The Nissan Murano - the flagship of the Japanese manufacturer’s crossover vehicles - has been updated inside and out.

Still instantly recognisable on the road, the biggest changes have been made to the Nissan Murano’s interior which Nissan claims now provides the luxury experience buyers are looking for.

We drove the new Nissan Murano on its European launch in Switzerland and France to see how it shaped up.

View more images of the Nissan Murano

The Nissan Murano quickly became one of the most distinctive cars on the road after its launch in 2004.

The pioneering crossover vehicle – offering drivers a car which sits between coupe/saloon and SUV – turned heads with its eye-catching grille and headlights.

And though its manufacturer has changed every panel – and placed those panels on a new platform - the car is still very recognisable, albeit 64mm longer than its predecessor.

The most eye-catching change is to that signature face where “arrowhead” headlights frame a new narrow chrome-effect grille.

Sportier

Beyond that Nissan has sculpted the car to look sportier with a raised belt-line and squared-off wheel arches atop 18-inch alloy wheels.

The original Nissan Murano may have blazed the trail for the hugely successful Nissan Qashqai and Nissan Qashqai+2 but it has now adopted some of the design cues from the more compact car. These include the horizontal rear light cluster and rear window.

However, while the exterior styling has evolved it is inside the car that the more radical changes and improvements have occurred.

Better quality materials are now in evidence, a new red-dialled information display has been introduced and the old seats replaced to create a more stylish interior. A stop/start button has been introduced meaning drivers can now keep their key in their pocket as they drive while a full-length sunroof is a welcome addition.

A power tailgate, which can be operated from the key, accesses the 402-litre boot which can be increased to 838 litres with the rear seats flat.

View more images of the Nissan Murano

More power better fuel economy

The new car is still powered by Nissan’s 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, however it has undergone revisions to improve fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions while generating more power - now packing 256bhp (up 22hp on the outgoing model) and 334Nm of pulling power (up 16Nm on the outgoing model).

This can get the car from 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 130mph.

CO2 emissions in the new model have been reduced by an impressive 11 per cent. However, 261g/km CO2 emissions still means the Nissan Murano is in the top car tax band. Fuel economy has also been improved by 12 per cent to return an average of 25.9mpg thanks to improved aerodynamics and revisions to the smooth CVT automatic gearbox.

The new Nissan Murano now sits atop the same platform as the American-market Nissan Altima saloon and its body is 45 per cent stiffer than the outgoing model, which, coupled with improved soundproofing, has reduced vibration and road noise.

Diesel within two years

The handling is also improved by the new body and platform while steering is sharper thanks to the addition of speed sensitive power steering.

So, no diesel then? Not yet, is the answer from Nissan which sells most Nissan Muranos in the US where petrol is still the fuel of choice. However, a spokesman at the launch we attended said diesel would be an option within two years.

Nissan’s latest 4x4 system is incorporated and Nissan are keen to underline this is an excellent safety feature (with power being delivered to the rear wheels as required in treacherous conditions) to support other drivers’ aids: anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist. Six airbags are supplied as standard.

The new Nissan Murano will be available in two levels of trim: Tekna and Tekna Pack

The car is well-specified as standard with satnav, heated front seats, colour reversing cameras (one to display the passenger side of the car), electrically adjustable seats and door mirrors, BOSE sound system, climate control, power-operated rear-tailgate and large two-part sunroof.

Tekna Pack adds brushed chrome roof rail inserts, electrically adjustable steering column and a neat memory function on the key which means the seat, mirror and steering column settings can be set up for each key holder.

Metallic paint and DVD screen for rear passengers are available as options.

The new Nissan Murano is on sale from 1 October 2008.

View more images of the Nissan Murano

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