As you may or may not have seen, Nissan is building a convertible Murano. OK, so… besides the obvious question (what were they drinking?), I'm starting to see the 4-door crossover drop top as a good idea. A few reasons why. I recently drove the new Murano. It was so dull that not only do I barely remember spending a week with it, but the TTAC governing body told me to not even bother with a review (it would have been a Second Take, granted). Besides looking like a moon buggy, the 17 mpg soft-roader has nothing going for it. Hacking off the roof could only help. Additionally, as an American loving American, I proudly stand behind all 4-door convertibles. No other cars so perfectly capture our fading but still proud space race zeitgeist. And since the domestics aren't building one, go Nissan! Finally, one of my least favorite rental cars — the PT Cruiser — is improved by at least 500% once the top comes off. You?
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Ummm….Jeep Wrangler 4-door?
My answer is a big “no” (to the question nobody really asked). And I can’t imagine the complexities of the marketing. People buy on style and that thing is pretty objectively ugly, never mind how much chassis flex it’s going to invariably have.
I think Nissan is trying to out-BMW in the ‘utter pointless, lets make it for the sake of making it, but it better be a totally new category’ automobile category. Something along the lines of: 4-door-coupe-convertible-utlity-crossover.
Actually, I think a convertible Murano is just as retarded as the convertible Dodge Dakota they built in the late 80s.
It is unique. I cannot say I have any desire own or drive one, or that there will be any demand for such a vehicle, but I have always hated those rear pillars. Glad to see them go.
My neighbor has one of those convertable Dakotas. It is retarded to be certain.
I recently dove the new Murano.
Did you mean to say that you piegeon-holed it?
Why? What earthly use could that ugly beast be?
There’s a market for everything. Paint that Murano “touring car” glossy black, and it’s the perfect ride for any two-bit dictator who admires those old pictures of Third Reich honchos in open-top Mercedes rolling through adoring throngs in Berlin.
I’d buy one second hand. There is something glorious about a convertible, and the fact that it’s not a Wrangler four door is good thing to me.
This reminds me of the Pontiac Aztek. A friend of mine bought an Aztek back in the day, when I asked “why?” he said, “because you can open the hatch and it becomes a tent.” I was completely speechless, at first because I thought there were so many wrong reasons to buy an Aztek, this couldn’t possibly be the right one. Then I realized, it was a gimmick car, a one-trick pony that sold on being weird and ugly. If Nissan wants to move into the weird and ugly/gimmick vehicle market, they had better put a tent in the trunk of the Murano Convertible.
I’m all for it. Convertibles are the only way to go. Like anything else it will look odd at first, but then you’ll get used to it.
Beautify the roadways. Ban the Murano.
The least you guys could have done was wait for Avarvarii to do a proper Photochop of it. The AF hack job is befitting of a 3-year-old’s attempt.
The Edmund’s PT-like chop looks marginally better, but overall it’s just a crappy idea. Make do with a big moonroof and be happy.
So Jonny are we talking about a full soft top convertible or some sort of a Panoramic opening/ sliding, folding hard-top? Will it be a two door or a 4 door design? Will it retain the hatchback configuration?
All of these questions have NOT been answered here so it is very hard to speculate as to what a Conv Morano would look like.
At first I had the same WTF thought but I than began to think about a modern day VW Thing and can now see some possiblities with this concept.
Oh, I have spent a good deal of time with a last gen Morano SE AWD and found that it handled VERY well for a jacked-up cross-over design, was nicely powered, had excellent cargo room, and was rather comfortable. IMO I could not ask for more from what is essentailly a “lifted” Maxima wagon.
I don’t think it looks that bad from that long shot, fix the ugly front some and they might sell a few. While they are at it they should make an Altima convertable too, isn’t the Murano just a fatter higher riding Altima.
“Our market research has clearly determined that many SUV owners are what we call posers, and that also a sizeable number of convertible drivers fit the description of this cohort as well. If we can develop a vehicle that appeals to both target groups, we may have instantaneous access to a sizeble and profitable new niche”.
This is a complete red herring, most likely Nissan is spreading this false intelligence to trick another automaker into building something as stupid as a convertible CUV. Carlos Ghosn is a sneaky guy.
If Nissan is actually moronic enough to build a convertible Murano all I can say is that it will pale in comparison to the Stutz Bear http://www.madle.org/esub.htm , and, I predict, also sell in lower numbers than the Stutz Bear.
ash78
Possibly the convertible Murano will not be sold as a Nissan at all, but will, as Chrysler moves toward a fully re-badged Nissan lineup, be the new Wrangler (with some boxier body panels tacked on of course).
The Earth will then open up and all those involved in that project will be swallowed into hell.
The horror!
SAWZ-ALL TO THE RESCUE
Nice option so the French President can wave open topped with his HOT WIFE?
Would a School bus sans roof sell?
Or Amtrack train cars open topped…
I don’t want one. I don’t think any of my friends or family would want one. I’m pretty sure my girlfriend would refuse to even ride in one.
How about a proper Cadillac 4-door convertible? Lots of people still associate Caddys as being drop tops despite the fact that the brand doesn’t sell any. Before you say anything about the XLR, keep in mind that I said that they don’t sell any.
