While the original Nissan Murano broke the SUV design mold when it debuted back in 2003, the two-row crossover has lagged behind more modern rivals in recent years. Now though, it looks as if Nissan is giving the Murano a sharp new design for an upcoming third generation. From spy photos, we can see sharper styling hidden behind a layer of camouflage, with a pinched rear quarter window and a swept back roofline reminiscent of the Genesis GV70—a crossover from the luxury class. Originally expected to debut as an EV, we can see exhaust emanating from the Murano's rear end in some photos, leading us to believe it will remain powered by a V-6 engine. The 2025 Murano is also expected to remain a two-row, five-seat affair and we suspect there will also be a version produced for Nissan's Infiniti luxury brand—probably called QX65—wearing more upscale styling and a higher-end interior.
While we had expected the next-generation Murano to debut with an electric powertrain, we can see from the exhaust vapors in spy photos that internal combustion will be the SUV's primary motivator. While it's possible Nissan is engineering the new Murano to be able to fit either a gasoline engine or an EV powertrain, we'll have to wait for an official announcement to know for sure. We suspect that the Murano will debut with a familiar 3.5-liter V-6 carried over from the previous-generation model, but we're hoping that Nissan will have swapped in the nine-speed automatic from the larger Pathfinder in place of the 2024 Murano's continuously variable automatic transmission.
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