5 changes to the Nissan Murano for 2019

Sure, Nissan says the design on the 2019 Murano is refreshed, but let’s be honest. We’ve been toggling between photos of 2018 and 2019 models, and the differences are hardly distinguishable.

The engine is the same, the profile is the same, and the ride and handling are (you guessed it) the same.

So, we picked out five of the biggest changes made to the 2019 model.

Headlights

As a part of the front-end design tweak, the headlights get an upgrade with lots and lots of LED lights. The daytime running lights are LED. High beams are now LED. The turn signal is now LED. And the low beams are also, you guessed it, LED.

Taillights

The second verse is the same as the first, and the taillights also get the LED treatment. They’ve also been slightly redesigned, and get a smoked outer lens. The overall effect is a little more sporty.

New colors

Murano adds three new colors for 2019: Mocha Almond Pearl, Sunset Drift Chromaflair and Deep Blue Pearl. According to Nissan one of the goals with the new colors was to add more of a sporty expression, and the blue itself is actually a GT-R color, referred to internally as GT-R blue.

Read Door Alert

This system focuses on a series of events. If you open the rear door before starting the vehicle but don’t open it after exiting the vehicle, an audible alert sounds.

The story goes that a Nissan engineer designed this after leaving a lasagna in her back seat. For a few days. Ew.

Safety Shield 360

This is one of the biggest additions for 2019. While the Murano has previously had blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, this system adds automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, high beam assist, rear automatic braking and lane departure warning.

This is all good stuff. The only problem is it’s only standard at the top-tier Platinum trim and available as an option on the SL model.

The Bottom Line:

I look at the refresh as more of a fine-tuning. The Murano is already a great vehicle with some of the best seats in any vehicle I’ve ever sat in.

With a base price of around $33K and available AWD for just an additional $1,600, Murano delivers smooth handling, attractive looks and plenty of amenities.

My one complaint with this vehicle: Safety Shield 360 should be standard at the base trim.

For more information about the refreshed 2019 Nissan Murano, be sure to read our full first-look review.