Timing is everything. Just ask anyone who bought Enron stock in the summer of 2001, or anyone who bought a house in late 2008; the ebb and flow of things can really hinder or help chances of success. Like anything on this pale blue dot, the Nissan Murano is also subject to these sorts of forces, and while it’s objectively a pretty nice crossover, Nissan is reportedly slashing production targets.
It’s not a tariff thing, as the Murano is made in Tennessee, but instead seems to be a matter of timing and tastes colliding with changed consumer desires. It’s a whole new world out there, and while the Murano nameplate made waves in the 2000s, the formula just isn’t hitting like it used to.
At the same time, Honda and Acura have just issued a moderately sketchy brake pedal recall, Toyota is moving RAV4 battery pack production to the assembly plants themselves, and the Lexus IS 500 seems to be going out the same way it arrived by making people crack grins. All this coming up on today’s edition of The Morning Dump.
Anyone Want A Nissan Murano?
The new fourth-generation Nissan Murano is surprisingly good, a plush and well-appointed midsize two-row crossover for the relaxed set. We liked it when we road tested it, even if it’s not an exhilarating experience. However, if you scratched your head as to why Nissan, a brand with its own deep set of troubles, invested that much money into a new combustion-powered two-row midsize crossover that starts at over $40 grand instead of something like a cheaper hybrid Rogue, your instinct might be right. In this story titled “Trouble signs mount for Nissan’s ‘odd man out’ Murano,” Automotive News reports that the Murano is so oversupplied that Nissan’s “pausing work on an upcoming refresh.” Let’s look at the situation:
Despite a redesign earlier this year, Nissan has more than five months’ worth of Murano inventory, a 15 percent jump from its 133-day supply in March, according to Cox Automotive data.
In a June 11 presentation to suppliers reviewed by Automotive News, Nissan said it expects to build 47,410 Muranos in the 2025 fiscal year, 21 percent fewer than it had projected in May.
To get rid of inventory, Nissan began offering dealerships $1,000 to $2,000 for each Murano they take.
Ah, that’s not good. At this point, it shouldn’t be surprising that some dealers and other involved parties believe that the new Murano isn’t the product Nissan needs now, and several shared their thoughts with Automotive News:
“Why would you spend even more money to revive something that doesn’t light up the sales floor?” a dealer said. Nissan “should take the investment and move it somewhere else.”
“This car is not in a clear segment anymore,” said a person with knowledge of the matter. “I don’t think it’s as necessary in the lineup, especially with the Pathfinder doing well.”
Months of inventory, slashed production forecasts, and cash on the hood all add up to bad news. What went wrong? On the face of things, expectations. See, first-quarter Murano sales are up year-over-year by a whopping 84 percent, but even if we multiply that figure of 8,702 units by four as an extra-rough estimation, that’s still a far cry from 2016, when 83,953 Muranos made it into driveways across America. Part of the problem is likely that the appetite for bulbous mainstream midsize two-row crossovers just isn’t what it used to be, especially with compact models gaining luxury toys, three-row models offering increased flexibility for relatively little penalty, and everything gravitating toward a more rugged aesthetic.
Of course, it would certainly help if the Murano were available in a hybrid variant in addition to the two-liter variable-compression turbocharged four-cylinder model, but that’s just an extra layer of frosting on a car that does nothing wrong, other than simply not meeting the bulk of the market where it’s at right now. Miscalculation of a new car program like that is a mistake that can often be measured in billions of dollars. Still, if you are looking at perhaps leasing a midsize crossover, I bet Nissan wants to move some Muranos.
Braking Bad
There are certain things on a car that you don’t want to have come loose unexpectedly, like the roof or the hood. Or how about the brake pedal? Yeah, Honda and Acura just recalled 259,033 cars due to a defect that could render their brake pedals less firmly located than they should be. Here’s what the official recall report states:
During production, the brake pedal pivot pin was not staked, which may allow the pedal to shift out of position. This can result in lateral movement of the brake pedal and may lead to unintended application. If this occurs, the driver’s ability to safely slow or stop the vehicle could be compromised.
