Nissan Murano:: New-generation model ruled out for Australia

CarAdvice can exclusively reveal that the third-generation Nissan Murano is not planned to be offered locally as the new model will only be built in left-hand drive out of Nissan's Canton plant in Mississippi, US.

The news comes despite the fact the company has previously stated the new Murano would be built for Australia in the company’s Mississippi plant, and hit showrooms locally in the second half of this year.

Nissan Australia general manager of corporate communications Peter Fadeyev revealed that those plans have now changed.

"At the time that was our intention for Murano, based on information from our global head office a year ago," he said, before confirming that the car will instead be offered in left-hand drive only.

That said, Fadeyev stated that the brand isn't saying it will never happen, only that the "current information" is that it won't be made as a right-hand drive car after all.

The new-generation Murano features a dramatic new design, which is considerably more muscled than the current rounded-edged model. It features a 3.5-litre V6 engine delivering 191kW and 325Nm.

The curvy SUV has always been something of an unconventional offering in the market, though Nissan sources have suggested that the buying group for the car is loyal, if not great in numbers.

Indeed, Nissan has sold just 151 Murano models this year, and only 551 were sold last year. Since the car’s introduction in 2005, it has sold 17,101 units across two generations, with 2009 proving the Murano’s most popular year.