First official look: Nissan chops Murano’s top

IT WAS first seen in a grainy mobile phone image taken at a preview event in North America recently and now Nissan’s 2011 Murano CrossCabriolet has been officially revealed ahead of its world debut at the Los Angeles motor show on Wednesday (November 17).

Ruled out for sale in Australia and likely only ever to be sold in North America, the Murano-based CrossCabriolet combines crossover with convertible body styles in an unexpectedly cohesive way.

According to Nissan North America, which bills its as the world’s first all-wheel drive crossover convertible, the CrossCabriolet “delivers the open-air exhilaration of a convertible while extending the versatility of the Murano in exciting new ways”.

Confirmed for release in the US from early next year and aimed directly at sun-seeking SUV fans in southern California and Florida, the CrossCabriolet comes with just four seats but is claimed to represent “a breakthrough in concept and design” by offering space for golf bags or luggage even with the top down.

Apart from the CrossCabriolet, which Nissan says will feature a premium level interior, the Japanese brand will also use this week’s LA show to debut its Ellure sedan concept, a new Quest people-mover and the production version of the Leaf EV.

While Nissan Australia has committed to releasing what it claims will be the world’s first mass-produced EV here in 2012, there are no plans to introduce the CrossCabriolet, Quest or Ellure Down Under.

Nor does Nissan Australia plan to make available the 2.5dCi diesel version of the Murano that went on sale in Europe in September.

No further details have yet been provided for the CrossCabriolet, which was formally revealed today in a single side profile image, but it is expected to be a V6 petrol-only affair.