Nissan Murano is pretty — and tough

The result is generally a vehicle so bulky and stiff that it doesn’t fill any of those roles. Plus, many crossovers are nearly impossible to pull into parking spaces, cramped or wide.

Not so with the Nissan Murano, which received some jaunty re-styling for 2009.

Powered by a 3.5-litre V6 that produces 265 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque, the ride is firm and steady, the handling nimble. That’s saying something considering this mid-size, near-luxury SUV is a generous 188.5 inches in length and just over 74 inches wide. The Murano is on an advanced “D” platform, similar to the one used in the 2008 Altima. Nissan notes the platform gives Murano 1 1/2 times more torsional rigidity than the first model, which diminishes noise and vibration.

Putting the Murano through the same paces as a recent test drive in a Toyota LandCruiser — gravel country roads, winding, steep hills, and clogged urban streets — shows they’re not wrong.

Although the Murano can’t compete with the rough-and-tumble capabilities of the LandCruiser, which muscles over curbs, up hills, and around bends, it’s plenty tough for some serious off-roading and equally at ease in a tightly packed urban parking lot.

If anything, the newly styled Murano exterior may seem a bit too “pretty” to some sports enthusiasts looking for a crossover. It’s tough to dislike some of those features, though, including the dual-panel power-sliding glass moon roof and second-row skylight. Again, this is a crossover that works as well for a camping trip as it does during an elegant night on the town.

Adding to its adaptability are some nifty extras the buyer can add, including rain-sensing windshield wipers, a power liftgate, and eight color options including three new shades — deep sapphire, tinted bronze and Saharan stone.

Even if the front seats with extra support and options — such as heat, multiple power positions and a memory system scream baby boomer necessity — it’s doubtful anyone will balk at the comfort they afford. Likewise, the extra headroom is welcome, allowing the driver and passengers to hit bumps without feeling as if they’re jack-in-the-boxes ready to break through the top.

Plus, the Murano has plenty of space to stash gear in the dual-level console, extra large glove compartment, dual seat-back pockets, and other nooks and crannies. It seems 60-40 splits and organizers are as common as horns on this year’s crossovers. Nissan actually has gone one better with a foldaway cargo organizer that pops into place when you push a button — nice to have, so sports equipment and even books and files don’t scatter all over the back. Apparently, Nissan engineers debated adding a third row of seats but opted out over concerns it would seriously impact cargo room.

The Nissan Murano is a high-powered, well-designed SUV that has plentiful options that allow buyers to tweak its style to best suit their needs. With a starting MSRP of $27,680 and a respectable 18 mpg-city, 23 mpg-highway fuel economy, it deserves to be on any SUV buyer’s short list.