THE one thing Nissan's top spec Murano 4x4 lacked was a diesel engine and now it's got one with good performance and 35mpg.

Priced at £37,795, the 2.5-litre Murano dCi is available in just one high specification trim to rival the Lexus RX 450h, the Land Rover Discovery and Audi Q5.

And pound for pound it has plenty going for it, with sleek, classy looks that hide aerodynamic improvements to help eke out as many miles per gallon as possible.

The diesel costs £2,800 more than its petrol counterpart and changes have been made to the front design to accommodate the new engine.

The savings are obvious but the Murano is not as eco friendly as some others such as the Q5 or the hybrid Lexus which attract lower tax rates for business users.

Having said that its huge level of standard kit makes the Germans look very stingy and Nissan has an excellent record for reliability.

It's smooth and very quiet on the road and comes with leather, touchscreen sat nav, bluetooth, MP3 connection, and a 40GB hard drive Bose sound system.

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