2025 Nissan Murano First Drive: Trading Power For Luxury

Named for the Italian islands of Murano and the namesake art glass originating from said islands, the Nissan Murano first arrived in 2002 for the 2003 model year as Nissan's first crossover for the Canadian and U.S. markets. 

For over 20 years, this mid-size crossover garnered awards like a nomination for the 2003 North American Truck of the Year and the 2015 Ward's 10 Best Interiors Award. It also introduced the first-ever convertible crossover, the short-lived Murano CrossCabriolet sold between 2011 and 2014 during the Murano's second generation. Its best year of sales in the U.S. was 2016 with nearly 87,000 units, two model years into the now-outgoing third generation.

By the end of December 2024, an all-new fourth-generation Murano will roll into showrooms with a look inspired in part by the all-electric Ariya. Before the latest version of Nissan's mid-sizer arrives, though, the automaker invited a few journalists — including yours truly — to come down to their house in Franklin, Tennessee to spend a morning getting to know the all-new Murano as well as the all-new third-generation Nissan Armada, which we took for a spin the day before.

"The design philosophy of the all-new 2025 Nissan Murano is energetic elegance," said Nissan Senior Design Director Giovanny Arroba. "Our goal was to create a vehicle that's equal parts form and function, with a sleek, premium look inside and out."

To that end, the all-new Murano is a dramatic departure from the previous-generation crossover, beginning with its face. Narrow projector headlamps ride above the winged daytime running light array flanking the grille, mixing styling cues from the Ariya, the new Kicks, and the facelifted third-generation Versa. The side profile of the fourth-gen Murano replaces the curved front fenders of the last-gen crossover for a straighter line beginning from the top of the front turn signal lamps, leading down into the rear door handles. The points on the C-pillar's bow-tie are fully connected here, compared to the blacked-out gap on the previous model.

Cameron Aubernon/SlashGear

The backside of the 2025 Murano continues the elegance with a long taillight bow placed under the rear glass. The license plate was moved to the bumper below the tailgate for a cleaner look, and the tailgate area itself is concave compared to the relatively flat end of old. And if you're wondering where the rear wiper is, it's now tucked into the rear wing above the rear glass; the exhaust tips are similarly tucked away for a cleaner look. A set of 20- to 21-inch aluminum alloys put a bow on this classy new suit.

The theme continues inside with a minimalist, clean design anchored by a pair of 12.3-inch screens across all trim levels: SV, SL, and Platinum. The transmission controls have changed to a push-button setup, and most of the physical controls from the previous Murano are now capacitive controls, which might not sit well with those who still prefer to have their radio and HVAC operated by switches and knobs.

Behind the wheel, the driver's digital cluster can be enhanced with a heads-up display on the top-tier Platinum trim. The 2025 Murano also receives the 3D Intelligent Around View Monitor camera system for knowing where everything and everyone is while driving or parking, including the "invisible hood" view used to navigate rougher terrain in the 2025 Armada. SV trim comes with ProPILOT Assist, adding adaptive cruise control to the mix, while the other two trims get ProPILOT Assist 1.1 and its GPS-assisted speed controls. Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking and post-collision e-call help round out the driver aides within this midsize crossover.

Nissan

As for the center 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, wireless device charging and Bluetooth are available across all trims. For the SV and Platinum trims, the touchscreen also receives Google built-in with access to Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Google Play Store, plus Amazon Alexa. A 4G Wi-Fi hot spot and available 10-speaker Bose stereo system tie everything all together.

Aiming for a more upscale vibe with the all-new 2025 Murano, Nissan took some inspiration from the namesake glass art with its dashboard trim, Murano Glass. Though not actually glass, it features color-shifting graphics and textures, making for a dazzling display when the lighting hits just right. 

Speaking of light, Nissan says the interior is dressed in the colors of golden hour over the California coast, adding warmth to the Murano's confines. Seating for five can be had in either leatherette or semi-aniline quilted leather, with front occupants enjoying heated seats in all trims. The Platinum trim adds ventilated and massage functions up front, and heated seats for rear 60/40-split bench. A panoramic sunroof and 64-color ambient lighting top things off.

Nissan

In the trunk, there's 32.9 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the rear bench; with that folded flat, there's 63.5 cubic-feet of space. A power liftgate on all trims — motion-activated on the Platinum trim — and a low load floor help make access easier.

From the beginning of the Murano's life in the North American market, the mid-size crossover's source of power has always been a 3.5-liter V6, backed by a CVT sending a peak output of 265 horsepower in the second-gen Nissan to the front or all corners. 

For the all-new Murano, all of that goes out the window for a formula adopted across the industry: a 2.0-liter turbo-four. Two fewer cylinders also means a small herd of ponies have gone off into the great beyond, as output is now 241 horsepower, four fewer horses than the first-gen Murano's 3.5-liter V6 delivered back in 2003. That turbo, though, makes up for the horsepower cut by boosting torque to 260 lb-ft, delivering 20 lb-ft more oomph than the outgoing model's V6. That boost in torque will make towing up to 1,500 pounds easier, for sure.

Cameron Aubernon/SlashGear

All of that power now hits the front (SV) or all corners (SV, SL and Platinum) via a new nine-speed automatic. Nissan's reasoning for not using a CVT this time around is that the automaker prefers to keep CVTs to the smaller end of the Nissan lineup, which tend to be lighter than models like the new Murano (that has a curb weight range of 4,193 to 4,438 pounds, depending on trim). Fuel economy should be decent for the class, too, as the new powertrain delivers an EPA-estimate of 23 mpg city/24 mpg highway/23 mpg combined in both front- and all-wheel drive configurations.

With about a couple of hours to spend with the 2025 Nissan Murano, it wasn't going to be as extensive an experience as I had the day earlier with the 2025 Armada. Then again, this isn't a crossover you take on an overlanding adventure or do much — if any — towing with. The Murano's mission in life is to be a comfortable cruiser with luxury aspirations. Thus, I headed out of the media center on a loop to and from a Christmas-themed setting about 40 minutes away in a Platinum-trim Murano, featuring a mix of interstate travel with those narrow backroads I drove upon the afternoon before.

Out on the interstate, the Nissan handled itself as calmly as any other midsize crossover. No drama, no excitement, just a normal morning cruise down the highway. Back down to earth on the narrow backroads, it was an easier time with the Murano than I had lugging the hefty big man around, especially through the corners. You won't find Z-esque handling skills with this crossover, but that's not really the point.

I did notice that every time Google Maps gave out the next direction, it paused the SiriusXM station I was listening to before picking up where the station left off. That was kinda neat, actually. Very considerate.

Though I only got to spend a couple of hours with the 2025 Nissan Murano on my last morning in Tennessee before flying home to Virginia in the afternoon, I feel like Nissan might have a potential hit on their hands — one that it desperately needs. After all, U.S. sales of the previous generation fell dramatically over the past few years, coming down from the peak of around 87,000 in 2016 to just over 31,000 in 2023. A clean slate might be what the Murano has been waiting for as the rest of the 2020s come into view.

Pricing for the new Nissan ranges from $40,470 for the front-wheel drive SV trim to $49,600 for the all-wheel drive Platinum trim, with no options or packages available, which might be a risky move around competitors like the Chevrolet Blazer, Honda Passport, Toyota Crown Signia, and Hyundai Santa Fe. 

Still, the new Murano will find its footing in the rough'n'tumble marketplace of midsize crossovers, especially with its luxury-inspired focus for this generation. Its styling should help matters, and the lack of a CVT might even draw some former Nissan fans back into the fold. Only time will tell if this bet pays off for the automaker from Yokohama.