Yeah, brake pedals probably should’ve move side-to-side. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported due to this problem, but it sounds like an alarming thing to experience out on the road. Equally alarming is just how this defect ended up occurring, because it seems like the sort of decision chain you’d hear about on a late-night political show. As the official report states:
As part of the production transition from the U.S. to the Mexico facility, the supplier increased staffing levels to build parts inventory and mitigate potential supply disruptions associated with the move. However, due to insufficient training, the staking process was not performed, resulting in brake pedals with unstaked pivot pins. Additionally, a malfunction in the QR code scanning system—designed to prevent process omissions—led the supplier to disable the function and continue production, allowing the issue to go undetected.
Given this news of improper training combined with flouting quality controls, it’s a wonder that only three warranty claims have resulted from this situation. Anyway, if you own an affected 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, or 2023-2025 Honda Pilot, you should be getting a letter in the mail next month about fixing this problem.
Oh, That’s How They’ll Do It
The 2026 Toyota RAV4 is a big deal. America’s most popular car is going hybrid, but for those who’ve tried to get their hands on a current RAV4 Hybrid, getting an electrified model has historically been tricky. Even though 48 percent of all RAV4s sold last quarter were hybridized, Toyota’s basically selling them as fast as it can build them. When every new RAV4’s electrified, where are all the battery packs going to come from?
Well, Canada, actually. Automotive News reports that Toyota is adding new battery pack production lines in the Cambridge, Ontario and Woodstock, Ontario plants in preparation for the next RAV4, a marked departure from the way things used to be. As the outlet writes:
Carrying out final battery assembly marks a “big change” for the Southwestern Ontario plants, which until now, have received completed batteries ready to be placed directly into hybrids built on-site, said Scott MacKenzie, director of corporate and external affairs at TMMC and Toyota Canada.
Basically, instead of relying on complete supplied battery packs, Toyota will be shipping battery modules from its battery plant in North Carolina to Canada, putting them into packs, and then putting those packs into RAV4s being made in the same plants where the packs are… well, packed. It’s a big streamlining that should vastly increase capacity and open up current bottlenecks. I’ll actually be at the Cambridge plant next week, and while I’m not sure I’ll see much of these new battery pack lines, expect some fun content soon.
Godspeed, IS 500
When the Lexus IS 500 exits production, I’ll be sad. Not because it’s the sharpest, quickest, most traction-rich sports sedan on the market, but because a 472-horsepower V8 in a car the size of a Corolla is a belly laugh. It’s a riotously good tine, soft enough to glide over pockmarked streets but tactile enough to make you feel something, whether feeling what the front tires are doing or having the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when the flap in the intake opens. As murmurs around whether Lexus IS 500 production will wind down swirl, Japan’s getting a special model of its own with run-out connotations, one with an especially great name if you have a mental age of about 12. According to a Google Translated press release, it’s going to be seriously rare, with Lexus stating “It is scheduled to be sold in limited quantities of 500 units from around August 2025 through Lexus dealers nationwide.”
This machine largely mirrors what America gets in the IS 500 Ultimate Edition, from the six-piston front brake calipers clamping down on 15-inch front discs to the BBS forged wheels to the red-and-black interior. There have been limited-run IS 500 models with better colors than the grey here, but none with a better name. See, these 500 cars are all going to be called the IS 500 Climax Edition, engraved in badges and displayed in the gauge cluster. I understand that word means peak, but it’s also amusing innuendo, fitting for a car with a sense of humour.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
It’s been more than 15 years since we last heard a new Clipse album, and a lot has changed in that time. Thankfully, brothers Pusha T and Malice have teamed up again, and the result so far is like a cold glass of Perrier in the desert. Just check out the latest single, “So Be It.” From the blue chip visual of a gullwing 300SL in the video to surgical bars like “Lotta jettin’, Prada beddin’, 911s,” a Travis Scott diss coming out of left field to the dark, and sprawling production, this track’s absolutely dripping with excellence. The duo’s fourth studio album “Let God Sort ‘Em Out” is set to drop during Goodwood, and you can bet I’ll ask for aux permission in the Rodius to bump it. If “So Be It” is any indication, we are so back.
The Big Question:
Let’s say, hypothetically, the new Nissan Murano never ended up happening, the money spent on it is still sitting in Nissan’s accounts, and you’re in charge of what to develop with those funds. What sort of car are you bringing to the Nissan lineup?
