Nissan recently let us get a first-hand look at their all-new 2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet that was revealed at the LA Auto Show in 2010.
The CrossCabriolet rendition of the Nissan Murano has a folding softop as you might expect from the name “cabrioletâ€. The “cross†part refers to the crossover classification of the Nissan Murano. Together, this creates the world’s first convertible crossover vehicle, one that you step UP to, instead of down, has more ground clearance, and a higher seating position.
The transformation of the Murano body from Crossover to CrossCabriolet and from 4-door to 2-door meant more than just removing the top. Along with creating new front doors (7.9 inches longer than 4-door Murano front doors) and eliminating the B-pillars, the structure has been reinforced from the A-pillar rearward. The cloth convertible top includes a rear glass skylight, helping create the feeling of an open interior environment even with the top in the closed position. Dual Pop-up Roll Bars are also standard.
The Murano CrossCabriolet comes with a long list of standard features, including 8-way power heated driver’s seat with power lumbar support, 4-way manual heated front passenger seat with easy entry function, heated steering wheel, 2-position driver’s seat memory system for seat, steering wheel and outside mirrors, passenger seat easy entry release button on instrument panel for driver access, driver and front passenger seatback pockets, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and Nissan Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition.
The front and rear seats are very well bolstered and lined with soft leather. The rear seats accomodate 6ft and taller passengers with no issues, and getting in and out of the rear seat is made easy thanks to the height of the CrossCabriolet and wide doors.
Interior quality and refinement is a key strength and appeal of vehicle. The front seat design with sloping shoulders offers better visibility to rear passengers. Interior color choices of leather and carpeting include black, camel, and cashmere
Every CrossCabriolet also comes with a standard Nissan Hard-Drive Navigation System with 9.3GB Hard Drive and XM NavTraffic, Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System, HomeLink, and RearView Monitor.
Open-air road tunes are provided by a Bose AM/FM/CD audio system with 8 speakers including subwoofer, automatic audio adjustment for soft-top up/down position, integrated Interface System for iPod, speed-sensitive volume control and auxiliary audio input jack. XM satellite Radio is also standard.
Standard Murano CrossCabriolet safety features include the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System with dual front air bags with seat belt sensors and an occupant classification sensor, front seat side-impact air bags, and door-mounted curtain side-impact air bags with rollover sensing, along with front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters, front seat Active Head Restraints, Tire Pressure Monitor System, Vehicle Dynamic Control , Traction Control System, and Dual Pop-up Roll Bars for rear passengers.
The Murano CrossCabriolet is the perfect vehicle for its demographic. It drove like you'd expect a crossover convertible to drive, which is fine since the buyers of this vehicle aren't expecting a 370Z. The soft top brings with it more road and wind noise than a hardtop, but the VERY luxurious interior more than makes up for it. The 2011 Murano CrossCabriolet is offered in one fully equipped model and will be assembled in Kyushu, Japan.
Nissan gave us the opportunity to drive the vehicle before it went on sale and provided meals as part of a Media Driving Event.
