Nissan Unveils All-new MURANO - The Black Label of SUVs

The first-generation MURANO debuted in North America in 2002 and won resounding accolades for its novel design and sporty driving performance. It went on sale in Singapore in October 2005 and received similar strong media and consumer acceptance.

The all-new MURANO will raise the bar above the first-generation MURANO, by offering excellent luxury, comfort, enhanced technology, safety and efficiency.

"The all-new MURANO is the epitome of black label sophistication. Never before have we seen a SUV this luxurious and aesthetically-pleasing without compromising on practical function," says Mr. Joseph Ong, Managing Director of Tan Chong International.

"The Nissan MURANO is the automobile of choice for those who demand exceptional performance beyond what today's market has to offer," added Mr Ong.

[B]AN All-NEW SECOND-GENERATION MURANO[/B]

Recently unveiled at the Singapore Motorshow 2008, the new MURANO carries over a strong sense of "MURANO-ness" from the previous design as part of a "super evolution" of its premium crossover SUV positioning - including a distinctive new exterior, an enhanced sense of sporty and reassuring driving performance, a quieter and more comfortable interior with greater levels of luxury features and enhanced technology.

[B]THE CONCEPT BEHIND THE CREATION OF THE NEW MURANO INCLUDES:[/B]

- Modern Art Design: A distinctive exterior and high-quality interior

- Premium Driving Feel: A perfect balance of comfort and sportiness, which enables responsive handling in any driving situation

- Suite-like Interior: A roomy, luxurious cabin with an array of user-focused comfort and convenience features

[B]DYNAMIC EXTERIOR DESIGN[/B]

The new MURANO features a dynamic body design that is highlighted by its elegant flowing surfaces and curves. The graceful silhouette stretches like one seamless motion from the aggressive front bumper to the rear bumper. In front, quad-cylinder style bi-xenon headlights are integrated with the signature wide front MURANO grille. Three-dimensional concave surface body sides provide a beautiful contrast with the sculpted fenders, while the unique window silhouette - with the rear edge heading upward - provides another example of the new generation design's "MURANO-ness." As a whole, the sophisticated touches and commanding yet stylish design of the car are the essences of the black label feel of the new Nissan MURANO.

A total of seven exciting exterior colours are available. They include Black, Blade Silver, Brilliant Silver, Dark Blue, Red Pearl, White Pearl, and Grayish Bronze.

[B]A STYLISH, MODERN INTERIOR WITH ABUNDANT CONVENIENCE FEATURES[/B]

MURANO's modern curvaceous exterior design theme continues into the beautifully-crafted interior. The unique, asymmetrically-designed cockpit offers a rugby-ball-like shape, which is like no other vehicle in its class. The new instrument panel features large Fine Vision meters along with ring lighting.

The all black interior and plush black leather upholstery further accentuate the black label feel of the car.

The stylish centre cluster utilises genuine aluminium and chrome trim, while the centre console combines a substantial look with soft touch materials for a luxurious impression. The door trim, with stitched armrests, is made of genuine aluminium and soft padding, which is integrated with the instrumental panel to embrace the driver and passenger in style and comfort.

The roomy rear seats provide a welcoming atmosphere with a comfortable seat shape and high-quality leather upholstery. The 60/40-split foldable rear seats can be folded automatically by pulling levers located in the cargo area, and reversed by just pushing a button.

MURANO's remote-controlled automatic tailgate opens and closes at the touch of a switch, either from the driver's seat, the remote-control key or the tailgate.

The open interior feeling is enhanced by an optional topload sunroof (a twinglass sunroof), extending the open, airy feeling of the interior to the rear-seat area. The roof is made completely of glass and the front panel incorporates a tilt and opening/closing mechanism. Inner sunshades over both the front and rear seats can open or close by a touch of the switch.

Users of the new MURANO will get to enjoy a 11-speaker BOSE audio system, which delivers concert-hall-like sound quality - reproducing the sounds of musical instruments and singing voices with real, three-dimensional quality, as if listening to a live performance.

The new MURANO comes fitted with 7-inch VGA colour image screen with car information display from factory. When the reverse gear is engaged, the screen shows the rear view of the car and a predictive course line is displayed to help drivers reverse safely.

Nissan's Intelligent Key System allows the driver to lock or unlock doors and trunk and start the engine without taking the key out of the pocket. An engine immobiliser comes standard for added security. Each of two MURANO's intelligent key recalls one driving position and the seat memory function will automatically adjust the driver's seat, steering wheel and side mirrors into position.

[B]A RESPONSIVE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION and CHASSIS[/B]

Like the original, the heart of the new MURANO is its advanced engine, transmission and chassis combination, which is anchored by Nissan's proven VQ35DE V6 engine, paired with the new generation Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) and rigid D-platform.

MURANO's Xtronic CVT includes a new Adaptive Shift Control (ASC), which controls the shift timing according to the driver's personal driving style and the driving environment (vehicle speed, road gradient and turning condition) in order to optimise both performance and fuel economy.

With MURANO's advanced ALL MODE 4X4-i all-wheel drive system, smooth cornering on slippery road surfaces is provided by monitoring wheel spin and adjusting front/rear torque split accordingly.

The Nissan D-platform helps optimise the balance between a flat, comfortable ride and the quiet, superb handling and stability of a premium-class sedan. High rigidity is achieved by adopting a new joint member structure and strengthening the link between the front shock absorbers, along with enlarging the rear joint member, strengthening the link between shock absorbers and adding a rear cross member.

MURANO's newly developed suspension with four-wheel built-in rebound springs enhances vehicle stability while also providing a more comfortable ride than the previous generation design. Front and rear link geometry has been revised and rigidity of the setting points is improved. This reduces the amount of vibration transmitted to the interior and improves body stability. Special sound-absorbing materials have been added throughout the body, effectively reducing or blocking outside noises. New floor carpeting with improved sound absorption effect reduces the noise from the below the vehicle, along with deflectors located under body, which decrease under-floor wind noise. Additional quietness at high speeds is improved by optimising the design and positioning of the rear muffler.

Standard vehicle-speed-sensitive power steering system offers light steering effort at low speed and a direct steering feel at middle-to-high speeds.

[B]SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES[/B]

In a test conducted by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in The U.S, the new MURANO, which is the best overall performer in front, side, and rear tests of nine SUV models, earns the "Top Safety Pick" award. It has also earned a good rating for whip-lash injury in rear-end collision.

The new MURANO offers a list of safety features, including:

1. Bi-xenon headlights
2. Bumper-integrated Halogen front fog lights
3. Rain-sensing step-less intermittent windshield wiper (flat-blade type)
4. High-intensity LED rear combination lamps
5. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
6. VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control)
7. Low-friction seatbelts in all seating positions
8. Three-point ELR rear seatbelts for three passengers
9. High-strength Zone Body construction for high safety
10. Impact-energy-absorbing body structure for mitigating pedestrian injuries
11. SRS airbag systems for driver and front passenger
12. SRS side airbag systems for driver and front passenger
13. SRS curtain air bag systems
14. Front-seat Active Head Restraints

[B]Model Variants[/B]

MURANO (Price with COE: from $132,500)
MURANO with sunroof (Price with COE: from $136,500)

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Credits: JRC