Nissan’s bestselling vehicle, the compact Rogue crossover, has been redesigned for the 2021 model year. It’s a critical redesign for the automaker. The 2021 Rogue is the cornerstone of a product offensive that Nissan officials say is critical to the brand’s rebound in the U.S.
The latest Rogue offers more usable cabin space in a similar footprint, and the dashboard is available with three displays — a 10.8-inch head-up display, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a “floating” 9-inch touch screen. All Rogue models feature a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine that delivers 181 hp, an increase of 11 hp. The crossover received an updated suspension and steering system to improve driving performance and reduce cabin noise.
Here’s a roundup of initial Rogue reviews and previews from the automotive media.
“Let’s talk about that design for a minute. Despite the split headlights and V-Motion grille, the Rogue isn’t an aggressive piece of design. Nissan’s restraint should be commended, though. The lines here are attractive up front, if a bit on the conservative side. There’s a sizable character line over the rear wheel arch, but designers kept the overall two-box shape simple. This is a crossover with zero off-road chops, so of course there are plastic surrounds on the wheel arches.
“Hidden in that body are smart touches, though. Air curtains in the front fascia and active grille shutters improve the aerodynamics at speed, and the uninteresting, upright design of the rear end — it kind of reminds us of the current Toyota RAV4 — belies a huge, motion-activated rear tailgate for accessing the roomy cargo hold.”
— Brandon Turkus, Motor1
“The new design is said to be taken from Nissan’s 2018 Xmotion concept car, and we like the chunkier look, especially at the rear where the squared-off greenhouse gives the new Rogue nice proportions.”
— Joey Capparella, Car and Driver
“The Rogue’s upright, sculpted body is dramatically different from the outgoing 2020 model with its rounder, more potato-shaped lines. The upright grille and big shoulders of the compact ute reflect the X-Motion Concept as well as Americans’ preference for truck-like designs. The RAV4’s recent remake cribbed heavily from its Tacoma pickup.
“Signature Nissan design touches like the V-Motion grille and floating roof are still in evidence, but otherwise the third-gen Rogue is a break from the past. Even the headlights have moved, with the Rogue deploying its peepers in the middle of the front fascia underneath daytime running lights — a style made popular by Hyundai and the Chevy Blazer.”
— Henry Payne, The Detroit News
“We think Nissan nailed the Rogue’s redesign. The new model is an inch and a half shorter than before, at about 183 inches from nose to tail, yet manages to appear more imposing in photographs thanks to its more vertical fascia, more upright stance and chunkier proportions. The new Rogue looks solid, but it’ll be interesting to see if this trick of the eye stands up in person.”
— Antuan Goodwin, Roadshow by CNET
“The look of the new Rogue is a definite departure from the outgoing model and continues the trend toward blockier, edgier styling from the Japanese automakers (see the latest Toyota RAV4) just as the Americans seem to be going more carlike and jelly bean-ish (see the new Ford Escape). It takes its styling cues from the X-Motion concept car shown at the 2018 Detroit auto show.”
— Aaron Bragman, Cars.com
“The Rogue looks quite evolutionary, with a similar profile as before. The front is evocative of other recent Nissan models and dressed up with LED headlights and dramatic corner shapes that remind of an angry robot.”
— Jeff S. Bartlett, Consumer Reports
“From the outside, the Rogue looks like a blocky, more conservative version of the new Juke that’s offered overseas. At the front is Nissan’s big chrome ‘V’ grille sitting very upright. It blends into upper daytime running lights, and below those are large LED headlights. The sides are very smooth except for pumped-up sheet metal above the wheel arches reminiscent of some new Audis. The roof is available in a contrasting color fitting the design trend of the day. The back is fairly plain, and it’s beefed up with a rear bumper covered in black plastic and a faux skid plate.”
— Joel Stocksdale, Autoblog
“The new model switches things up a bit, following what seems like a trend of mainstream cars adopting wacky faces (see Toyota Camry, Chevy Silverado), springing up after the double-stacked lights of the Nissan Juke made abnormal the new normal. It seems a bit odd that an automaker would move towards polarizing a vehicle that’s known for its unoffensive looks, but that seems to be what Nissan has done with the Rogue.”
— David Tracy, Jalopnik
“To start, Nissan restyled the Rogue with a more old-school off-roader feel, including a more upright grille, flat hood and generally squared-off posture.”
— Robin Warner, Autoweek
“The Rogue has outlasted now-discontinued SUVs by Nissan such as the Juke and X-Terra and people familiar with the automaker’s thinking say Nissan is considering dropping the smaller Rogue Sport model as well. The Rogue will face off against a pair of chief rivals: Toyota Motor Corp.’s RAV4 and Honda Motor Co.’s CR-V.
“The number of crossover models has more than doubled since the original Rogue debuted in 2007, and the segment is expected to be one of the fastest-growing in terms of new launches, from about 100 vehicle models being sold this year to more than 150 by the 2024 model year, according to Bank of America.
“Nissan said the new Rogue boosts 10% more horsepower than the current model, and a one to two miles per gallon improvement in fuel efficiency above the outgoing vehicle’s 26/33 mpg. The latest Rogue won’t offer a third-row configuration like earlier versions or a hybrid gas-electric powertrain to match the RAV4. It will only be sold with two-row seating and a four-cylinder gas engine, a move designed to keep complexity and costs down.
“Nissan says the new Rogue, which goes on sale this fall as a 2021 model, will offer more standard safety technology than any other similarly priced vehicle, including 10 airbags and rear automatic braking. It also will offer a high-end Platinum version with extras such as leather seats, a 12.3-inch dashboard screen and heated rear seats.”
— Chester Dawson and Shiho Takezawa, Bloomberg