2019 Nissan Murano SV

2019 Nissan Murano SV

The 2019 Nissan Murano marks the fourth model year for the big two-row crossover, and Nissan has given it a mild refresh for the occasion.

And we do mean mild. It has a revised front fascia that adds black trim in the middle of the front bumper to make the grille look larger and deeper, and the headlights and taillights are fully LED now. These changes, while very minor, do give the car a slightly crisper look.

Besides the styling changes, the Murano gets three more paint colors, new faux wood trim, and a few safety features.

These safety additions include driver alertness monitoring, knee airbags, additional rear-seat side airbags, and availability of Safety Shield 360, Nissan’s suite of driver aids: automatic emergency braking, automatic rear emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning and automatic high-beam headlights.

What isn’t included in the list of changes is anything mechanical. As such, one of the many things that carries over is the 3.5-liter V6 that makes 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. Power goes through a CVT to either the front wheels or all four.

On our test drive, we found that acceleration is adequate and the engine feels responsive. It’s a bit rough sounding, though, and competitors in this midsize two-row crossover segment offer both smoother and punchier engine options, including the Ford Edge’s turbocharged offerings. Pleasantly, the CVT is smooth and doesn’t get hung up at specific rpms.