Top graphic credit: Nissan
To answer your question, I don’t think I’d bring another model to market. Rather, I’d take the money saved and either ditch the CVTs (with all apologies to Jatco) or develop better engines that aren’t gutless.
I would also ensure that the dash lights on the Rogue don’t turn on without the headlights being on. I cannot tell you how many of those vehicles I see driving at night with just the DRLs and no taillights.
Toyota and Lexus models are the absolute worst for this. All Nissan models have auto headlights, at least the Rogues, Pathfinders, Sentra and Altima vehicles I have rented for the last 15 years.
Any dealership that has a Climax Edition will have a lot of people coming
to see it.
I never understood as a kid why my parents would chuckle whilst driving past Climax, MI on the way to visit family in Detroit. It’s perhaps telling that the time to get from Intercourse, PA to Climax, MI is quite long. Occasionally hard, too.
(/resumes attempting to be an adult)
Offer the E-Power hybrid powertrains in the Kicks, Rogue, Murano, possibly even in a Sentra. Keep the Altima for rental fleets.
The E-Power is already available in a lot of markets, I don’t get why they won’t sell it in the US.
Do not mess with the Frontier, it is perfect as-is.
And bring back the XTerra of course. Maybe even a version with removable roof Wrangler/Bronco-style.
The Murano is craft beer prices for Miller Lite quality. Who the fuck is going to buy that?
I’m going to venture that the Murano is not flailing because of its ICE powertrain. It’s STYLING. It looks like it could pass for an EV and is otherwise indistiguishable from the sea of crossovers whereas the original was distinctive and set itself apart, despite a horrid CVT.
Nissan has already implemented some of my “save Nissan” plans from last year, namely allegedly discontinuing the Altima. Further points in the PJ plan for profit:
My brain wants Nissan to keep either the Versa or Sentra, but with Datsun badges so that Nissan doesn’t have to be embarrassed about there being a cheap car with their name on it. Then they can gradually expand the Datsun brand until Nissan has been supplanted entirely. Let’s not even mention Infiniti.
They already re-discontinued Datsun. Turns out building equity in a ‘cheap’ brand doesn’t translate into sales or brand success, unless you’re Toyota with Daihatsu.
Oh, I know – but I will say that it was weird to try to introduce the Datsun brand in India and other tertiary markets where it didn’t have much meaning, whereas Datsun retains some brand equity in the United States.
I don’t know. It’s funny you mentioned Mitsubishi because your plan seems to mirror a lot of what Mitsubishi did 15 years ago and while they’re ok’ish now they’re far from what they were in the 90s. The problem is Nissan’s pridefulness believes it’s a tier A Japanese brand on the same level as Toyota and Honda. But at this point it’s tier C with Mitsubishi below Mazda and Subaru here in the US.
Personally I’d rather they get creative and maybe do something like overbuild and over engineer a few core models and bring their nameplates to the US. A Nissan Patrol with solid build quality that undercuts the 4 runner in price. A Versa Trail hybrid that apes the look of the Rivian R3 and undercuts the price would work too.
I know nothing and doing this would probably kill off Nissan for good but it would be fun while it lasts.
The Mitsubishi Triton would do well here, except for that Chicken thing.
Nissan, give us the Datsun 240Z in all it’s original, mechanical glory.
With the Murano money I’d add a range extender trim for the Leaf. Shrink the battery down to 40-ish kWh but keep DC fast charging, and add a 30kw range extender under the hood. 12-13 gallon tank in the ex-battery space for ideally ~500mi combined range. Think BMW i3 but more accessible and still highway-capable when the juice runs out. I agree with DT when he says hybrids need to be more EV-like, so this would be a great platform to build on.
If Nissan had money, I would spend it on training/hiring better sales people. Helped my MIL a couple weeks back buy a new Rogue. Walked in, knew what we wanted, had 2 trades that needed valuing. Fairly cut and dry. Kid seemed like he couldn’t be bothered to be involved in the process minus carrying paperwork back and forth. I tried to get her into a Mazda next door but she just wasn’t as comfortable in them unfortunately.
“Still, if you are looking at perhaps leasing a midsize crossover, I bet Nissan wants to move some Muranos.”
Yeah but word got out that the Variable Compression KR-series engine is CRAAAAAP.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wqccs9XjMKs&ab_channel=IDoCars
The Murano actually looks good… but it’s not the Murano of the past that was powered by a sweet and reliable V6.
