In their latest car review, the team at Bullz-Eye.com takes a look at the 2011 Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet First Drive. Take a look at the review and let us know what you think about this ride!
After arriving in San Diego this past weekend, Bullz-Eye finally had the chance to drive the all new 2011 Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet and luckily, the weather was just about perfect. Going into the drive I really didn’t know what to expect. As sharp as the Murano Cabriolet looks, I had to keep reminding myself that this is a crossover and not a sport coupe. Nissan is coming off a 2010 where they saw market share increase .04% and overall sales jump 18%. Obviously the company wants to keep the momentum going into 2011. (FYI: Nissan North America sales were up a whopping 31% in February 2011.)
We met with Nissan prior to the drive on Saturday and learned that Nissan continues to look for innovations. I would say a crossover convertible qualifies as innovation and a new segment with its crossover functionality and open air access. Nissan described the 2011 Nissan Murano Crossover Cabriolet as a “convertible without compromise.” The lack of a B pillar, higher utility and more space than anything on the market really set the Murano apart.
After seeing the Murano up close when I first arrived and learning more about the impressive model, I was ready to get behind the wheel. We took off from L’Auberge Del Mar with the temperature in the mid 60’s and a line of Muranos ready to get at it. I first noticed how sharp the low profile soft top looks on the Murano Cabriolet, highlighting its sleek silhouette. The taillights are reminiscent of the iconic Nissan 370Z and Nissan Maxima. The soft top opened and tucked away with the press of a button and took less than 25 seconds, which was very impressive. Once the top was down, everything in the interior jumped out at me – I couldn’t help but notice the smooth edges in the cabin and the wraparound feel that reminded me of a luxury yacht. The plush double-stitched leather seating comes standard and the unique tuned wood grain really dresses things up. The flashy but classy 20 inch split spoke titanium finish aluminum alloy wheels also stood out. Nissan apparently paid very close attention to detail when designing and building the Murano Cabriolet, as evidenced by the unique dual pop up roll bars for rear passengers. The roll bars are not only a very smart safety feature but look really cool and add another sporty flavor to the vehicle.
