2026 Nissan Murano Towing Capacity

The 2026 Nissan Murano towing capacity is 1,500 pounds when properly equipped — enough for a personal watercraft on a trailer, a loaded 5x8 utility trailer, or a lightweight teardrop camper. At Nissan of Elizabeth City, it is one of the first questions Murano shoppers ask before a weekend run toward the Outer Banks or Albemarle Sound, so here is the full picture, trim by trim. If your trailer is heavier than that, our Nissan towing capacity by model guide sorts out the rest of the lineup.

For 2026, the Murano's biggest change is not the tow rating — it is what sits underneath. Intelligent All-Wheel Drive is now standard on every trim, so the SV, SL, and Platinum all leave our lot sending power to all four wheels. Front-wheel drive is gone from the order sheet entirely. You can line up equipment side by side on the 2026 Nissan Murano research page before you drive one.

Under the hood sits a 2.0-liter VC-Turbo four-cylinder making 241 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. Torque matters more than horsepower once a trailer is attached, and the Murano hits its peak at just 4,400 rpm — low enough to walk a small boat up a wet ramp in Camden or Hertford without the transmission hunting for gears.

How Much the 2026 Murano Can Tow

Nissan rates every 2026 Murano at up to 1,500 pounds of maximum trailer weight. The number is identical across the lineup because all three trims share the same VC-Turbo engine, the same 9-speed automatic, and now the same standard all-wheel-drive system. There is no towing package that raises it and no trim that gives up capability.

Maximum Towing Rating by Trim

Because the powertrain no longer varies by trim, the 2026 Murano tow rating is a flat 1,500 pounds from the SV up through the Platinum. What separates them is comfort and technology — quilted leather, a head-up display, available ProPILOT Assist 2.1 — not capability. Pricing starts at $41,670 for the SV AWD and reaches $49,800 for the Platinum AWD, before destination and handling.

Murano Towing vs. Other Nissan SUVs

The Murano sits at the light end of Nissan's towing ladder, right alongside the Rogue. Move up to the three-row 2026 Nissan Pathfinder overview and the rating jumps to 6,000 pounds, while the full-size Armada is rated for up to 8,500 pounds. The table below shows where each one lands and what it realistically handles.

Payload, Tongue Weight and Real-World Loads

Towing math is about more than the trailer. A conventional hitch puts roughly 10 percent of the loaded trailer weight straight down onto the ball, so a maxed-out 1,500-pound trailer claims about 150 pounds of the Murano's payload before a single passenger climbs in. With a curb weight of about 4,300 pounds and five seats, plan the whole load together: a full family, a cargo hold packed for a week at Kill Devil Hills, and a heavy trailer all draw from the same budget. Load light and the Murano tows comfortably; ignore tongue weight and even a legal trailer will feel unsettled at highway speed.

2026 Nissan Murano Towing Capacity

The 2026 Nissan Murano towing capacity of 1,500 pounds is a system rating, not just an engine rating. Nissan arrives at that figure by weighing the powertrain, the frame-mounted hitch, the cooling system, and the electronics that keep a trailer tracking straight behind you. Here is how each piece contributes.

VC-Turbo Engine Performance

The 2.0-liter VC-Turbo is a variable compression engine, which means it changes its own compression ratio on the move — high compression when you want the 27 mpg highway number, lower compression and more boost when you are pulling a grade with a trailer. Output lands at 241 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 260 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm. EPA estimates are 21 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined, and like any SUV those figures drop noticeably once a trailer is behind you.

Transmission and Standard AWD

A conventional 9-speed automatic handles shifting duties, and that is good news for towing — fixed gears manage sustained load and heat better than a belt-driven ratio. Intelligent All-Wheel Drive is standard for 2026 and moves torque front to rear automatically, exactly what you want on the wet concrete of a boat ramp. A Drive Mode Selector with Eco, Standard, and Sport settings lets you sharpen throttle and shift behavior when the trailer is hooked up.

Towing Technology and Safety Features

Every 2026 Murano ships with the driver-assist hardware that makes towing less stressful: automatic emergency braking front and rear, adaptive cruise control, blind spot intervention, rear cross traffic alert, and front and rear parking sensors. Automatic Brake Hold paired with the electronic parking brake keeps the SUV planted on an incline while you shift — genuinely useful at a launch ramp. Hill start assist and Nissan's Vehicle Dynamic Control stability system work quietly in the background to keep the whole rig settled.

