2025 Nissan Murano: How Does It Fare Against Its Mid-Size Crossover SUV Rivals?

The little Kicks basically kicked the proceeds into high gear – pun intended – with its more serious appearance and better technology without actually losing all of its playful side. Then the big Armada came along as the mainstream partner of the all-new Infiniti QX80 and brought with it a fresh design along with an eagerly-awaited all-new high-tech cabin and a modern 3.5-liter VR35DDTT twin-turbo V6 that's good for no less than 425 horsepower.

Smack in the middle between the 139-hp subcompact second-generation Kicks that uses the global CMF-B platform and the massive full-size body-on-frame 425-hp third-generation Armada (sold internationally as the Y63 seventh-generation Patrol) now resides, quite stylishly, the fourth-generation (Z53) Nissan Murano. Well, mostly because the predecessor has been around since 2014 as a 2015 model year, the all-new iteration feels light years ahead of the model it replaces.

That's coming from all departments bar one – and you'll see it's a very important one. The styling is all-new yet familiar because we've already seen variations on the 2025 Kicks and 2025 Qashqai in Europe, as well as the all-electric Ariya, especially. However, Nissan is careful with the styling, and you can't confuse the Kicks, Ariya, and Murano easily, especially from the front. It's also more elegant all around, including from the profile and the rear.

Moving inside, the inspiration source (Ariya) is even more apparent as Nissan treats the Murano to a long overdue redesign of the cockpit – the mid-size CUV is now 2.6 inches wider and packs almost two additional inches of ground clearance but kept the length and height virtually the same while the 111.2-inch wheelbase is identical. Inside, there are dual 12.3-inch displays with Google built-in, wireless CarPlay, and Android Auto, many other tech gizmos, as well as numerous digital and haptic controls similar to the Ariya, which means the Murano is now almost barren of physical switchgear.

Nissan may call the powertrain all-new since the old V6 and especially the hated CVT are now gone, but they did it in favor of Nissan's 2.0-liter variable-compression turbo four-cylinder, a technology which has proven unreliable as per NHTSA's investigation into catastrophic engine failures. On the semi-upside, the power of 241 hp (minus 19 hp versus V6) and 260 pound-feet of torque (up by 20 lb-ft) is now rooted through something way better – a nine-speed automatic transmission.

As a midway conclusion, the 2025 Nissan Murano has around five new major key selling points – the new exterior styling, the ritzier interior with ventilated and massaging front seats, the switch from CVT (good riddance) to a classic, smooth, and efficient nine-speed automatic, the switch from V6 to a turbo inline-four pot, as well as the potential boost to mild off-road performance thanks to the new 8.3 inches (211 mm) or ride height and tech like the Invisible Hood View or the 3D Intelligent Around View camera systems.

Alas, without even knowing the pricing details, which will be shared closer to the arrival at dealerships in early 2025, we can easily tell anyone asking that Nissan's 2025 Murano faces an uphill battle against the stacked mid-size crossover SUV competition. Its biggest aces are the still-quirky-yet-stylish design, the new abundance of technology and premium features, as well as the switch from CVT to auto – but these will need to be compounded by sensible pricing that still puts it around the $40k mark for the starting MSRP.

The competition, meanwhile, is numerous and ready for a brawl. Since the Toyota Highlander and the Pontiac Aztek launched the mid-size crossover SUV sector in 2001, everyone has taken a liking to it, and some of the biggest rivals of the 2025 Nissan Murano will be the Ford Explorer, for example, which is refreshed for 2025MY and has a much larger powertrain range starting from $39k with the more powerful 300-hp 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-four. If you want something equally quirky but manlier, the cheaper ($32k) 2025 Kia Sorento might be an interesting proposition with its choice of ICE, Hybrid, and PHEV options.

The five-seat 2025 Nissan Murano is also on par with models like the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, which starts at $37k and packs a 2.0-liter TSI with 269 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. It looks like granny's car, according to some, unlike the fashionable Murano, so maybe you'll want something with a little more off-road chops, like the Jeep Grand Cherokee – it comes with bona fide AWD capability and premium ideas starting from $36,495 while packing a trusty 3.6-liter V6 and eight-speed auto to distribute the 293 hp to a couple or all wheels.

Last but not least, one might also consider the new Mazda CX-70 (though we recommend the cheaper CX-90 instead), the ubiquitous Toyota Highlander, or even the LEGO-like Hyundai Santa Fe if you need even more options. So, which is your favorite?