LEAF, Juke, Quest and Cube are proof that Nissan doesn’t play it safe with design. This could be because of its alliance with the French automaker Renault. If not, the French curves Nissan uses must come directly from the mother country.

Murano never took the Ranger Rick approach to styling. The first two models had a swept wedge silhouette that was more runway model than backwoods camper. Its third generation hits the catwalk remarkably true to the Resonance concept at the Detroit auto show in 2013.

At first glance, all eyes laser in toward the flowing brightwork near the back. In an industry full of recycled, repurposed and outright stolen design elements, it’s refreshing to see bold originality. The cowcatcher grille is a bit exuberant, but if the number of people who linger around the Murano in parking lots is any sign, Nissan has a hit on its hands.

The cabin of the top-of-the-line Platinum model, done up in Mocha leather, looks as if it were destined for installation in an Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury arm, at some point. This new trim level is aimed at Lexus, Cadillac and Acura, and darned if it doesn’t come close.