2009 Nissan Murano – Mixim Concept – R35 GT-R: 2008 Sydney Motor Show

Nissan’s latest version of its popular Murano was on display along with the oddball Mixim concept and of course the almighty R35 GT-R. Nissan announced that the order books are now open for the GT-R, with first deliveries expected in 2009.

The 2009 Murano styling has been heavily redesigned for 2009, with bigger wheel-arches, sharper lines, completely new xenon headlamps, LED taillights, 18-inch rims and all-new front and rear fascias jazzing up the Murano’s body. The end result is a car that, although similar to its predecessor, sports a brand new vibe and a good deal more visual muscle.

On the inside luxury touches abound, with new interior styling, standard leather trim, heated seats, Bluetooth phone integration and a 7-inch colour sat-nav screen (with integrated reversing camera) making the Murano’s cockpit a more pleasant place to be. Intelligent keyless entry, push button starter and power tailgate also relegate the tedious “old-tech” methods of manually unlocking, starting and closing up the Murano to the history books. Excellent.

The 2009 Murano’s powertrain carries over from the old model, meaning the competent VQ35DE 3.5-litre V6 takes pride of place while Nissan’s 4×4-i AWD system gets the power to all four wheels. The familiar Xtronic CVT gearbox has been updated for 2009 and also features a manual mode, while a new multilink rear suspension improves handling over the old Murano.

Like the outgoing car, the new Murano also features a full complement of electronic safety gear, with Vehicle Dynamic Control, ABS and EBD doing their part to keep the tall SUV out of the Armco. Should they fail, however, you can still count on front and side airbags, curtain airbags and active headrests to keep you in one piece.

As for the Mixim, it just looks bizarre and you can read all about it here Nissan Mixim Concept, should you desire.

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