Murano ups the stakes yet again

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Within months it made the shortlist of the SA Car of the Year and from then onwards it has carved out a reputation for itself as one of the best value for money SUVs on the local market.

So little wonder that the clever Japanese white coats stayed with the basic winning recipe but just added a lot more spice and flavour to it when they created the latest Murano.

And it's just arrived in South Africa, brimming with even more bragging points and a price tag of R488,000, which is going to send the opposition's accountants scurrying to their pencil sharpeners yet again.

The Murano's distinctive styling is now even more futuristic and is guaranteed to get people staring and talking. Its trademark narrow chrome grille now looks even more menacing, a macho look that is further enhanced by widely flaring wheel-arches, 18-inch alloys, chiselled bonnet, sloping roof-line with integrated roof rails and muscular tail end.

It looks tough, sleek, classy and fast - and that's exactly what it is.

Under the hood the 3.5-litre V6 has been tuned and tweaked so that it now chunders out 191kW and 336Nm - enough to give it a 0-100km/h sprint time of just eight seconds and a top speed of 210km/h.

For a high-riding, spacious, heavy vehicle the Murano has the speed, comfort and handling of a classy saloon.

And it's not too thirsty or dirty in the process. Fuel consumption has been reduced from 12 litres per 100 kilometres down to 10.9 in the EU combined cycle.

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The powerplant (the same basic engine that makes the Nissan 370Z two-seater fly out of the starting stalls) is mated to what Nissan calls its X-Tronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

A unique feature of this newly-chipped CVT system is that it holds peak torque during hard acceleration rather than peak power so that by maintaining ideal engine speed it optimises fuel economy and keeps the emissions low.

I drove the new Murano on gravel roads, over a couple of mountain passes and along long and lone stretches of Karoo when it was unwrapped for the motoring media and enjoyed the smoothness and efficiency of this upgraded CVT, even when at times I chose to use the option of shifting gears manually.

On the tar the Murano is super comfortable and it feels safe and rock-steady, even on rough, corrugated gravel roads.

To achieve this, Nissan reworked the suspension set-up (too technical to go into detail) and the result is enhanced sure-footedness and a gentler ride with less noise and vibration.

Thanks to its clever permanent four-wheel drive system, torque is distributed to where it is needed. Under normal driving conditions much of the torque is sent to the front wheels, but up to 50% can be channelled to the rear wheels if required.

When the going gets really tough, drivers can lock the drive to all wheels (with a torque split ratio of 50/50 front to rear) with the flick of a switch on the central console.

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For those silly moments when enthusiasm exceeds experience the Murano is armed with a full arsenal of electronic safety systems such as anti-lock braking (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), as well as a Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) stability optimiser and an Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS) system for optimum traction on all surfaces.

Other occupant protection comes in the form of high-tensile steel body reinforcing, active head restraints, pre-tensioning seatbelts, driver and front passenger airbags with dual-stage inflation, driver and front passenger side-impact airbags, and roof-mounted curtain side-impact airbags.

So, good brownie points for the new Murano's price, looks, go and cling, but you had better open another packet of stick-on gold stars when it comes to the comfort and classy things that elevates this Nissan flagship to a class of its own.

Most other manufacturers offer impressive fancies, but they usually come as expensive optional extras. With Murano most of it comes standard and included in the original purchase price.

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The list is much too extensive to describe in detail, so take a deep breath and just take in a couple of main features such as High Intensity Discharge (HID) bi-Xenon front headlamps, luxurious, double-stitched leather upholstery (available in either beige or black), Intelligent Key access security system, electric power-steering, 11-speaker Bose audio system, complete with MP3 and iPod compatibility and six-disc CD changer, Bluetooth connectivity, voice command, electric seats, windows and mirrors, park-assist cameras facing the curb and rear of the vehicle, electric tailgate,60/40-split folding rear seats ( they fold away using a dual-lever system, but pop back into place at the touch of a button), dual-zone automatic climate control, onboard computer, cruise control, fully adjustable steering wheel, speed sensing wipers, map reading lamp and mood lighting, auto dimming rear view mirror, and much more.

The Murano's price includes a three-year unlimited kilometre warranty, a 90,000km or five-year service plan (an option to upgrade to a service and maintenance plan up to 90,000km or five years is one of the only optional extras at R8,800), plus roadside assistance.

Sporty, classy, futuristic, super safe and seriously sexy the new Murano yet again sets tough new standards for the growing breed of crossover vehicles.