Nissan unleashes revamped Murano

Love it or hate it the Nissan Murano has been re-born. But while underneath the mechanical package has been overhauled the controversial styling remains that car's biggest talking point.

The new Murano is a key model in the Japanese company's plans to overtake Mitsubishi to become Australia's fifth biggest brand and begins a busy opening half of the year with the GT-R, 370Z and Maxima all due before July.

"It's the first model that we're going to launch that, I think, is really going to shift the Nissan brand," says Nissan Australia managing director, Dan Thompson.

Described as an "evolution of an iconic shape" by Nissan Australia marketing chief Ross Booth, the Murano retains the sharply defined styling of the original on the outside with the chrome grille sure to polarise opinions of potential buyers. But the designers have taken a more conservative approach inside. The sports-themed interior has been replaced by a more traditional dashboard layout as the company searches for more sales.

Underneath the 3.5-litre V6 engine has been reworked to deliver more power and torque and remains mated to the company's five-speed CVT. The chassis has been redesigned with new suspension and a new 4x4i system in place.

Nissan hopes that these changes will help propel the Murano up the sales ladder. Although the company is setting the comparatively modest target of a 3.5 per cent market share in the medium SUV segment that will mean significant growth for the car.

Last year Nissan sold 1094 Murano's to take a 1.4 per cent share of the segment, a drop from 2.1 per cent in 2007. But Nissan is confident that the new model can move up to 200 units per month. That's well behind the class leading Toyota Prado and Kluger -- which combine to claim almost 40 per cent of the medium SUV segment -- but would mean the Murano pushes the Hyundai Santa Fe and Jeep Wrangler for numbers.

In order to grab those extra numbers Nissan Australia has worked hard to keep the specifications and price of the new model competitive in the crowded marketplace.

The base ST model will be priced from $45,990 a massive $6000 cut over the out-going model, while the top-spec Ti model will start at $55,890.

"It's very hard, we fought very hard for a high level of specification, to keep price at a competitive level," Thompson said.

The new Murano goes on sale February 1.