Do you remember your awkward years? For me, it was early high school. I was a scrawny little kid with a questionable wardrobe; I had an oversized Nike track suit in a shiny silver. Some things just age differently; for many, the best is yet to come. I share this because I have no shame, and I feel as though the 2025 Nissan Murano has finally left its awkward phase and moved into its prime. My prime is still TBD, but I digress.
When the Murano jumped onto the scene in 2003, it was like nothing else on the road. Crossovers were still uninspired, conventional three-box designs, for the most part. The Murano changed all that by embracing fluid and curvaceous body lines that have since been copied by many. It was a trailblazer in many ways, even offered a racy-for-the-segment 3.5L V6 borrowed from Nissan’s sportier offerings of the time, though we won’t talk about the CVT. It was a sporty crossover that in many ways defined a new segment.
But over the years, it began losing what made it special, such as exciting detailes like the Z-inspired cockpit and gauges. It entered years of awkward styling and questionable choices—hello, Murano CrossCabriolet—and by the time the outgoing, third-gen Murano first hit the market in 2014, the segment was flush with strong competitors. The Murano quickly fell to mid-pack at best, failing to stand out from the crowd in any meaningful way.
Enter the 2025 Nissan Murano. You’d be hard-pressed to recognize this fourth-generation model at a high school reunion. In my humble opinion, it’s a glow-up; gone are the some of the overdone elements and way-too-much chrome, in favour of a more streamlined look that actually manages to stand out once again. Up front, there’s a split headlight design with the upper headlights being separated by a black trim piece that’s oddly Ferrari-like. The LED daytime running lights are a series of stacked lines integrated into the grille. The entire front end looks clean and simultaneously distinctive.
The side profile is similarly clean, with some lower body accent lines, accentuated wheel wells, and chrome trim that flows into the rear liftgate. Out back you have the requisite light bar connecting both tail lights, but it’s well-integrated and lights up in a unique way, with a cluster of mini vertical lines giving it some extra visual pizazz. There’s an integrated roof spoiler as well that cleanly hides a rear wiper.
Top-trim Muranos have 21-inch wheels that look rather busy; I wasn’t a fan of them when I first saw them, but admittedly look better in-person. The 2025 Murano looks and feels sophisticated overall, with just a touch of athleticism thrown into the mix, just like the original. You probably won’t pick it out of a parking lot, because nearly every other SUV these days adopts similarly swooping lines, but it’s subtly handsome. If you do want to pick it out in a crowd, choose Nissan’s new colour, Aurora Blue Pearl. When the sun hits it just right, it’s stunning.
The interior is similarly all new. The overall aesthetic is modern and simple, the dual-screen layout is easy-to-use and easy-to-read, and the unique, glass inspired trim reflects light and colour in interesting ways. The new Murano borrows the Ariya’s trick floating touch controls on wood trim, which look better than they work—but are nonetheless cool. The so-called zero-gravity seats Nissan has touted for years are comfortable if a little lacking in side bolstering, but they do offer a variety of two-tone leather upholstery with diamond stitch patterns. There’s plenty of space for all occupants whether seated up front or in the rear, and cargo space is adequate despite the slightly sloping roofline. Speaking of storing stuff, the Murano’s new, floating centre console has generously sized cubbies both above and below deck, allowing you to hide some of your valuables from nosy bystanders.
Although the 2025 Murano rides on the same chassis as the outgoing model, it has been heavily revised under the skin. The powertrain is new to the Murano; gone is the old, normally aspirated V6, replaced by Nissan’s variable compression 2.0-litre turbo-four. It pumps out similar figures to the V6—241 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque—but delivers more torque lower in the RPM range. All Muranos come standard with all-wheel-drive, a nine-speed automatic transmission, and feature an improved suspension system for more comfort, as well as a switch to electric power steering.
In some ways, the 2025 Murano seems like two steps forward and one step back. But overall, these changes make for a fine highway cruiser with decent passing power and a comfortable, mostly quiet ride. I say mostly quiet, because you don’t really notice the turbo-four as long as you don’t ask for too much passing power. But if you do, it moans and groans like a vacuum cleaner on its last legs, as opposed to the silky roar of the old V6. Granted, given the Murano’s intentions, most customers will probably never notice, so I’m not docking too many points here. Engine aside, the Murano drives well, with tight and appropriately weighted steering feel, and a suspension that borders just outside of sporty.
Nissan is really banking on technology to make a good impression with the 2025 Murano. Up front, you get massage seats for the first time in a Murano, a Google-based infotainment displayed across two 12.3-inch screens, ambient lighting, a trick new 360-degree camera system similar to the updated QX80 and Armada, and Nissan’s ProPilot Assist system. Unlike the Armada, however, the Murano doesn’t get Nissan’s new Klipsch audio system, instead sticking with Bose. Bah humbug.
One odd omission is ProPilot 2.1. The Murano features the older 1.1 system, which is essentially your run-of-the-mill adaptive cruise control but lacking the hands-free highway driving that version 2.1 offers. It’s odd because on one end, more affordable Nissan products like the Rogue can be had with ProPilot 2.1, and they’ve been making a big deal about it in equally new offerings, like the aforementioned QX80 and Armada. It’s slightly strange the new Murano doesn’t immediately get it.
The 2025 Nissan Murano comes in three trim levels, ranging from a tick under $47,000 for the base SV trim, to around $55,000 for the range-topping Platinum. It’s not chump change for a two-row SUV; a loaded Pathfinder can be had for similar money. But if you don’t need a third row, the Murano feels more modern and upscale than ever. Talk about a glow-up.
