Photo: kelsonik / Instagram
The North American market is never shy of declaring itself fond of crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks. If you don't believe us, just look at the first-half sales to see the first four segments dominated by CUVs and trucks.
After the first six months of the year, compact crossovers, full-size pickup trucks, and large CUVs are the dominating trio across the US market. And it's easy to understand why – compact CUVs are affordable and relatively nimble, full-size pickup trucks have always been a staple of America, and large crossovers cater to all the needs of an entire family.
And Nissan – which came fifth among single-brand sales – has a sure foothold in the sector of large crossovers with help from the mid-size Murano. The nameplate, offered since the 2003 model year, is currently in its third iteration and holds the honor of being the Japanese automaker's first crossover SUV to arrive in the United States and Canada.
Interestingly, the Nissan Murano has never been for the faint of heart or the traditionalist type, and the company even offered a convertible variant called the Murano CrossCabriolet during the second generation's stint. The current Z52 iteration arrived in the spring of 2014 at the New York International Auto Show and was produced first in Canton, Mississippi before switching to its current location at the Nissan Smyrna Assembly Plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.
However, even after the mid-cycle refresh and additional model year updates, one can only say that the Murano is a bit past due and could use a complete overhaul. No worries, the rumor mill's spy photographers have recently treated us to the beauty shots of the new generation and quickly set in motion the imaginative realm of digital car content creators.
The good folks over at Kolesa, along with their resident pixel master Nikita Chuicko, aka kelsonik on social media, have imagined the looks of the next-gen Murano, and they sure imagined Nissan would give it some Pathfinder Concept cues. That is not beyond reason, as if it enters production, the latter is a China-only affair, whereas the global Pathfinder has different looks. As such, they would not cannibalize sales.
Of course, do take all these renderings with the traditional dose of salt, as there is still a long way to go before Nissan officially comes out with the new Murano. Alas, we sure won't mind if the quirky Murano gets the updated V-motion grille with LED DRL lights integrating seamlessly into the triangular-shaped design. If that happens, the headlights will be noticeably slimmer, of course.
Around the back, the design is as clean and sleek as it gets, with a distinctive C-pillar treatment and a minimalist hatch housing part of the LED taillights refashioned into the shape of an LED light bar. As for the profile, it will probably have fewer creases and larger wheels, aside from the greenhouse changes. So, cool or not?
And Nissan – which came fifth among single-brand sales – has a sure foothold in the sector of large crossovers with help from the mid-size Murano. The nameplate, offered since the 2003 model year, is currently in its third iteration and holds the honor of being the Japanese automaker's first crossover SUV to arrive in the United States and Canada.
Interestingly, the Nissan Murano has never been for the faint of heart or the traditionalist type, and the company even offered a convertible variant called the Murano CrossCabriolet during the second generation's stint. The current Z52 iteration arrived in the spring of 2014 at the New York International Auto Show and was produced first in Canton, Mississippi before switching to its current location at the Nissan Smyrna Assembly Plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.
However, even after the mid-cycle refresh and additional model year updates, one can only say that the Murano is a bit past due and could use a complete overhaul. No worries, the rumor mill's spy photographers have recently treated us to the beauty shots of the new generation and quickly set in motion the imaginative realm of digital car content creators.
The good folks over at Kolesa, along with their resident pixel master Nikita Chuicko, aka kelsonik on social media, have imagined the looks of the next-gen Murano, and they sure imagined Nissan would give it some Pathfinder Concept cues. That is not beyond reason, as if it enters production, the latter is a China-only affair, whereas the global Pathfinder has different looks. As such, they would not cannibalize sales.
Of course, do take all these renderings with the traditional dose of salt, as there is still a long way to go before Nissan officially comes out with the new Murano. Alas, we sure won't mind if the quirky Murano gets the updated V-motion grille with LED DRL lights integrating seamlessly into the triangular-shaped design. If that happens, the headlights will be noticeably slimmer, of course.
Around the back, the design is as clean and sleek as it gets, with a distinctive C-pillar treatment and a minimalist hatch housing part of the LED taillights refashioned into the shape of an LED light bar. As for the profile, it will probably have fewer creases and larger wheels, aside from the greenhouse changes. So, cool or not?
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