2021 Nissan Murano vs 2021 Volvo XC90

The 2021 Volvo XC90 marked a significant shift in Volvo's design philosophy. Known for its conservative styling, Volvo managed to infuse the XC90 with more character while retaining its recognizable features. The XC90's design included a boxy profile and a blunt front end with a rectangular grille, but with softer lines, more chrome, and distinctive LED headlights featuring "Thor’s Hammer" daytime running lights. The Inscription trim, with its extra chrome trim and optional 21-inch alloy wheels, was the flashiest, while the R-Design and Momentum trims offered sportier and more basic looks, respectively. The XC90 shared its Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform with other Volvo models, ensuring a cohesive design language across the brand.

Inside, the XC90 embraced "Swedish minimalism" with thoughtfully arranged, high-quality materials. The matte-finish wood trim and optional wool upholstery provided a natural and unique touch. The Inscription trim featured luxurious elements like an Orrefors crystal shifter, although it seemed a bit out of place in the otherwise restrained interior. The XC90's interior design focused on simplicity and elegance, avoiding the overwhelming flashiness seen in some other luxury SUVs.

The 2021 Nissan Murano, once a cutting-edge design, had become more mainstream with its L-shaped LED headlights and contoured front end. Its interior and dash design remained conservative, prioritizing comfort and ease of use. The Murano's cabin featured a traditional layout with controls placed intuitively, minimizing the learning curve for drivers. This design approach made the Murano an ideal choice for commutes and road trips, offering a comfortable and user-friendly experience.

The Murano was available in four trims: S, SV, SL, and Platinum. The base S trim included essential features like 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The SV trim added power-adjustable front seats, adaptive cruise control, and other convenience features. The SL trim introduced luxury elements like leather upholstery, heated seats, and a Bose premium stereo system. The top-tier Platinum trim offered premium touches such as a dual-panel panoramic moonroof and ventilated front seats.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 offered three powertrains, all based on a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base T5 model featured a turbocharged engine producing 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The T6 model added a supercharger, increasing output to 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid, also known as Recharge, combined the T6 engine with electric assist, delivering a total of 400 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque. The T5 came standard with front-wheel drive, while all-wheel drive was optional on the T5 and standard on the T6 and T8.

Despite the impressive power figures, the XC90's small engine struggled to provide the flexibility of larger engines found in competitor SUVs. The T8 model, designed for efficiency, required careful management of its drive modes—Pure (all-electric), Hybrid, and Power—to balance power and efficiency. The XC90 excelled in ride quality, thanks to its optional air-suspension system, and maintained a quiet cabin. It also offered a respectable towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds, although the base FWD T5 was limited to 4,000 pounds.

The 2021 Nissan Murano featured a single engine option: a 3.5-liter V6 producing 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and offered standard front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. The V6 provided strong low-speed acceleration, making it ideal for city driving, but the CVT dulled its power at higher speeds, resulting in a slight delay when overtaking on the highway.

The Murano prioritized comfort, offering a smooth ride that absorbed bumps well. Its refined driving characteristics made it a great choice for commuting and road trips. However, its towing capacity was limited to 1,500 pounds, which was lower than many midsize and even some compact SUVs.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 was available in six-seat or seven-seat configurations, depending on the choice of second-row captain’s chairs or a bench seat. While headroom and legroom were average for the segment, the third row was tight for adults, and the seats in the second and third rows lacked support. The optional power moonroof and upright roof profile gave the interior a spacious feel. The Inscription trim featured 10-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats with backrest massage, but a power-adjustable steering wheel was not available. Storage space was limited, with a shallow center console storage bin and few storage options on the console itself. Cargo space was also on the lower end of the segment, with 11.2 cubic feet with all seats in place, 34.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, and 64.1 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded. A hands-free power tailgate was available.

The 2021 Nissan Murano offered up to 67 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 32.1 cubic feet with the rear seats in use. While other two-row SUVs provided more cargo space, the Murano compensated with ease of use. Its traditional shifter design and center console with trays and cubbies made it practical for everyday use. The Murano excelled in passenger comfort, offering ample headroom and legroom in both the front and second rows. The second-row seats even had partial reclining functionality, enhancing comfort for passengers.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 featured the Sensus infotainment system, which emphasized simplicity and functionality. It came standard with a 9-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, Bluetooth, and a built-in WiFi hotspot. The system included two front USB-A ports and two rear USB-C ports. Optional features included a 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system and a head-up display (HUD). The portrait-oriented touchscreen was user-friendly, but the amount of text and typeface made reading some menus difficult while driving. The wireless charging pad added for 2021 was too small for most phones, and the lack of front USB-C ports was a drawback.

The 2021 Nissan Murano came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a sensible menu layout and hard buttons and dials for easy navigation. It also included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Available tech features included an 11-speaker Bose premium stereo system and navigation.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for non-hybrid models. It earned top “Good” scores in all IIHS crash tests and a “Superior” rating for front-crash prevention tech in vehicle-to-vehicle testing, with an “Advanced” rating in vehicle-to-pedestrian testing. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave all 2021 XC90 models a five-star overall safety rating. The XC90 offered a comprehensive list of standard safety features, including lane-keep assist, a driver-attention monitor, traffic-sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist driver aid.

The 2021 Nissan Murano came with standard driver assistance features as part of Nissan Safety Shield 360, including reverse automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and automatic high beams. Additional standard features included forward automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and driver drowsiness monitoring. Optional features included a surround-view parking monitor, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and front-and-rear parking sensors.