Jeep been Nissan to the punch with the 4-door novelty and the Wrangler is a perfect fit for such a configuration (with the exception of the door posts). The Murano looses focus with the top dropped and while it would make the car marginally cooler, that would be akin to making a senior-citizens’ spelling bee marginally more interesting. (Yes, they do exist, and they do have a national competition.)
Them Nissan boys are watching way too much ‘Top Gear.’ First Jezza and Co. used a Sawz-all to turn a Renault Espace into a ‘convertible people-carrier’, with disastrous results. Then, a few seasons later, they gave the (hard-top) Murano a solid and unexpected thumbs-up.
So what could be better than a Top Gear-approved Murano? A Convertible People Carrier Murano, of course!
I dig convertibles, but they’re an awfully small niche market. Who knows if this bird will fly, but I hope they build it. I like seeing more drop-tops on the street; it means I might be able to buy one used in a few years.
I just threw up in my mouth a little lot.
Runfromcheney – i thought the convertible Dodge Dakota was tres cool.
N85523 – your right, why is there no DTS convertable?
OTTO SALES -an open top amtrac train? be still my foolish heart!
i agree with liberman – 4 door converts are da bomb. i watch “Green Acres” regularly, and Olivers magnificent ’60’s (or 70’s?) lime green metallic Lincoln 4 door convertable often gets a wonderful beauty shot in front of the manse.
Four doors are great! Yeah datsun, or whatever ur called now. I would buy one in a second.
I think it looks beautiful!
How about a convertible Altima? Chrysler used to have a pretty decent niche with the LeBaron and Sebring convertibles for the sole reason that they were about the only four-seat drop-tops (barring the Jeep Wrangler, and later the PT Cruiser) available this side of $30K. It wouldn’t be a big-volume item, but it’s an appealing idea.
wtf? I think there’s more important vehicles we need than a convertible Murano? They can’t even sell the regular version. Nissan is going the way of GM now. Oh joy.
OTTO SALES :
“Would a School bus sans roof sell?”
I’ve seen farmers use school buses sans roof as giant pickup trucks, usually loaded with hay bales. I’ve also seen white water rafting rental companies use them as haulers too.
As far as a convertible Murano goes….throw some Ford Explorer-edition Firestone tires on that sucker and watch as passengers get chucked out at an even more alarming rate.
Wouldn’t that Murano be a phaeton?
Given the way automobile terminology gets abused these days, I’d guess it will be called a four-door convertible coupe. Or maybe Nissan will go all the way and call it a roadster.
Before you say anything about the XLR, keep in mind that I said that they don’t sell any.
Funny, just today in one drive from Santa Monica to Pasadena I saw *three* new XLRs with no plates and the California temp reg sticker on the windshield. Not to mention I was in the XLR-V I’ve been driving for the past 2-1/2 years.
As for the drop-top Murano, no. Convertibles are heavy enough compared to their tin-roofed kin. Two things America needs right now are a four-door Caddy convertible, and a modern version of the ~1947 – 1970 Jeepster.
Phil
Well hey…stranger things have happened. I guess the same way Toyota can see a market (no matter how razor thin the hole is) between the RAV4 and the Highlander, Nissan can bring to market a crossover convertible. Again, nobody asked for the BMW X6 (a coupe styled crossover) but apparently, they’re selling like hot cakes, so maybe this isn’t so bad for Nissan, especially since it won’t be a mass-market vehicle.
Since when do we want a NON-convertible Murano?
I loved the concept of the Murano – an SUV without the pretenses that normally come standard. You don’t use your Explorer for anything but groceries, the Murano said. Why not drive an SUV designed for all the things you DO use them for?
Except an SUV without the Ruggedness Factor is a vehicle without a point. Those who shop for true practicality based on needs already own a Subaru station wagon. Those who enter the market looking for an SUV are still thinking “Well, what IF my wife and three of her friends suddenly go into labor during a record snowfall?!” And those who actually notice what cars look like are wondering why the hell is the front badge on this thing SO. DAMN. BIG.
Still, at least it’s something different.
That thing is hideous. Somehow, it’s even worse than the ordinary Murano. And what exactly is the point of a convertible Murano? Has Nissan (and the rest of the industry come to think of it) so saturated the market with different vehicle configurations that they really need to come up with this silliness?
BTW, don’t know if anyone else noticed, but the Murano in the photo is the last generation model, not the current one.
Some have proposed the idea of a 4 door Cadillac convertible. I think that’s a neat idea, but they sure can’t do it with the DTS. Unitized construction + 4 doors – top = major body flex. I know there are unitized 2 door convertibles, but throw 4 doors into the equation and I think that’s a recipe for structural issues. Even with reinforcing it would probably have all the rigidity of a wet noodle. The scenario would be altogether different if it were a body on frame design. And for that matter, isn’t the Murano of unitized contruction as well? I wonder how Nissan will overcome the structural issues.
Nice job ‘shopping that pop-up roll bar in there guys!
Ewww, nasty – hope Nissan doesn’t drink that Kool-Aid.
Wow that thing is ugly.
Uglier than my 05 STi, which is pretty ugly!
No animals were injured in the making of this car, so why not?
There are many more pointless vehicles out there so I don’t feel the need to attack Nissan for thinking up another one. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.
While Cadilac, or more properly Lincon, should revive the 4 door convertible, I’ll give a few points to Nissan for trying even though it is not a very attractive attempt.