Definitely the best way they could fix the Murano is with a hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain option
“What sort of car are you bringing to the Nissan lineup?”
I would still update the Murano as it’s due for replacement. The vehicle looks great compared to the previous one.
The only issue is the powertrain is all wrong.
I would keep the body, interrior and overall design of the new model as it is. But instead of that unreliable VC turbo hooked up to a “too many gears” automatic, I would give it a hybrid powertrain using an Atkinson-variant of 2.5L PR 4cyl engine with an “eCVT” transmission as standard… and a plug-in hybrid version with at least 30 miles of EV range as an option.
And that powertrain would have about the same peak HP as the VC turbo 4cyl, but the power delivery would be far more linear and much better off-the-line.
Matter of fact, if I was in charge at Nissan, I’d be looking to phase out the stupid KR series of engines asap and replace them with hybrids that use variants of the PR, MR and/or HR engines.
Oh and I’d come out with a high performance version that has a variant of their VR-Series V6
Soooo glad we went with two Outlanders with the PR25DD engines and not the crazy unreliable 3-banger with the Rogue. AND the interiors are at least a full one-class higher in the Outlanders with the new Rogues seemly downscale.
Think Pathfinder nice at a Rogue price.
The two-row CUV/SUV of this size is the odd-man-out now.
People either want the smaller ones like the Rogue/CR-V/RAV-4/CX-5, or they want the slightly bigger ones with the minuscule-and-barely-ever-used-but-still-there-in-case-you-need-it third row, like the Pathfinder/Pilot/Highlander/CX-90 etc.
I similarly don’t understand the need for the Honda Passport (although its butch redesign helps some), and the Mazda CX-70. At least the Toyota 4Runner had the off-road credibility historically.
Two-row mid size SUVs really do need a raison d’etre in any line up especially with the compact suv segment offerings growing in size. The offroad angle is good but that seems like a soon to be saturated market as well.
Perhaps if the Murano were more like Toyota’s Crown Signia, it would have a meaningful place in the lineup
Has Toyota just strategically decided that not meeting demand is a good thing? The Sienna, Highlander, and Grand Highlander hybrids are still impossible to find on a lot to even take on a test drive. It has been years of this.
I’m in the market, and as much as the Grand Highlander Hybrid looks like a good fit on paper, it is kind of tough to plunk down $55k on a vehicle you’ve never driven. I only got to see one in person because a non-hybrid version was actually in the show room for 5 minutes before it was bought.
Never mind that Toyota’s allocation process means I’d probably never find the color combo we want because it isn’t gray with black interior.
My wife’s grandmother was in a similar boat when I helped her buy a small CUV last year. She wanted a RAV-4 more than anything, and had her heart set on one. No dealer anywhere close to us had any in stock – gas or hybrid. Used ones were the same price or more as new ones, even up to a couple of years old.
She couldn’t order one, of course. We found one a few hours away in Tennessee and it was gone by the time I was able to inquire about it. I am a Mazda owner myself and finally convinced her to take a look at the CX-5, as the local dealership had several well-equipped models in stock on the lot. And, they all had standard AWD (the RAV-4’s in her price range were all FWD).
She walked in with me, picked her favorite color, wrote a check, and went home. Easy-peasy. The CX-5 does everything the RAV-4 would’ve done and has more standard equipment for less money. Won’t work for everyone as it isn’t as spacious as the Toyota, but does fine for her.
Toyota isn’t hurting for sales but I have to think there are other people who have went elsewhere due to just not being able to get one.
We did car shopping for the wife a little bit ago, and since we were looking at Camry-level price range, it felt like the Toyota dealership didn’t want to waste their time on us. “Here’s the keys, the car is over there” and he walked away. And that was after waiting in the lobby for ~15 minutes. Not the nicest experience but Toyota clearly didn’t need our money.
Why would anybody spend Murano-money on a car without a hybrid drivetrain? It’s an appliance car. In that segment, fuel economy sells cars.
In the spirit of “turning into the skid”, I say just rename it the Nissan Morono and bill it as “The Crossover for People Who Love to Make Bad Decisions”
The majority of cars sold in the US were 40-50k pseudo-luxury crossovers. Plus the Murano has historically sold well. So the logic was sound when this gen was green-lit. It’s not like they brought back the Cross-Cabriolet.
