Nissan’s ‘Ugly’ Murano Is an Epic Fail

by Angela Nazworth | June 5, 2012 2:17 pm

Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell recently looked into the sales[1] of Nissan’s (PINK:NSANY[2]) failed convertible crossover, the Murano CrossCabriolet. The fact that Caldwell spotted actress Jennifer Garner in Los Angeles three time before she saw one CrossCab being driven about, spurred her research.

[3]As of May 2012, Nissan has sold less than a 1,000 CrossCabs. Caldwell also found that the car only makes up 107 of the nearly 30 million vehicles registered in the state of California.

According to Caldwell and a report from USA TODAY[4], there are several reasons why the convertible crossover has been so unpopular. Here’s a look at three.

  1. It’s ugly: Cars.com[5] recently rated the CrossCab as one of the ugliest vehicles on the road.
  2. It’s pricey: The CrossCab starts at around $45,000 according to USA TODAY.
  3. Narrow appeal: The car’s homely appearance and high price tie into it only appealing to a select number of people. But on top of that, there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for convertible crossovers.

Research also uncovered that most people who traded-in their Murano CrossCab exchanged it for the Murano itself. Other top trade-in choices include Nissan’s Maxima and Altima, and

Toyota‘s (NYSE:TM[6]) Camry Solara.

You can review more of Caldwell’s research findings at Edmunds.com[7]. And, you can read about the 5 Biggest Auto Flops[8] right here at InvestorPlace.

Endnotes:
  1. recently looked into the sales: http://www.edmunds.com/industry-center/analysis/drive-by-numbers-who-buys-the-nissan-murano-crosscabriolet.html
  2. NSANY: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=NSANY
  3. [Image]: https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/MuranoCrossCabriolet.jpg
  4. USA TODAY: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/06/nissans-sales-disaster-ugly-murano-crosscabriolet/1#.T847ucU1i5K
  5. Cars.com: http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=more&story=top10ugly&referer=advice&year=&aff=national
  6. TM: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=TM
  7. Edmunds.com: http://www.edmunds.com/industry-center/analysis/drive-by-numbers-who-buys-the-nissan-murano-crosscabriolet.html
  8. 5 Biggest Auto Flops: https://investorplace.com/2012/06/5-biggest-car-flops/

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