Nissan’s traditionally polarizing Murano crossover SUV has always been about both style and substance. Now, in 2016, it appears the Murano is about style over substance. While the design certainly takes a step forward into the future, the rest of the Murano increasingly feels stuck in the past.

Every single 2016 Nissan Murano is equipped with a 260-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 engine. This is the automaker’s legendary VQ-series V6, a refined, efficient, and deceptively strong powerplant that revs freely, sounds terrific doing so, and has proven dependable over time. Too bad I came nowhere near the EPA’s official fuel-economy estimate in combined driving, logging just 21.1 mpg when I expected 24 mpg.

Nissan fumbles when it comes to increasingly common infotainment system enhancements. If you’re seeking smartphone projection technology in the form of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, you’ll need to buy a different SUV. The automaker’s new NissanConnect subscription services solution is also absent from the Murano. That means you can’t get automatic collision notification, easy access to roadside assistance, a stolen-vehicle locator, or Google-sourced functions related to finding things and sending destinations to the vehicle in advance of a journey. Also, speed, curfew, boundary, and valet alerts are all missing from the Murano. Read more on CarGurus: http://cargur.us/8qTmZ

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