Nissan’s Convertible SUV Was the Least Surprising Car Flop of All-Time
Jane Lu
· 3 min read
Buying
used cars
can be a great way to save money, and while you’re researching your cars, it’s a good idea to look into some of the models’ history. When it comes to Nissan’s SUVs, the brand has clearly made some mistakes in the past. Here's a look at the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet convertible SUV, and why it was no surprise that it flopped.
A short history of the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
According to
Motor Trend
, the Murano CrossCabriolet's story starts in 2002, when the regular Murano debuted. It was a midsize crossover SUV, and it had a lot going for it. Not only did it look good, but it was also sportier than many of its rivals.However, it didn't take long for Nissan to mess up the Murano. In 2008, Carlos Ghosn, the CEO of Nissan at the time, came up with the idea of turning the Murano into a convertible. Nissan liked the sketches and the idea went ahead.
The Murano CrossCabriolet was targeted at, "affluent, aged customers," as reported by Motor Trend. It debuted in 2011, but based on its sales figures, its target market clearly didn't enjoy it very much. By 2014, the brand had canceled the Murano CrossCabriolet after only four model years.
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This was a weird model in many ways
MORE: Nissan Is Ahead of Its Time in Developing Anti-Drunk Driving Technology Over a Decade Before Potential Federal Mandate
Off the bat, it was a convertible SUV, and that's pretty weird already. However, it also had some strange design choices. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but Motor Trend noted that its interior color scheme of metallic pastels and white wasn’t exactly a good idea.
The Murano CrossCabriolet wasn't great in more functional ways, either. It's a pretty small SUV with not much cargo room or space for passengers. It was cramped and could only seat up to four people.
It also didn't have good ride quality. Even though it was a convertible, drivers didn't get much rear visibility when they put their top down.
In fairness to this lackluster Nissan, though, Motor Trend said that its interior was, "beautifully finished." The front seats are also very comfortable.
Plus, its engine wasn't too bad. It came with a 3.5-liter V-6, and it got 265 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque.
The Murano had another big flaw, though
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However, one of the Murano CrossCabriolet's biggest issues can be traced all the way back to its design process. After all, Nissan designed this SUV with rich, elderly people in mind. As such, the Murano CrossCabriolet was pretty expensive for what it provided.
Motor Trend said that it started at about $47,000. Even today, a used Murano CrossCabriolet can cost up to $15,000 despite all of its flaws. Because of this, it's no surprise that Nissan ultimately canceled the car.
A writer for Motor Trend even said, "The Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet is destined to go down in history as the most stupid vehicle of 2011."
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