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Introduction
Nissan Murano – 2009 First Drive: Hot damn that was some good chicken salad.
In its simplest form, there’s not much to the recipe: chunks of chicken and mayonnaise. Even our aging bachelor editor can whip this up…provided the microwave doesn’t overcook the bird, the plastic utensils don’t break, and the mayonnaise hasn’t sat on the countertop long enough to look like congealed pickles. Might want to opt for the low-carb, non-bread version, too, if you know what’s good for you.
But here we were, having lunch at a postcard-perfect horse ranch just after driving the 2009 Nissan Murano, feasting on some killer chicken salad. This concoction had some dried cranberries, nuts, a bit of crunchy celery, and as the coup de gras, it was overflowing from a buttery croissant. Dude, this stuff rocked.
Someone had obviously taken the time to develop a menu, but how this one choice reflected the car we were evaluating was surely chance. At its core, the Nissan Murano is a solid vehicle, one drawing in hundreds of thousands of customers and is a proven seller for its maker. It was a hit when first created, but like everything in life, tastes change and the injection of a little flavor becomes necessary. So, for 2009, the basic Murano recipe has been jazzed up with a fresh appearance, higher-quality materials, and a generous list of standard and optional features such as fully-integrated iPod compatibility and an expansive dual-panel moonroof. Consider these the Murano’s dried cranberries and celery slices. The result demonstrates a safe approach to broadening appeal, yet remaining close enough to the original to satisfy the faithful, and that’s enough to keep buyers and dealers alike happy for years to come.
Origins
When it first launched for the 2003 model year, the Murano hit what was then a shallow crossover pool with a “Cannonball!” It looked like nothing else available and provided Nissan with some much-needed sales and positive attention. Since then, the Murano’s field of competition has grown, yet so have its sales. For that reason, Nissan took a delicate approach with the 2009 update, aiming for an evolved Murano over something totally new and possibly polarizing.
When it goes on sale in January, the 2009 Murano will signal the end of the run for the 2007s – the 2008 model year was skipped.
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