In stepping up its competitive stance, Nissan has quickened the pace of vehicle refreshes, adding new features and models to its product lines between the typical 4-year product cycle changes. The latest to benefit from these upgrades is the 2017 Nissan Rogue, which features a new look front and rear, and the addition of a hybrid powertrain.
The exterior design changes include new front and rear fascias, including the incorporation of the chrome V-motion grille theme now appearing across the line from the Maxima to the Sentra. The Rogue sports integrated fog lights, revised rear combination lights with LED boomerang taillights. Also offered is a new motion-activated power tailgate, new 17-, 18- and 19-inch wheel designs and three new colors.
Cabin upgrades
The Rogue’s makeover extends to its cabin which is fitted with a redesigned center console, new trim and cloth seat material, a flat-bottomed heated steering wheel, available memory seats and heated cloth seats and remote engine start on SV grade. Among the new features are adaptive cruise and forward emergency braking with pedestrian detection as well as lane departure warning and prevention. Rear cross traffic alerts with blind spot warning is standard on SV models, while SL models get high-beam assist. Higher trim level packages are also available, including a Sun and Sound touring option along with Platinum and Platinum Reserve Interior packages.
Hybrid powertrain bows
In addition to the standard 170-horspower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with a continuously variable transmission in either front or all-wheel drive, the 2017 Nissan Rogue will offer a new hybrid powertrain. This system includes a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to a 30kW electric motor with Nissan Intelligent Dual Clutch Control. Net output of the system is 176 horsepower. Projected fuel economy in front-drive versions of the 2017 Rogue Hybrid is 33 mpg city/35 mpg highway for a combined number of 34 mpg. While the hybrid gets 2 mpg less on the highway, its city EPA rating is estimated to be 7 mpg better, which helps boost its combined number by 5 mpg. All-wheel drive hybrids are expected to get 31 mpg city/34 mpg highway, 33 mpg combined compared to the standard model’s 25/32/28 mpg.
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Despite having a rear-mounted lithium-ion battery pack, the Rogue Hybrid sacrifices little in the way of cargo space, with an overall volume of 61.4 cubic feet compared to the standard car’s 61.6 rating. Rear load room behind the second row is 27.3 cubic feet versus 28.4 for the standard model.
The non-hybrid 2017 Nissan Rogue, which competes with the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4, goes on sale in November, followed by the hybrid nearer the end of the year. Pricing for the 2017 Rogue starts at $24,760 for the front-drive S model. The Rogue SV kicks off at $26,180 while the SL opens at $30,900. Adding all-wheel drive bumps the price by on all three trim levels by $1,350. On sale in the spring, the new Rogue SV FWD Hybrid will base at $27,180 and the Rogue SL FWD will command $32,100. Here, too, stepping up to AWD will add $1,320 to those numbers. Also, a 2017 Nissan Rogue: Rogue One Star Wars Limited Edition model is set to debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November as part of the promotion for the upcoming movie. Its pricing will also be released later.
