With the redesigned Rogue compact crossover, Nissan is doubling down on its “value brand” reputation.
The next-generation crossover, Nissan’s bestselling model, is loaded up with family-friendly technology and delivers a more powerful engine — for just $160 more than the outgoing version.
The 2021 Rogue, which arrives in late October, will be priced starting at $26,745. The top-of-the-line Rogue Platinum with all-wheel drive is priced at $37,925. Both prices include shipping.
“Rogue is clearly one of the most important launches in the history of Nissan,” Chris Reed, Nissan North America’s senior vice president of R&D, told Automotive News this summer.
Indeed. The Rogue is a key model in the highly competitive compact crossover segment. It accounted for 12.4 percent of compact crossovers sold in the U.S. last year. The segment was the largest in 2019 behind full-size pickups.
The Rogue is Nissan’s equivalent of the Ford F-150, Jeff Schuster, president of global forecasting at LMC Automotive, said in July.
“It’s their volume product, and it’s in the sweet-spot segment,” Schuster said.
Last year, U.S. sales of the Rogue totaled 350,447, down 15 percent but accounting for nearly 30 percent of the brand’s volume. Through September this year, it was the fourth-bestselling compact crossover behind the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Chevrolet Equinox.
The 2021 Rogue, based on the Xmotion design concept vehicle shown in 2018, offers more usable cabin space in a similar footprint. It features a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine that delivers 181 hp, an increase of 11 hp. The crossover receives an updated suspension and steering system to improve driving performance and reduce cabin noise.
The Rogue also introduces a more capable assisted-driving system — one that uses new radar and camera technology to deliver smoother braking, better steering assist and improved safety.
Nissan has streamlined the Rogue model lineup for 2021 and focused on in-demand features — specifically standard safety features and connected tech, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
“Spreading those popular features widely reduces the overall program cost,” Nissan spokesman Travis Parman said Monday. Nissan hopes the added content will drive residual values higher and reduce the need for elevated Rogue incentives, which are averaging $4,313 this year, considerably more than the RAV4 and CR-V, according to Motor Intelligence.
“We expect overall transaction prices to strengthen,” Parman said. “A strong package of standard content gives Rogue an edge and will help us win new buyers in an extremely competitive segment.”
The Platinum trim has been added to the Rogue lineup to better compete for buyers seeking a more premium model.
“It gives dealers a chance to play head-to-head with RAV4 and others with a class-leading model,” Parman said.
The redesigned crossover is the cornerstone of a product offensive that Nissan officials say is critical to the brand’s rebound in the U.S. The product push will bring six new or redesigned vehicles to dealerships by the end of 2021. The Altima, Versa, Sentra and Titan have received recent updates.