Here's How The 2025 Nissan Murano Can Take The SUV Market By Storm

Nissan has a chance to make the 2025 Nissan Murano one of the most athletic, Japanese SUVs you can buy. Here's how.

Nissan has its fair share of great SUV models, but still lags behind the competition. The Nissan Murano is one of the marque's sportiest SUV offerings, and for 2025, a big redesign is on the way. The Murano was in a class of its own when it came out back in 2003, but nowadays we have models like the Mazda CX-70 and Toyota Crown Signia that pack potent powertrains, and come from manufacturers with a more consistent reliability record. Here's how the 2025 Nissan Murano can make a dent in Toyota and Mazda sales. 

2024 will be the last year of the current Nissan Murano. Similar to Toyota's 2025 redesign for the RAV4, the 2025 Nissan Murano promises to be radically different. So far, Nissan Murano 2024 sales account for just 9,140 cars in the first half. By comparison, Toyota's Highlander was sold 60,108 times during the same period. I recently saw spy footage from another publication, and from what I can tell, the new Murano will be heavily inspired by the Nissan Ariya EV.  

That said, don't expect a fully electric Nissan Murano. To find out what engines will be offered on the 2025 Murano, we can take a look at what Nissan already has on sale. 

No more variable compression engines? 

Nissan's VC Turbo engines were great in theory, but in practice, they turned out to be less competitive than anticipated. 2021 was the last year, in which Nissan and Infiniti models featured variable compression engines. One exception is the Chinese variant of the Nissan Pathfinder, which still relies on the 2.0-liter VC Turbo engine, making 252 horsepower and 277 pound-feet.  

Two different V-6 options? 

It's worth noting that, at this point, nothing is about the 2025 Nissan Murano is confirmed. That said, Nissan is still using the VQ35 V-6 engine in various states of tune, in models like the Maxima and Pathfinder, so the 3.5-liter, naturally-aspirated V-6 is a safe bet.  

I am more interested in the second potential V-6, which is the VR30DDTT engine. We first saw this potent powerplant in the Infiniti Q50 and Q60 models, and later in the retro-styled Nissan Z where it develops over 400 horsepower in the NISMO Z. The Infiniti QX80 is the more affordable alternative to Lexus' J300 LX, and in 2024, the 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6 was also put to use the full-size Infiniti SUV. 

Since the 2025 Nissan Murano will be going head-to-head with models like the Mazda CX-70, which offers a 300-plus-horsepower, straight-six engine, the VR30DDTT engine would make perfect sense. The new Nissan Murano may be accompanied by an Infiniti model, sharing the same platform. Similarly to what Toyota did with the J250 Land Cruiser and Lexus GX 550, the Infiniti model might get different engine options. If so, the 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6 might be reserved for the Infiniti while the Murano relies on the naturally-aspirated, 3.5-liter V-6. 

In a perfect (for me) scenario, the 3.5-liter VQ35 will be the base Murano engine, with around 284 horsepower (like in the Pathfinder) while the higher-trim levels would get the 3.0-liter VR30DETT in different power levels, ranging from 300 to around 400 horsepower. The best part is, Nissan retired the dreary CVT for its higher-end models, instead going for the Mercedes-Jatco nine-speed automatic. 

Will there be a Nissan Murano hybrid? 

Currently, Nissan doesn't offer any hybrid models in the US. Seeing as how all of Nissan's BEV models are fully-electric and the fact there was never a Nissan Murano hybrid, it seems highly-unlikely.  

There was a short-lived Murano Hybrid between 2016 and 2018 that revolved around the 2.5-liter QR25DER engine, which featured a supercharger and a 20-horsepower electric motor, but it never really took off. Probably for the best, given early Infiniti Q50 hybrid models suffered a plethora of issues.  

The 2025 Nissan Murano is rumored to have a starting MSRP of around $37,000, which puts it in the ballpark of the Mazda CX-70, which starts at $40,445. Nissan already proved it can give us great sports cars with the GT-R and Z models. I think now is a great time to show the world that Nissan can spice things up with its more mainstream models too. What are your thoughts on the upcoming Nissan Murano? 

About the author

Dimitar Angelov's automotive interests made him an expert in a wide variety of vehicles. Japanese brands like Toyota are closest to his heart, although performance cars in general are his favorite segment, which is why he is constantly on the lookout for the best deals on the market. Dimitar Angelov's car passion and knack for the written word led him to complete a Master of Arts in Media and Communications, and classic car restoration. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, Linked-in, Instagram, and Facebook.

Image source: 2025 Nissan Murano via Auto Om TV (YouTube), Reddit