I remember as a wide eyed tot the awe inspiring launch of the first Space Shuttle as it punctured the diaphanous curtain of the inner atmosphere.
After watching that miraculous happening my mother took me down to Woolworth where I found my very own shiny plastic shuttle complete with boost tanks. I still have that shuttle. The space shuttle permanently impacted the minds of a generation of kids like myself who had never known, or at least remembered, any other form of space travel. I don't know who designed the shuttle , and I doubt the average Joe knows either, but for my generation the word "shuttle" paints a vivid picture of that big plastic toy that I raised as high in hand as possible as I reenacted the real shuttles launch. Indeed designers have the ability to recreate a civilizations thinking through their creation. In a small way I think Nissan has created such an Icon with the Murano by changing the formula of what an SUV looks and feels like.
The Murano was designed at Nissans La Jolla California studio. Nissan has allowed their designers to truly think outside the box in the cultivation of their designs. The Murano is evidence of this. Now at first the Murano is a tough pill to swallow especially after years of mental images of SUV's being square storage boxes on wheels. The first time I saw the Murano I didn't know what to think, but that is after all what design, good design, is supposed to do, make us think. The Murano has slowly gained acceptance on the suburban scene to the extent that the Murano has become a name that is as widely known as the Camry or the Accord. This comes as a true tip of the hat to Nissans efforts who came on the scene with a wild design placed on a car platform and has ,in a relatively short time changed the American view of an SUV.
Now this could have been a disaster if the forward design had not been backed by forward engineering. By and large Americans are relatively forgiving of a design if that design is covering a safe, fast, reliable, useful, vehicle. Who knows if "the face that only a mother could love" Pontiac Aztec may have caught on if it was engineered well, instead of what amounted to an over designed truck atop antiquated tech. The Nissan utilises the last generation Altima foundation for its underpinnings. The six cylinder engine ,that also lives under the hood of other top line Nissan's and Infinity's, is pure music to the ears. The DOHC 240 hp mill provides more than adequate power delivering it to 60 in just under 8 sec. The brakes are cross ventilated at all four corners putting the reigns on in a hurry. The cornering is one of the Murano's best attributes. The Murano can hustle through the cones at a hair over 60mph providing a real sense of confidence in the event you have to pass a house with a "car chaser" dog in the yard on your morning commute. The interior is a continuation of the exterior design with a unique dash design that incorporates a useful inset shelf on top with a movable gauge cluster that adjusts with the tilt wheel.
The nooks and crannies for storing your gadgets is a plenty, all in all a design that is as useful as different. The materials are top notch with impressive grain to the plastic and glove soft hides to coddle you. The only thing missing is a dash mounted fire place and your favorite hot drink so you could settle down for a long winters nap. If the Murano has one soft spot in its other wise stellar resume it would be the cargo capacity. The shapely rear end simply can not provide the minivan hauling capacity of its box like friends. Even with this attribute the cargo capacity provides more than plentiful room as long as the you leave the rear seat passengers home. Nissan has crafted a vehicle that has changed the face of the SUV just as the space shuttle changed the face of space travel. Luckily Nissan has realized that quality sculpture needs little alteration just as a well designed home can last decades without the need to alter it's architecturally appropriate lines.
Therefore Nissan has kept true to the Murano DNA with its forthcoming '09 Murano that is hitting the streets soon.
As you can see the new Murano keeps the heritage alive while keeping it visually similar to its siblings ,such as the new mini Murano, Roque.
Personally I prefer the flowing lines of the current Murano
as opposed to the new model ,that at least to my eye, has some surfaces that seem to be out of harmony with each other.
All in all the design will still say Murano to any passer by, kudos Nissan. The bottom line is the price. '07 Models are selling ,on average, two to four thousand below sticker. The current model can usually be achieved for the low thirties to the high thirty range without problem. Now I know that may seem a little steep but it is in keeping with other semi premium SUV's, there is a price to pay for fine art after all! The new model will use a modernised platform with a slight bump in power and a smoother continuously variable transmission, but for the most part these alterations are evolutionary changes that are not large enough to choose it over the current model. The Nissan Murano continues to raise the bar for utility motivation whether you bring home an '08 model or an '09 model. So this upcoming holiday season maybe you should consider bringing home some fine sculpture for your drive, you will not be disappointed.
