Category: Sporting 4x4s 
Price Range: £30,085 to £30,085
Smooth engine and CVT auto gearbox, easy to drive, comfy cabin, eye-catching design
No diesel engine available, poor luggage space, high fuel consumption, rather flashy-looking
It's a capable all-rounder, but not a car for the pragmatically-minded - it's a style statement above all else.
Named after an expensive brand of Venetian glassware, the Murano is Nissan's answer to the Lexus RX300, BMW X5, Volkswagen Touareg and so on. Nissan sees it as being a 'crossover' vehicle rather than an out-and-out 4x4, combining the attributes of an off-roader, an MPV and a large, comfortable family saloon. It follows a similar theme to the Mitsubishi Outlander (though the Murano is considerably larger, more powerful and more expensive) and the upcoming Subaru B9X/Saab 9-6X.
Available with just one petrol engine, the 3.5-litre V6 (234bhp) also fitted in the 350Z coupe, the Murano is a very different proposition to Nissan's other large 4x4s, the workhorse Terrano and Patrol or the luxury-utility Pathfinder, a Land Rover Discovery rival. Nissan is quite realistic that it's going to appeal to urban and suburban families who want a striking-looking, high-riding holdall, not farmers and hardcore country types. It features a four-wheel drive system similar to that of the smaller X-Trail, with front-wheel drive only in normal driving conditions and torque sent to the rear axle if a loss in traction is detected. That's about as much off-roading ability as the Murano is ever likely to need.
Coming with a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) auto gearbox only, UK Muranos are fully equipped with sat-nav, leather upholstery, a Bose sound system and all mod cons - the only options available are the paint colours. The price all-in is £29,800.