That said, putting a VC Turbo engine in this thing certainly was a grave mistake.
If Nissan is eliminated an American built nice looking SUV right before Tariffs cause increase price of the competition as well as unavailability either they are idiots or tariffs are an excuse to limit production and create low supply to once again Jack up prices of all cars. You realize the year of lowest sales was the year of highest profits?
Low hanging fruit joke. Nissan should have bought out Steinway and Sons.
Ok, slightly higher fruit. Buy out the dealerships all over the US, close them down and replace them with something that doesn’t require all the employees to wear plaid.
With the Murano money I’d bring the Renault 5 and Renault 4 into compliance and start selling them here. Should there be some leftover Murano money after that, it would be used to provide severance packages for every Nissan executive that suggests any design changes whatsoever to them. We’ll save money because the marketing department will inevitably push to rebadge them as Nissans so they will all have to be sacked. Then if there are few tens of millions left over, I will, in the dead of night, put a big yellow “RENAULT” sign under every dealership “Nissan” sign across the country.
Beachhead established, more Renaults and (and Dacias!) will follow. The Kangoo might do okay because there is currently no small van competition in this market. The Dacia Spring because it’s small, cheap, and cheerful and that market has been abandoned here. The Dacia Duster because they sell well everywhere they’re offered. And of course the Alpine A110 because it’s fantastic.
More people need to experience the Dacia Spring. 3-knob AC and physical keys shouldn’t disappear just because the car happens to be an EV.
People aren’t buying them because they got burned by the CVT transmissions that gave out as soon as you hit 100,000 miles. Replacement was more than the car was worth. Don’t care that the new one has a normal transmission. Would never buy a Nissan product again!
Not only failed but even Nissan dealerships wouldn’t service them after warranty.
Am I the only one here reading the Lexus sport sedan name in a Boris&Natasha voice?
“Hey Boris, what’s that beautiful sports car?”
“IS 500 Climax Edition.”
And I agree with my learned colleagues in the chat: Nissan should definitely build a 4-Runner fighting Xterra, in both traditional and hybrid flavors. I’d also put more money into updating the Ariya (faster charging speed, longer range) and I LOVE the idea that @Goof proposed below to do several Pike factory variants of the Leaf.
Where’s JATCO? Are they OK?
I came here expecting a heartfelt and completely logical argument for spending all of the Nissan Murano’s R&D dollars on simply promoting the greatness of the JATCO Automatic CVT.
I bet they’re just still typing out their exhaustive treatise… it’ll take up the entire 3rd page of the comment section.
Regarding the Murano, but not exclusively, I don’t understand why so many companies are investing in these ‘aspirational’ type models. I’m not speaking of what the customers aspire to own, but what the manufactures aspire to sell. It just seems like bad business to invest so much in engineering, design and tooling because you want to be a brand with “one of these”. It does make sense for Nissan to adjust production to demand, but shouldn’t they have asked the marketplace what they will buy? And at what price? And how many exactly same things are out there in the market already, often struggling, yet your effort is no better? Before the
initial investment was mademoney was wasted?Is me-tooism now a mandatory business school course?
It’s funny, because this is one of few sites where Dacia gets some coverage and praise. Dacia is not a luxury-sporty Renault sub brand. It’s a division that knows what it is and plugs a big hole in the market (TBF, Skoda does some of this too). You’d think Nissan could have learned something from their Renault tie up. Maybe that attempt to revive Datsun was to be that. I don’t know, but Nissan needs reviving and it should take a closer look at what it could be good at without just copying it’s competition in an overcrowded segment.
What sort of car are you bringing to the Nissan lineup? Not to be an echo, but the Xterra would be back. Rationally where buyers are now looking for that sort of lifestyle vehicle, it seems a no brainer.
Irrationally…FM Platform wagon.
I would go for an Xterra. just lop off the bed of a Frontier and put a hard roof like the old pathfinder/bronco/blazer/4runner of old. Keep it all frontier from the back doors forward. Keep the same running gear of an Pro4x and call it good. I do not think it would cut into sales of the other nissan products and toyota etc do not care if they have some cross shopping. money is money.
Hybrid Frontier.