Nissan is famous for being able to squeeze a whole menu of vehicles from a single platform, and the 2009 Murano crossover is more proof that the company does it very well. The Murano, built on the so-called D platform shared with Altima, will be produced on the Kyushu assembly line in Japan alongside no fewer than six other models. That’s what we call flexible. These guys make Plasticman look arthritic.

The Murano has been a hit from day one, and sales have grown every year, up 71 percent for the 2007 model compared to the original in 2003.

The Murano was the first crossover that said it was okay to have a radical, swoopy design, eschewing the blocky, boring cargo box mounted on four tires. The second-generation Murano has more body curves, a bigger, shinier grille with a less busy-looking air intake, seven-element headlamps, a new if somewhat generic rear-end treatment with dual exhaust ports, and eighteen-inch wheels. Twenty-inch wheels are standard on the top model and optional on the others. Aft of the grille and headlamps, the only pieces of bling on the sinuous body are the door handles and the logos on the hatch.

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Magazine Issue: Winding Road Issue 29