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The Nissan Murano has recently entered a new generation. As it typically does, Nissan has taken a very good vehicle and found many ways to make it even better. However, our eyebrows were raised when we saw that the cylinder count was down a bit for this new gen. After all, the Murano is supposed to be an up-market choice over the (excellent) Rogue. We have now spent a week in the new Murano, and the great news is that we love the powertrain.
Nissan Changes To A New Engine For 2025 Murano
The new 2025 Nissan Murano premium crossover SUV has an engine with 280 lb-ft of torque, up significantly from the 240 lb-ft the outgoing V6 provided. What’s even more important is that the torque feels like it is available at a lower RPM. You benefit from the higher torque in daily driving. It’s a practical upgrade over the last generation Murano. As an added benefit, the Murano now has a geared transmission. CVTs are fine in vehicles that demand a low price point. We are not opposed to them, but given a choice, we like a geared nine-speed better. It just feels more upscale and premium to us.
Before you jump to any conclusions, since this vehicle is packing a turbo, no, the Murano doesn’t show any dreaded “Premium Fuel Only” stickers inside the fuel door cover or the Monroney sticker’s EPA section. It looks to us as if regular unleaded is just fine.
The new engine is one we’ve driven before in other vehicles. Nissan has named it the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo (Variable-Compression Turbo). We’d call it quiet, torquey, and smooth. Unless you really wanted a Nissan Z NISMO and accidentally signed the contract on the Murano, you’re not going to miss the V6. This engine serves its mission quite well in the Murano. MPG is expected to be rated at 23 Combined, but the EPA has not yet made that official. Not bad for the larger five-passenger midsize crossover segment. A hybrid option would be a welcome addition.
2025 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD - What’s New This Year?
In addition to the new and improved powertrain, the Murano also has these features for 2025:
- Ventilated, massaging front seats
- Dual 12.3-inch displays
- Google built-in, including Google Maps
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto
- 21-inch wheels (Platinum grade)
- 64-color interior ambient lighting
- Color head-up display
- Invisible Hood View
- 3D Intelligent Around View Monitor
- ProPILOT Assist and ProPILOT Assist
- 9-speed automatic transmission
Some additional items we noted during testing were a nifty push-button gear selector and a spare tire under the cargo floor.
2025 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD - Price and Conclusion
Our tester had a price including Destination Charges of $51,415. After adjusting our brain for the devaluation of the dollar, and considering what the competition charges, that price seems like a steal for this fully-optioned roomy five-passenger premium crossover SUV. Nissan has earned a reputation for offering a great value proposition. The new Murano only solidifies our opinion on that.
John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ grammar and punctuation software when proofreading and he also uses image generation tools.
Top of page 2025 Murano image courtesy of Nissan. 2025 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD spare tire image by John Goreham. Image of 2025 Nissan Murano engine by John Goreham.
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Comments
Can't disagree more. A 2.0…
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Can't disagree more. A 2.0 turbo 4 is not an upgrade over a 3.5 v6. Especially one like this with complicated VC rech. I wouldn't plan to have this car past the warranty.
You make a very good point…
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In reply to Can't disagree more. A 2.0… by TD (not verified)
You make a very good point about the warranty, TD. Thanks for commenting.
This sounds pretty much like…
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In reply to Can't disagree more. A 2.0… by TD (not verified)
This sounds pretty much like the same engine that's in my 2019 qx50, 2.0 4-banger with turbo and CVT transmission, that we bought new. We have 90k miles on ours, and have not put a penny into it besides general maintenance. Engine is a little loud for my liking, but super quick and speedy. (I previously owned three QX4s, with that V6, and one Pathfinder and yes great engines... But this car seems to have more acceleration at all speeds & RMPs than those.
Did you push the engine at…
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Did you push the engine at all? We're a two Murano family (mine's a 2017) have have been waiting excitedly for the new version. Total disappointment. I'll leave aside the cheapened interior and console control issues, to focus on the rubber band powered engine. When you floor it, as in I need to make a quick safety maneuver, you get a significant delay in response, followed on the backend by a long, high pitched winding sound even after you release the gas pedal. It took me days to get over the disappointment. A hybrid to cover the delays like the Toyota Crown would be helpful, but for now we're looking at Lexus. Nissan's troubles show through in spades with this release.