano Won't Be Available As A Convertible

Fans of unusual automobiles will be disappointed to find out that the 2015 Nissan Murano will be available exclusively in a fixed-roof configuration, thus spelling the end for the Murano CrossCabriolet convertible that was offered alongside the previous-generation vehicle.  Few will be likely to shed any tears for the drop-top Murano, as its styling was in many ways an acquired taste.  The only convertible crossover on the market, the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet proved to be more of a novelty than anything else, with slow sales sealing its doom once the 2015 redesign came around.

10. The 2015 Nissan Murano Is Priced Competitively With Rival Crossovers

Getting behind the wheel of the 2015 Nissan Murano is quite affordable to do.  With a starting MSRP of $29,560 for the Murano S, the crossover is only slightly pricier than comparable models from Ford (the Edge, MSRP $28,100) and Toyota (the Venza, $28,915).  Stepping up to the Nissan Murano Platinum, however, will have you opening your pockets up quite a bit wider: expect to pay $40,600 for an all-wheel drive version of the best-equipped version of Nissan's mid-size crossover.  This price puts the Murano Platinum more in line with premium models like the Lincoln MKX (MSRP $38,900) and the Lexus RX (MSRP $40,970).