When Carlos Ghosn announced the Nissan Revival Plan in 1999, rarely did he mention about making exciting cars.  All he stressed were improved efficiency and increased cost cuts all in the name of reducing the Japanese company’s debt to zero.  So why does the Nissan Murano exist?  Having a well-balanced knowledge in costing and engineering, Ghosn knew that in order for his plan to succeed, he must change the way people look at Nissan.  After all, it’s extremely difficult to sell a toaster for half a million pesos.  And so, hot after the heels of the highly successful (and profitable) 350Z, it was time for Nissan to concentrate on a more voluminous market: the sport utility vehicle.  In return, they got more than what they bargained for: it forever changed the way people looked at the Nissan brand.

Knowing Ghosn, he probably gave the Murano design team a two word brief to describe what this new SUV should stand for: “not boring”.  In the end, that’s exactly what came out.  Looking more like Luke Skywalker’s personal space shuttle than a sport ute, the Murano is extremely curvaceous.  And like Scarlet Johansson, it oozes sex appeal even if the rump’s a bit too big.  That said, some may argue that the Murano looks more Renault than Nissan.  Personally, I don’t really care.  Renaults are made by the French; and surely nothing’s sexier than the French.  C’est magnifique!

Inside though, the Murano turns a complete 180-degree turn and turns Japanese with its zen-like control layout and “floating” instrumentation.  It’s a safe haven for Nissan stylists who’ve stayed true to their formula of coming up with a logical and well-thought of interior.  Overall, you can’t fault the Murano’s cabin, but at the back of your mind, at P 2.65 million, you’d wish for a little bit more oomph in the visual impact department.  Well, at least designers remembered to check out the beige leather and fake wood and opted for racy black leather and metallic trim instead.  It bodes very well with the spattering of 350Z styling cues present.  Generally, the materials used are of good quality, but there are still some cheap bits such as the calculator-like display for the trip computer, again questioning the Murano’s retail price.

As its sporty styling suggests, the Murano is more car than truck.  Despite it being taller than its corporate sibling, the X-TRAIL, the seating position is no higher.  This results in a connected feel with the road.  Most major controls are well placed and logically marked, perhaps the only exception being the steering wheel which I found too close (there’s no telescopic function).  The secondary controls though leave a lot to be desired.  Uncharacteristic for Nissan, items such as the side mirror adjustment aren’t easily found (they’re partially hidden above the shift lever), and the clock/trip computer may look nice, but is hard to operate by tactile feel alone.  And that’s a shame really since the Murano really excels as a driving machine.  It feels sure-footed and nicely balanced through the corners as a mid-sized sedan.  Tire squeal is kept in check by its stability control system dubbed VDC.  Despite its larger than life 18-inch alloys, it actually rides pretty well, albeit more on the firm side.  That said, suspension travel is well enough to make it cope with all sort of Manila road obstacles.

Impressive exterior design is a bold step for conservative Nissan. We like it.

The bold exterior is not carried inside. Though there are a light of sporty cues, it's barely palatable given the 2.65 million price tag.

Driving the Murano around the twisties is rewarding, but we're surprised by the lack of grunt from the 3.5-liter V6 engine. We say it's because of the CVT system.