2015 Nissan Murano earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating

The fully redesigned 2015 Nissan Murano has emerged as the star of the latest round of midsize SUV crash testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. By earning the requisite "good" ratings in all five conventional categories (front small overlap, front moderate overlap, side impact, roof strength and head/seat restraints) as well as grabbing a "superior" grade in crash avoidance and mitigation when fitted with the optional front crash prevention equipment, it joins the 2015 Toyota Highlander as the only other midsize SUV among the 21 vehicles now tested to receive the agency’s primo Top Safety Pick+ ranking. 

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Of the six other midsize SUVs the IIHS evaluated at this time, only one, the 2015 Ford Flex, rolled off with a Top Safety Pick rating. The Flex missed "plus" status after managing only an "acceptable" performance in the demanding front small-offset test. It now joins the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Kia Sorento and Nissan Pathfinder as the other 2015 IIHS Top Safety Pick winners in this popular category. 

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Although the 2015 Jeep Wrangler rated "good" in the small-overlap crash, "moderate" marks in the side-impact and head/seat restraint categories along with the lack of a rigid top left it off of the IIHS’s recommended list. The 2015 Dodge Durango, Hyundai Santa Fe and Jeep Cherokee also fell short due to "moderate" small-overlap marks and the lack of front crash prevention systems while the 2015 Dodge Journey, despite "good" marks in the other key evaluation categories, received a "poor" small-offset rating and also did not offer any form of front crash prevention setup.

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