The Around View Monitor is the feature Murano owners bring up most. Its cameras stitch together a 360-degree overhead image of the SUV, which turns backing a ball under a coupler into a one-try job instead of a three-try job. Platinum adds available ProPILOT Assist 2.1 for hands-free highway driving, though you should keep both hands on the wheel any time a trailer is attached.

Advanced Towing Features and Equipment

A 1,500-pound rating only helps if the SUV is set up to use it. The 2026 Murano does not leave the factory with a hitch, so towing starts with Nissan's Class I Tow Hitch Receiver Kit, engineered specifically for this vehicle. It is a custom frame-mounted piece with an MSRP around $650, and our parts team can install it before delivery so the Murano goes home ready to hook up.

Skip the universal hitch from the big-box store. The genuine kit bolts to designated frame points, keeps the trailer wiring harness weather-sealed, and stays clear of the rear parking sensors and the motion-activated liftgate. It also keeps any future warranty conversation simple if something back there ever needs attention.

Once the hitch is on, a short pre-trip routine matters as much as the hardware: check tire pressures on both the Murano and the trailer, confirm the coupler is latched with the safety chains crossed, and test the lights before you pull out of the driveway. If you are due for maintenance anyway, schedule Nissan service and we will look over the hitch, brakes, and cooling system in the same visit.

Add it up and the 2026 Murano handles the loads most northeastern North Carolina families actually tow — a personal watercraft for the Pasquotank, a small trailer of lumber, a lightweight camper for a long weekend. For anything heavier, we will steer you toward a Pathfinder or Armada rather than oversell you a Murano.

Cargo Space and Everyday Utility

Most Murano owners haul more inside than behind, and the 2026 model is built around that reality. Five seats, a low load floor, and a wide rear opening keep the cargo area easy to use on the days no trailer is involved.

Cargo Volume and Load Floor

You get 32.9 cubic feet behind the second row — room for a family's luggage plus a cooler — and 63.5 cubic feet with the second row folded flat. The load floor sits low and wide, so sliding in a bike, a dog crate, or flat-packed furniture does not turn into a lift. Ground clearance measures 8.3 inches, plenty for a gravel launch or a sandy access road.

Liftgate and Loading Convenience

An available motion-activated liftgate opens with a foot gesture under the rear bumper, which is the feature you appreciate most with a cooler in both hands. Split-folding second-row seats let you carry long items and passengers at the same time, and available illuminated cargo scuff plates protect the bumper edge from the scrapes towing gear tends to leave behind.

Storage, Charging and Accessibility

Inside, the Murano keeps small items sorted with a covered console, door bins sized for bottles, and USB-A and USB-C charging for front and rear passengers. A 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto means the route to the ramp is set before you back out. If you are weighing the Murano against other coastal-friendly options, our guide to the best vehicles for Outer Banks driving is worth a read.

Between 1,500 pounds of towing, 63.5 cubic feet of cargo room, and standard all-wheel drive, the 2026 Murano covers the weekday commute and the weekend haul without forcing a compromise on comfort.

Conclusion

The 2026 Nissan Murano towing capacity comes in at 1,500 pounds across the SV, SL, and Platinum — a straightforward number with no package math to decode. Add the genuine Class I hitch and you have an SUV that pulls a jet ski, a small camper, or a utility trailer without drama.

What makes the 2026 model worth a closer look is everything around that rating: 241 horsepower and 260 lb-ft from the VC-Turbo, a real 9-speed automatic instead of a CVT, and Intelligent All-Wheel Drive now standard on every trim rather than a line item.

Inside, there is a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a five-passenger cabin with 32.9 cubic feet behind the second row, and driver-assist tech — automatic emergency braking, blind spot intervention, adaptive cruise control — that earns its keep on US-17 or I-64 with a trailer behind you.

If your towing needs run heavier, tell us and we will show you a Pathfinder at 6,000 pounds or an Armada at 8,500 instead. Being upfront about that beats selling you the wrong SUV twice.

Want to see the 2026 Murano and look at hitch options in person? Visit Nissan of Elizabeth City at 1712 N Road St, Elizabeth City, NC 27909, or call 252-376-6376 to book a test drive. Shoppers coming from Chesapeake, Norfolk, Camden, or the Outer Banks can grab directions to our Elizabeth City dealership before heading over.