The Nissan Murano made a strong statement with its swoopy lines when it was originally introduced as a 2003 model. The Nissan Murano was among the first of a new wave of space-efficient crossover SUV's that are highly styled. Sharing much of its design with the stylish launched in late 2007, the new Nissan Murano takes crossover styling another step further.

The 2009 Nissan Murano has a bolder grille and a more aggressive front end design than that of the successful original. The grille is more in-your-face and the air intakes under the bumper are larger than before. Very complex aero headlamps hang off the front corners of the body and gracefully lead into the fenders.

Bumper to bumper, this Nissan Murano has much more sculpted sheetmetal than the original, with swoops and sweeps and dips from end to end. Nissan calls it curvaceous modern art. One feature that affects both the exterior and interior is a new dual-panel moonroof that lets huge amounts of light into the cabin, but looks from the outside like a single pane of glass covering two thirds of the roof area.