Compare the2026 Volvo XC40 VS 2026 Nissan Murano

The XC40’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Murano doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the XC40 and Murano have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC40 Ultra has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Murano’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The XC40 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The Murano doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The XC40 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Murano doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the XC40 and Murano have rear cross-traffic warning, but the XC40 has Braking Intervention (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Murano’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the XC40 and the Murano have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volvo XC40 is safer than the Nissan Murano:

	XC40	Murano
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	209 lbs.	214 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	361/380 lbs.	463/296 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	343	373
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	31%	62.1%
Neck Stress	156 lbs.	214 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	397/411 lbs.	397/430 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volvo XC40 is safer than the Nissan Murano:

	XC40	Murano
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	78	83
Hip Force	320 lbs.	372 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	119	130
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	38 G’s
Hip Force	411 lbs.	562 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The XC40 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Murano’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The XC40’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Murano’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC40 for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Murano.

The XC40 B5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 6 more horsepower (247 vs. 241) than the Murano’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the XC40 gets better mileage than the Murano:

			MPG
XC40
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	25 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/30 hwy
Murano
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the XC40’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Murano doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The XC40 has a standard locking fuel door, which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Murano. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

The XC40’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Murano doesn’t offer launch control.

The XC40 stops much shorter than the Murano:

	XC40	Murano
60 to 0 MPH	111 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

The XC40 B5 Ultra’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Murano Platinum’s 50 series tires.

The XC40 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Murano doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The XC40 B5 Plus AWD handles at .86 G’s, while the Murano Platinum pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The XC40 B5 Plus AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Murano Platinum (27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the XC40’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Murano’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

The Volvo XC40 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 600 pounds less than the Nissan Murano.

The XC40 is 1 foot, 6.1 inches shorter than the Murano, making the XC40 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front step up height for the XC40 is 2.1 inches lower than the Murano (17.7” vs. 19.8”). The XC40’s rear step up height is 2.4 inches lower than the Murano’s (18.2” vs. 20.6”).

The XC40’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Murano’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds).

Optional Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the XC40 uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Murano doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

If the windows are left open on the XC40 the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Murano can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The XC40’s standard Keyless Entry & Drive allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from pocket or purse. Intelligent Key standard on the Murano doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear doors.

The XC40’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Murano’s power window and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The XC40’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Murano’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the XC40 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Murano doesn’t offer cornering lights. The XC40 also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The XC40’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Murano offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Volvo XC40 has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Murano Platinum.

The XC40’s optional Park Assist Pilot can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Murano doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The XC40 is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Murano doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Volvo XC40 retains 51.74% of its original value after 5 years, significantly more than the 44.66% resale value of the 2026 Nissan Murano after five years, which can save the Volvo’s owner up to $2778 in depreciation.