Nissan Murano named U.S. News "Best 2-Row SUV for the Money" at 2015 Chicago Auto Show

2015 Nissan Murano Press Kit

CHICAGO – Currently listed as the U.S. News No. 1 Affordable Midsize SUV, the all-new 2015 Nissan Murano is being recognized by the publication once again. At the 2015 Chicago Auto Show today, U.S. News & World Report named the 2015 Nissan Murano Best "2-Row SUV for the Money" in its annual "Best Cars" awards. The Murano, which was a finalist for the same award last year, bested two fellow 2015 finalists to earn top honors in the class.

The "Best Cars for the Money" awards combine quality and value data into a composite score. Quality is measured by the overall score achieved in the U.S. News car rankings, while value is measured by five-year total cost of ownership and the average price paid for the vehicle. Within each of 21 categories, the vehicle with the highest score is named the Best Car for the Money in that category.

Following a full evaluation, the 2015 Murano was noted for its "outstanding value and critical acclaim," among other qualities, to capture the crown of "Best 2-Row SUV for the Money." Earlier this year, the 2015 Murano beat out 11 fellow midsize SUVs to earn its current position as U.S. News "No. 1 Affordable Midsize SUV."

"People love the 2015 Murano for a variety of reasons, but the one nearly everyone can agree on is its incredible value," said Fred Diaz, senior vice president, Nissan Sales & Marketing and Operations U.S., Nissan North America, Inc. "Featuring concept-car like styling and a premium interior that experts have coined 'luxurious' – along with an abundance of technology and a starting M.S.R.P.* of only $29,560 – there truly is no better value in this class, and we're elated to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report once again."

The all-new third-generation Murano features modern styling, premium interior and advanced, purposeful technology. The breakthrough exterior design projects a sense of refined intensity, creating an immediate "wow" response, while delivering a low 0.31 Cd drag coefficient. The breakthrough exterior design carries into the interior, which offers an engaging social lounge feel through features such as the refined instrument panel, low center console, advanced NASA-inspired Zero Gravity front and outboard rear seating, and the airy atmosphere created by the large windows and oversized Power Panoramic Moonroof.

Premium features and driving assistance technologies abound in the 2015 Murano, including available NissanConnectSM with Navigation and Mobile Apps, 8-inch color display with multi-touch control, Around View® Monitor, Nissan Intelligent Key® with Push Button Ignition, 11-speaker Bose® premium audio system, Moving Object Detection (MOD), Blind Spot Warning (BSW), Predictive Forward Collision Warning (PFCW), Forward Emergency Braking (FEB) and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA).

Every 2015 Murano comes with a standard 260-horsepower 3.5-liter DOHC V6 connected to an advanced Xtronic transmission. Fuel economy has increased 20 percent (over the previous generation) for combined mpg and is rated at 21/28/24 mpg city/highway/combined for both front-wheel and all-wheel drive models.

The 2015 Murano is offered in four trim levels – S, SV, SL and Platinum – and in a choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)* for the Murano S FWD is $29,560 USD, while the top-of-the-line Murano Platinum AWD is priced at $40,600 USD (full pricing is available at NissanNews.com).

To view the complete U.S. News Best Cars for the Money awards list, please visit http://usnews.com/cars-money.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 244,500 employees globally, Nissan sold almost 5.2 million vehicles and generated revenue of 10.5 trillion yen (USD 105 billion) in fiscal 2013. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

About U.S. News Best Cars
U.S. News Best Cars, the automotive channel of U.S. News & World Report, has published rankings for new vehicles sold in America since 2007 and rankings for used vehicles since 2012. U.S. News also publishes the Best Cars for the Money and Best Cars for Families awards annually. U.S. News Best Cars has grown in popularity and influence each year; in 2014, the site received over 45 million visitors. Over 65 percent of visitors were actively shopping for a car, while 80 percent of active shoppers reported that the U.S. News Best Cars site influenced their car purchasing decision.

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*MSRP excludes applicable tax, title, license fees and destination charges. Dealer sets actual price. Prices and specs are subject to change without notice. Destination and handling $885.

Contact:

Dan Passe
Product Communications, Nissan North America
615-725-5264
dan.passe@nissan-usa.com