The 2009 Murano has a bolder grille and a more aggressive front end design than that of the compared to the successful original. The grille is more in-your-face and the air intakes under the bumper are larger than before. Very complex aero headlamps hang off the front corners of the body and gracefully lead into the fenders.

Bumper to bumper, this Murano has much more sculpted sheetmetal than the original, with swoops and sweeps and dips from end to end. Nissan calls it curvaceous modern art. One feature that affects both the exterior and interior is a new dual-panel moonroof that lets huge amounts of light into the cabin, but looks from the outside like a single pane of glass covering two thirds of the roof area.