The Nissan Murano crossover’s appeal to European buyers will be hugely enhanced in September with the addition of a diesel engine to the line-up. The introduction of the diesel version comes just as Nissan’s luxury arm Infiniti, announced the European launch of a new V6 turbo diesel co-developed with Renault for the M sedan and FX / EX SUVs.

Oddly enough though, Nissan opted for an enhanced version of its 2.5-liter dCi four-cylinder diesel for the Murano instead of the group’s new 3.0-liter V6 that made its way under the hood of the facelifted 2010 Pathfinder and Navara.

In the Murano, Nissan’s 2.5 dCi benefits from a series of upgrades including a new direct injection system which operates at 2,000 bar, up from 1,800 bar, a redesigned cylinder head with parallel port and a new variable nozzle turbo (VNT) with electric control rather than the previous hydraulic system.

The result is an overall output of 190-horsepower and 450Nm or 332 lb-ft of peak torque. The four-pot diesel is offered exclusively with a six-speed automatic gearbox with power being transmitted to the road via Nissan’s ALL MODE 4×4-i system.

Performance and economy specs are to be announced closer to the sale date of the Murano 2.5dCi in September.