Nissan Murano: A full week in the Murano and we didn't even dirty the alloys. Not the wispiest blade of grass was caught between the tyre threads, not a dusty track crossed or a muddy pool traversed.
So is this a real test of Nissan latest SUV? Yes: it's far more realistic than trekking up the side a sand dune or wading up to our door handles in bogwater.
We took it for granted this Nissan can go off-road in the sort of circumstances its owners find themselves in. It comes with four-wheel-drive, and can surmount most of the usual obstacles you meet on a trip to the beach or in a soggy field acting as a car park for the day.
Would it conquer Croagh Patrick? We didn't try, but we would have our doubts. Would it wade across a surging stream or even a babbling brook? It has all the gizmos to make that possible, but why bother? Would anyone Murano owner choose to do so? Not likely. For those sorts of adventures sensible people turn to the big diesel off-roaders, such as its sibling Patrol, the Toyota Land Cruiser or Land Rover's Defender.
The Murano is your typical road-going SUV, designed to offer the family saloon comfort, but with a more rugged, imposing look. What's different is that it has brought a touch of sportiness to the SUV segment. Its DNA is a mix of X-Trail four-wheel-drive, executive saloon spaciousness and 350Z raciness.
There's no escaping its eye-catching appearance. Despite our aversion to chrome, the striking front grille is the piece de resistance. Some may find the look a little too loud and garish. However, the average SUV owner is not usually the retiring type. If you don't want to be noticed, there are lots of bland cars to choose from. The Murano is an example of industry moves to take design more seriously in a market previously dominated by off-road utility.
The Murano designers have got it so right. We first came across it in New York last year and, even amid the enormous Hummers and Cadillac Escalades, both veritable road-going tanks, the Nissan caught many a fond glance. In a week of tyre-kicking at the New York car show, the Murano stuck in our mind.
One complaint about the design - the dark tint on the back windows. This is meant to give it a gangsterish mystique, but comes across as boy racer. Otherwise it's one of the most striking SUVs on the market.
In keeping with the sporty image, only one engine is available - a petrol V6 taken from the 350Z. There are no plans for diesel. It's powered by a detuned version of the 3.5-litre unit, this time offering 231bhp instead of the 276bhp in the 350Z. It never feels underpowered and, thanks to Nissan's clever continually variable transmission (CVT), it's never short of acceleration. There's a lovely free flow to the power. The CVT shifts up and down through the six-speed box so smoothly, you'd be hard-pushed to identify the changes.
The muted snarl of the V6 is not as intimidating as the 350Z, sounding much more refined in keeping with the Murano's family image. We'd prefer the original full-throated gurgle of the 350Z but we're probably in the minority.
It may not be able to conquer mountain ranges, but it does come equipped with the same electronic four-wheel-drive system as in Nissan's X-Trail. In normal road conditions, power is through the front wheels, switching to four-wheel when the system notes any slippage. It can go to permanent four-wheel-drive at the touch of a button.
Sporty design ideals are seen in the suspension settings, with the Murano retaining a great deal of regular car agility, while still capable of smothering potholes and other ravines littering Irish roads. Handling is good, but steering is slightly numbed by the supple suspension, the price paid for a more comfortable ride. Wind noise is present, apparently from the large wing mirrors, though it never really distracts.
Thick rear c-pillars impede some of the view when reversing and there seem to be a couple of rear blind spots which can catch you out when turning right - even with the big wing mirrors. A useful colour reversing camera is standard.
Inside, and the Murano again deserves great kudos. It's got the equivalent space of the seven-seat Volvo XC90 or even the new Land Rover Discovery. In outright size, it's as wide and tall as any of its competitors, if slightly more squat, in keeping with its sportier image.
Yet, despite all that space, Nissan never attempted to add an extra row of seats. This car was designed with the American market in mind, where space is a must and large comfortable seats are de rigueur.
For Europeans more used to rubbing elbows with those around us, the Murano will score full marks in terms of spaciousness and comfort. The large leather seats - standard in the Murano - will seat five international rugby players without complaint.
All that extra space also means there's a decent boot in tow. The 60:40 split rear seats also flip right down at the tug of a lever in the boot.
Where it falls flat is in the interior trim. Again Nissan has gone for sturdy plastics, which may prove more durable in the long-run but lack the luxury finish you get in the likes of the XC90 or the VW Touareg. With black leather seats and black interior plastics, it all seems too dark in the cabin. A far nicer red trim is available in the US, but for some reason it's not on offer in Europe.
Nissan has decided to cut out the various specification levels and offer one all-inclusive version as standard. The list of goodies is impressive. From the Bose stereo with tape and CD player through to the heated leather seats, it's the sort of package available only at the top-of-the- range with competitors. Yet the Murano comes at a much lower price.
So, with all these factors going for it, will the Murano storm the SUV petrol-engined market? Its foremost problem is the lack of a prestigious badge. The petrol-engined SUV segment is invariably dominated by executive marques. Toyota realised in the late 1980s that to conquer the executive market it needed to create a separate marque - hence the advent of Lexus.
Nissan has arrived at the same conclusion. In the US it now has the Infiniti brand and this is due here in the next three years. Incidentally, if you think the Murano is good looking, wait until you see the Infiniti version - the FX45.
The Murano may also fall foul of the desire by many in the SUV market seeking something more butch and imposing, such as the Touareg or the X5.
Yet it's distinctive enough to win favour with those looking for a more sporting contemporary image, rather than the sheer bulk or bland boxy looks on offer by others.
