–Overview: Lock eyeballs on the 2015 Nissan Murano and it’s not likely you’ll un-see it anytime soon. Nissan’s third-generation “flagship crossover” sports a jutting chin and sci-fi styling worthy of a Star Wars flick. As with the smaller Juke crossover, the mid-size two-row Murano is designed to stand out in parking lots now teeming with crossovers and SUVs. It’s a standout inside as well, with an edgy design theme, a long list of standard luxuries, and spread-out room for five. Nissan doesn’t cram a tiny third-row seat into the Murano, and despite its “floating,” arcing roofline it offers more cargo space than the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Volkswagen Touareg, or the Ford Edge. Think of the Murano as a tall, hatchback iteration of the Maxima sedan, sharing drivetrain and chassis bits, and Nissan’s flagship-crossover descriptor seems less of a stretch. The Maxima DNA makes itself known in the Murano’s well-damped body motions, naturally weighted steering, and crisp brake response. The Murano’s single engine choice, the 3.5-liter V-6 from Nissan’s VQ engine family, may be getting on in years, but its ample torque and eager throttle response don’t disappoint. The 2015 Murano is offered in four trim levels, each available with a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. We drove a top-of-the-line 2015 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD for this review. READ MORE ››
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