New Rogue gets a brand-new design over a new platform
More powerful engine under the hood
Will go on sale Fall 2020
Nissan continues its onslaught of new models with the 2021 Nissan Rogue, a new generation of what is arguably Nissan’s most important model. It’s certainly its most important SUV.
The 2021 Rogue is all new, from the exterior design to the platform on which its built to the interior where it welcomes passengers. It’s a lot bolder and a lot more muscular than the previous Rogue, a model that remained quite popular despite its age.
Nissan promises a “confidence-inspiring” drive in the new Rogue. Ultimately, expect the new SUV to follow the recipe laid out by recent new Nissan models like the Altima and Sentra. The focus will be on comfort and refinement with the Rogue likely heading towards the top of the segment in terms of ride quality.
There will be more power under the hood thanks to an upgrade 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. That’s 11 more hp, but still less than the Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester, and Honda CR-V. Then again, the Rogue was never about being fun to drive.
It’s about comfort as mentioned previously, interior space, and technology. On the last aspect, the 2021 Nissan Rogue improves dramatically over the previous generation. A host of standard safety features under the Nissan Safety Shield 360 system are included. These include: Intelligent Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and Rear Intelligent Emergency Braking.
Nissan’s advanced ProPILOT system returns as well in the upper trims with advanced semi-autonomous driving capabilities. It’s now available on the SV model as opposed to just the Platinum, and Nissan says it has been improved with smoother braking and improved detection performance.
There’s a more advanced version called ProPILOT Assist with Navi-Link that links the navigation system to predict and adapt to changing road conditions ahead.
Inside the new Rogue will be what Nissan calls the “Family Hub”. Engineers made getting into the rear seats easier with doors that open 85 degrees and an unlock touch button on the rear doors.
The interior is designed to make it easy to pass objects front and back, there’s a tri-zone climate control system for the first time, and there are pull-up sunshades on the rear windows. It’s everything a family with young children needs. There are Zero-Gravity seats front and rear as well.
In the front, driver and passenger are surrounded by a beautiful interior featuring a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Nissan’s recent interiors have been spot on and the 2021 Rogue is no different. However, we mostly see the top-level trim that also features a 9.0-inch screen and 10.3-inch head-up display. We are curious about the base level model’s interior.
Overall, the new 2021 Nissan Rogue is all about making life with a family easier, safer, and more convenient. We can’t wait to drive it, but our expectations are centered around comfort. The Rogue probably won’t be as enjoyable as a Mazda CX-5 or Volkswagen Tiguan, but it already appears to be more refined and luxurious than its main rivals from Toyota, Honda, and Ford.