While hybrid models are all the rage, Nissan has just taken the wraps off the 2016 Murano Hybrid with absolutely no fanfare.
Despite this, the car will be an interesting addition to the Murano line-up in the U.S., where it’ll be offered in a limited-run of around 600 examples. The reason behind the launch of the car isn’t known but Car and Driver says it may be using left-over powertrains from the Pathfinder hybrid which was canned in 2015.
Power for the 2016 Nissan Murano Hybrid comes courtesy of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine supplemented by a 20 hp and 118 lb-ft electric motor. Complete with a lithium-ion battery pack, the model’s powerplant offers 250 hp, just 10 hp fewer than offered by the 3.5-liter V6 found in other Murano models.
Power is sent through the front wheels as standard but for a reasonable $1,600, customers can opt for an all-wheel drive layout. In terms of fuel economy, the front-wheel drive model returns 28 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway while the all-wheel drive variant returns 26 city and 30 on the highway, slight improvements over the standard V6 Murano.
Beyond a number of hybrid badges and some new gauges in the cabin, the Murano Hybrid is visually indiscernible from other Muranos.
The high-spec SL trim level will set customers back $40,950 while the Platinum is priced from $43,000.
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