| crash |
Sounds good so far...I'm shocked they've been able to hide this thing for so long! My bets are on a very similar appearance to the EX...
http://www.thecarconnection.com/Aut...173.A13246.html
Crossovers are all the rage, but while the recent rash of new crossovers-from GM's Outlook/Acadia/Enclave trio to Toyota's Highlander-have gone for three-row seating, one crossover is avoiding the stretch to accommodate seven and eight passengers.
Nissan's Murano won't be joining the three-row crowd when it makes its debut this fall at the Los Angeles auto show and goes on sale around the beginning of the year. That, despite the fact that Nissan doesn't currently have a three-row crossover, and its Quest minivan is expected to sag below 40,000 sales this year.
But for Nissan product planners, going long with the Murano would be a mistake. The Murano shopper's a very specific demographic-more youthful and more urbane-and a three-row version would compromise that appeal. Instead, the Murano will stay about the same size, but will be reshaped and refined, following the same philosophy as the company's recently redone Altima sedan. For three-row seating, Nissan's full-size utes will fill the bill for the short term.
Meanwhile, Nissan confirms it will drop the Infiniti Q45 for the 2008 model year as it tries to figure out what - if anything - should replace the full-size luxury sedan. This fall, Nissan will launch its new GT-R sportscar, and next month, its new compact crossover, the Rogue goes on sale.
Stay tuned next week for our full review of the Rogue-and keep an eye on our Tokyo coverage for everything on the GT-R. |
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| SUNSPOT |
Great article. But what about us older urban folks who don't have kids and want a really stylish looking vehicle. That is me. The back seats remain empty except for the occasional passenger.
Can't wait to see how they have reshaped and refined some of the features. |
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| Eric L. |
I thought the Q45 was already dropped for 2007. Maybe I'm wrong.
While we might like the Murano to keep only two rows, not having a third row will definitely hurt sales. I cannot see why Nissan would not add a third row (even if it is useless) since the average crossover SUV customer probably cares more about how it compares to the competition (which all have this feature) than on the benefits of increased second row space (which isn't really an advantage anymore since most third row crossovers have a sliding second row). |
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| crash |
If you look at sales of the Ford Edge - I don't think not having a 3rd row hurts.
People who are into these types of vehicles (utility, performance) don't want an Acadia. I know 2 people who loved the look of the Acadia and when they saw it they said no way as it was too large.
I bet you the next Quest will be very much like a large Murano and they'll sell it accordingly.
My gut tells me the next Mo will be sleaker, lighter and more performance orientated. I'll wager:
- 297 HP
- 200 lbs lighter.
- More "defined"
- 19" wheels.
- Marginally smaller. |
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| dborla01 |
Would be nice if 08 has all you hope it will be, Crash. :) We had a good experience with our 03 SE AWD. Recalls were done in a generally timely manner. However, we sold ours with a bit over 60K miles due to nervousness concerning cvt, etc.
I read quite a bit on this site concerning Nissan's poor after-sale relationship with customers. We bought our 03 MO from a local dealer who also sells Honda. Maybe that is why we received good service?
We recently took our 03 Si in for some extended warranty work. Service rep has been good to us and with a very good attitude. :)
We mite reconsider a new MO if it is modernized as you hope it will be. Darrell. |
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| crash |
quote:
Originally posted by dborla01
Would be nice if 08 has all you hope it will be, Crash. :) We had a good experience with our 03 SE AWD. Recalls were done in a generally timely manner. However, we sold ours with a bit over 60K miles due to nervousness concerning cvt, etc.
I read quite a bit on this site concerning Nissan's poor after-sale relationship with customers. We bought our 03 MO from a local dealer who also sells Honda. Maybe that is why we received good service?
We recently took our 03 Si in for some extended warranty work. Service rep has been good to us and with a very good attitude. :)
We mite reconsider a new MO if it is modernized as you hope it will be. Darrell.
It's funny you say that. I'm seriously considering not buying another Nissan due to the crap service. Three seperate dealers and they ALL shafted me. It's too bad - but why the hell would I spend such money on a car (remember that in Canada, a new one is about $50K w/ tax) to get hosed on each visit?!
I've experienced great service from Honda on my wife's accord & heard that Mazda is top notch (better then Honda)...so the next rig might be one of those....which is too bad, because I do love the style of Nissan rigs. |
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| Kris |
quote:
Originally posted by crash
My gut tells me the next Mo will be sleaker, lighter and more performance orientated. I'll wager:
- 297 HP
- 200 lbs lighter.
- More "defined"
- 19" wheels.
- Marginally smaller.
If in addition to the above, they drop the CVT I might reconsider Murano... |
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| Pops |
Coming from the Quest, and with 3 kids, that 3rd row would sure be nice sometimes. We really love our Murano, but just yesterday we peeked into a new Veracruz and Enclave and agreed that the 3rd row would be handy at times. Our kids won't actually have to 'touch' each other in the vehicle :D.
Hoping our Murano is going to please us. It's sort of scary reading on the troubles others have had with the CVT and other problems on this forum. We really hope we will own our Murano for many years.
For the hell of it, I lurked on the Highlander forum, and guess what, problems are everywhere. Guess that's the beauty of the internet. If there's a problem anywhere in the world, people are going to know about it :).
Cheers. |
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| PaulQ |
Just for the record... as a "younger more urban" driver (sorry, I quoted that from the article)... I do NOT want a 3rd row. I cannot believe how many other SUVs/Crossovers are adding 3rd rows.
I drove a Pathfinder for years and when it came time to make the next move, I looked at the new Pathfinder - it was huge! They gigantified it! I ended up with my Murano and love it.
If you need a 3rd row to carry more than 5 people, there are plenty of other options. The number of good ol' two row SUVs is dwindling.
Hey Nissan - DON'T DO IT. The Murano is just right!
;) |
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| PaulQ |
Just for the record... as a "younger more urban" driver (sorry, I quoted that from the article)... I do NOT want a 3rd row. I cannot believe how many other SUVs/Crossovers are adding 3rd rows.
I drove a Pathfinder for years and when it came time to make the next move, I looked at the new Pathfinder - it was huge! I ended up with my Murano and love it.
If you need a 3rd row to carry more than 5 people, there are plenty of other options. The number of good ol' two row SUVs is dwindling.
Hey Nissan - DON'T DO IT. The Murano is just right!
;) |
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| njjoe |
Since the front and rear sections of modern-day cars are engineered to absorb energy in the event of a collision, just how safe can it be to put a third-row seat in the "crumple zone"? :8:
-njjoe |
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| Eric L. |
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
Since the front and rear sections of modern-day cars are engineered to absorb energy in the event of a collision, just how safe can it be to put a third-row seat in the "crumple zone"? :8:
-njjoe
Rear crash safety is something often neglected and underreported by the various testing agencies. I'm sure many minivans and large SUV's with 3rd rows would fair poorly for third row crash safety in a rear end collision.
However, this does not mean it is a bad idea to have a third row though, for marketing purposes. As much as we would like to think that two rows are perfect (which it is, for almost everyone), the average crossover shopper would rather get more for less I think, and a third row gives you more, even if you never use it. The 'second row space' argument doesn't fly because almost all new large crossovers have second rows which can slide back when the third row is not in use. |
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