The 2019 Nissan Murano isn’t afraid to let you know it’s a crossover

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Many SUVs on the road today look boxy and truck-like, but most are actually car-based crossovers. The Nissan Murano has never been bashful about its car DNA. Nissan’s five-seat midsize crossover continues to flaunt its curvaceous styling in slightly updated form at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The 2019 Nissan Murano doesn’t look vastly different from last year’s version. Nissan claims to have changed the grille, headlights, and taillights, but the differences are very subtle. Granted, the current-generation Murano already had a very extroverted design to begin with. Nissan has always used the Murano as a platform for exterior design experimentation. It even launched a convertible version at one point.

Like the 2019 Nissan Maxima sedan, which was also unveiled in L.A., the Murano gets Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 bundle of driver aids. Standard on the top Murano Platinum trim level and part of an option package on the Murano SL, Safety Shield 360 includes autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, and automatic high beams. The Murano also comes standard with Nissan’s Rear Door Alert, which is designed to prevent drivers from leaving children or pets in the backseat unattended.

Nissan added semi-aniline leather upholstery to the Murano Platinum, and added different trim-piece options on other trim levels, but the overall interior design remains the same. Nissan offers an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as an 11-speaker Bose audio system.

No mechanical changes were made, so the 2019 Murano still uses a 3.5-liter V6 producing 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. The V6 is mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), with standard front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive.

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The 2019 Nissan Murano goes on sale in December 2018. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but we don’t expect a major change from the 2018 model, which starts at $31,000 for a base front-wheel drive S and rises to $44,030 for a top-of-the-line all-wheel drive Platinum.

The Murano’s current rivals include the Ford Edge and Hyundai Santa Fe, but the Nissan will soon have lots of new competition, including the 2019 Honda Passport (which was also unveiled in L.A.), the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer, and a five-seat version of the Volkswagen Atlas.