| First Drive | Frankfurt, Germany | Nissan Murano Diesel |

You could have missed the existence of the Nissan Qashqai's bigger brother before, the Murano selling in tiny numbers thanks to its single, thirsty, V6 petrol engine choice. That's now changed, with Nissan adding a 187bhp 2.5-litre turbodiesel to the Murano line-up. With that under the bonnet the Murano can now be considered to be more than just a tiny niche anomaly and more of a mainstream alternative.

In the Metal

Big and bold is what you get with the Murano. It's unlikely to appeal to all, but its striking chrome grille, neat headlamps and bold wheelarches do make it stand out from the SUV and crossover norm. Large 20-inch alloy wheels and rear tinted windows add to the extrovert looks, the Murano's relative rarity also ensuring that you'll be noticed driving it.

Inside it's not quite as bold; leather and decent quality plastics mix in an interior that's comfortable and loaded with kit. Nissan's interior designers always impress with practical details: there's a big boot, with easy one-touch fold-flat seats and even a fold-up shopping holder in the boot floor.

What you get for your Money

Pretty much everything. With tiny sales figures Nissan absolutely throws standard equipment at the Murano. For around £38,000 you get a full leather interior, an automatic transmission, dual-zone climate control, a kerbside and reversing camera, Bose audio, twin sunroofs, satnav with a 40GB hard drive as well as heated front and rear seats. Really, you'll want for nothing inside as the Murano's standard kit list covers everything. It needs to though, as you can have the Nissan's upmarket Infiniti EX diesel with similarly comprehensive specification levels for around the same price.

Driving it

The Murano has always been hindered by its V6 petrol engine and CVT automatic transmission and the arrival of the 2.5-litre turbodiesel underlines just by how much. It's smooth and quiet where the V6 was harsh and noisy, the automatic transmission with the diesel feeling in a completely different league to the rev-holding CVT with the petrol.

Economy is much better too, though 35.3mpg on the combined cycle isn't among the class leaders. Neither is the 210g/km of CO₂, though both significantly better the 3.5-litre V6 petrol's figures. The diesel doesn't feel any slower either, even if the figures give the petrol version a two-second advantage to 62mph. It's a far more enjoyable car to drive with the diesel, the smoother, more refined and easier accessibility of its performance completely changing the Murano's character. For the better.

Worth Noting

The Murano is an odd fit in the marketplace, neither falling into the full-sized nor mid-sized categories - seemingly sitting somewhere in between. Masses of equipment undoubtedly appeal, though Nissan itself admits that the Murano - even in diesel form - will never be anything but a small number model in the SUV/crossover market.

Summary

If there was ever a vehicle with an engine and transmission ill-suited to Europe's tastes then the Nissan Murano used to be it. With a new 2.5-litre turbodiesel and a six-speed automatic it is transformed. It's refined and more laid back now, though retains its big-hitting standard kit and glitzy looks.