The Murano’s New Engine Isn’t a Downgrade: Here’s What’s Actually True

A lot of Gwinnett County shoppers walk onto our lot with the same worry. The Murano they remember had a smooth V6, and the new one runs a turbocharged four-cylinder. On paper that reads like a step down, and we get it. A smaller engine number on the window sticker feels like a trade you never asked for.

Look closer and the picture flips. The 2027 Nissan Murano delivers *more torque* than the V6 it replaced, uses variable compression ratio technology you won't find on any mainstream competitor, and now ships with Intelligent AWD standard on every single trim. The honest trade-off is real, and we'll name it plainly. But there's more here than the underpowered label suggests. The engine and the standard all-wheel drive bring real capability to the table.

Is the New Murano Engine Actually Weaker Than the V6?

Weaker is the wrong headline for everyday driving, because torque is the number that shapes how a crossover feels around town, and the VC-Turbo makes more of it than the outgoing V6 did, while peak horsepower slips by only a handful of points. So the spec that governs your daily drive moved in your favor.

We'll be straight with you. The low-speed hesitation that shows up in road tests is real, and the engine's stop/start system amplifies the sensation at traffic lights. If you want instant throttle response from every red light, this powertrain will frustrate you. Worth knowing before you commit.

What the VC-Turbo Actually Does on a Gwinnett Commute

On a Gwinnett commute the VC-Turbo earns its keep at cruising speed rather than at the starting line, which is the trade you want when most of your week runs on I-85 and only a little of it crawls a parking lot. That one pattern explains almost everything about this car.

The Rogue is our go-to recommendation when a buyer needs cargo-first practicality. The Murano answers a different question. It's built around the stretch of I-85 between Exit 115 and downtown Atlanta, where you're either locked in stop-and-go or running the express lanes at 70 mph for forty minutes.

At highway cruise the VC-Turbo is genuinely composed, and variable compression does its best work right there.

• At steady throttle the engine pushes its compression ratio higher for efficiency.
• When you need to merge or pass, it pulls the ratio back down for power.
• The reserve shows on the expressway.
• Off a dead stop at GA-20 the same engine feels softer.

The 2027 Murano also rides on an independent multi-link rear suspension (Nissan's press specifications confirm it), and the Zero Gravity front seats use the same design Nissan fits across its comfort-forward models. They're shaped to cut lower back and hip fatigue on longer drives. If your commute runs 45 minutes each way, that matters.

Cargo is worth a quick note. The Murano's 32.9 cubic feet behind the rear seat is solid for the segment, and it swallows what a typical Duluth family hauls, from a couple of large suitcases to a stroller to a week of grocery runs off the Buford corridor. Against three-row options in the same price range it comes up short, so a household that needs eight seats should look elsewhere.

Browse current Murano inventory at our Buford location to see which trims are in stock right now.

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So Should a Duluth Professional Actually Consider the Murano?

Yes, a Duluth professional should keep the Murano on the shortlist, as long as you go in clear-eyed about what the powertrain does well and where it drags, because this crossover rewards highway miles far more than it rewards stoplight sprints. We'd rather you know both halves before you sign.

The Murano fits well when your priorities line up a certain way.

• You spend most of your drive time on I-85 or GA-20 at highway speed, not crawling parking lots
• Cabin comfort over a 40-plus minute daily commute is something you actually value
• You want AWD confidence without hunting for a trim that includes it, and every 2027 trim has it
• You're not towing a boat or hauling a full landscaping load, because the 1,500-lb towing capacity is light; if that's your situation, look at the Pathfinder

It fits less well when you're a driver who runs hard from every stop, who wants a sport mode that genuinely transforms the throttle feel, or who needs maximum cargo room for a large or growing household.

The 2027 adds ProPILOT Assist standard across all trims, as Nissan's press kit lists it, a hands-on highway driving assist that works on the kinds of long, signal-free stretches of I-85 this car was practically designed for. That's a meaningful inclusion for a Gwinnett County commuter, not a brochure feature.