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Nissan excites at Geneva

Nissan is set to have a packed stand at the Geneva show as it unveils the new Murano SUV alongside the first European viewing of the GT-R supercar.

The Murano sticks with similar looks to the car it replaces, but Nissan says every panel on the new car is different from the old.

The most obvious change is to the front end, where a new grille and headlight arrangement gives the Murano an even bolder appearance.

On the inside, Nissan says there's more space for passengers, especially in the rear seats.

Under the bonnet, the familiar 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine remains, but power has been boosted to 261bhp and torque goes up to 240lb.ft for greater mid-range shove.

The Murano's continuously variable transmission, which does away with the usual gears, has been improved to reduce friction by 20% to give better fuel economy and lower carbon dioxide emissions.

The Murano will also be the first Nissan in Europe to come with the company's Scratch Shield Paint that protects against minor damage to the paint and can even 'heal' over scratches due to an elastic resin in the paint's formula.

The new Murano goes on sale in the UK in October, followed by the new GT-R in March 2009.

The GT-R will be seen in Europe for the first time at the Geneva show and comes with a 472bhp 3.8-litre V6 engine.

As with the previous GT-R, the new car has four-wheel drive but now comes with a dual-clutch sequential manual gearbox with Formula One-style paddle shift mounted to the steering wheel.

Nissan has developed the GT-R on the infamous Nurburgring race circuit and has included a host of ways the driver can tailor the car to suit the driving conditions.

The driver can alter the suspension, gearbox settings and even how much the traction control cuts in to tune the car to his or her preferred driving style.

Nissan will announce prices for the new Murano and GT-R closer to when the cars go on sale.

Alisdair Suttie

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