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Ahead of its planned LA Auto Show debut, Nissan's 2009 Murano is doing the sneak preview thing courtesy of the NICOclub forums where these pics originated. They've since been posted on GM Inside News and FreshAlloy.com, as well. Clearly not wanting to mess with success, the CUV's general overall shape, as well as that of its side glass, is fundamentally the same. The '09 gets more muscular, Rogue-ish wheel flares, taillamps that extend into the rear hatch, and a new front end that makes silver Muranos look kinda like the updated Cylon centurions from Battlestar Galactica. We don't get a good view of the passenger cabin, other than to see a panoramic roof is obviously an option. Hopefully the current car's chintzy-looking gauge cluster got flushed in the revamp, too.
[Source: NICOclub.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
k.w.a @ Nov 9th 2007 10:42AM
I REALLY hope that's not the front
Menice @ Nov 9th 2007 10:50AM
i really cant stand that 'flat sided wheel well' look that nissan is moved all there cars off to.
yea that nose is awful.
rear is ok, just like every other cross dresser vehicle though.
love that roof.
MGBYG @ Nov 9th 2007 10:53AM
Nose is better than Jack-o-Lantern smile of current model...more of "set under the heat lamps and melt a little" update styling.
nissanfreak87 @ Nov 9th 2007 10:54AM
that front end is terrible, love the rest of it though
Bert @ Nov 9th 2007 10:57AM
I think I just puked in my eye sockets a bit. Though if those roof window panels both open up, it could be interesting.
Josiah @ Nov 9th 2007 10:58AM
The sheet metal/skin looks too "downmarket" for this class. It needs some more detail to separate this from the Rogue.
Awful pictures though, I'll reserve final judgment when we see high-res press shots.
Anthony @ Nov 9th 2007 11:02AM
RAV4 with rear window up-kink, and Rogue Front end... that's it
mike @ Nov 9th 2007 12:35PM
You do realize that the current generation (the only generation so far) Murano has always had the up-sweep to the D-pillar. Most current CUV designs were "inspired" by the original Murano, including the current RAV4, which was introduced AFTER the Murano.
But anyway, I like the freshening, and I think the new front end looks pretty aggressive. I will reserve final judgment for next week with some Hi-res photos. These ones aren't very good quality.
Ligor @ Nov 9th 2007 1:21PM
please,
it looks very much like the current Murano,
it is the rav4 that picked up the up-kink frrom the Murano, and so did the Highlander
thoug, i'll wait fro some better picks, i think the rear of the current one is way better than this, the front has improved from todays model, but I dont like those wheel arches - they just don't flow
raz @ Nov 9th 2007 11:04AM
WOW
It looks just like 08 and 07 Muranos
Bob @ Nov 9th 2007 12:18PM
Shows how much you know... there is NO 08 Murano.
Bananas @ Nov 9th 2007 11:23AM
Wow, it got uglier! Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, I see this. Yuck. At least it is "better" than the current model, but it still seems way too funky.
John P. @ Nov 9th 2007 11:28AM
overall, it's a step back from the current model. looks cheap.
nissanfreak87 @ Nov 9th 2007 11:41AM
lol
Snowdog @ Nov 9th 2007 11:45AM
The Murano was one of the best, if not the best, looking SUV on the market. WAS being the operative word. This is a big step backwards.
Gardiner Westbound @ Nov 9th 2007 11:46AM
The Murano was well ahead of its time when introduced. Nissan has sold a gazillion of them. Why mess with success?
We knocked it off our list because of poor rear visibility, an awful CVT transmission and the bargain basement interior. They have not dealt with the first, and it's too early to know about the latter two.
nissanfreak87 @ Nov 9th 2007 11:54AM
I always found the interior on my friend's mom's Murano to be nice, dunno how a quality leather interior is "bargain basement" the CVT was weird, but always seemed to work well when I drove the car.
Matt W. @ Nov 9th 2007 12:09PM
I agree with Gardiner, the Murano's exterior was ahead of its time, so why change it as others are starting to catch up with its styling? For example Hyundai, Toyota and GM are crimping from the Murano's original styling for their CUVs. Sure, some revisions to the Murano are necessary, but no need to radically change it yet.
As for the general consensus on this board, I think it has to do with most of us being men. I personally hated the design at first, but my wife loved it. All of her friends thought it was cooler than their boxy Ford, GM and Honda SUVs when we got ours 2.5 years ago. In that time, as the other brands began to head toward similar designs, its grown on me. Whether we like it or not, our wives are often considered the so-called "moral authority" in the house meaning they make or are involved in most of the major purchase decisions -- especially with cars.
antrow @ Nov 9th 2007 12:10PM
The wheel arches remind me of the old Ford Focus. Never much cared for that look. I like the rest of the design but will miss the vertical tail lights of the current Murano. We had a 2004 and it was a real nice vehicle.
rv2 @ Nov 9th 2007 12:14PM
On The Great Space Coaster, Wo-o-oah.
On The Great Space Coaster, Off we go.
Get on board, Step inside,
Soaring for a magic ride.
Rowing toward the other side,
Where only rainbows hide,