Photo: Nissan
Although Nissan of Japan didn’t mention a word about the X-Trail, the automaker’s U.S. division has published the first official photograph of the all-new Rogue. The 2021 model year will debut Monday, June 15th at 9 a.m. EDT.
“It’s more than a redesign,” according to Nissan. “This is what it means to go Rogue.” Looking at the V-Motion grille and sharp headlights as well as the chrome garnish and plastic cladding, the Rogue is obviously going upmarket.
However, Nissan needs more than good looks to steal customers from the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Better materials for the cabin are mandatory, and let’s not forget how often Rogue owners complain about the substandard CVT.
For the 2019 model year with front-wheel drive, an owner told the National Highway Traffic Administration that the continuously variable transmission “has been slipping from the moment I received it in late May 2019.” After replacing the control box, “my car continues to have trouble accelerating.” Another owner claims that his vehicle “hesitates or jerks at low speeds” because of the CVT.
Nevertheless, Nissan will stick to its guns with the Xtronic we all love to hate for good reasons. The 2.5-liter engine – a naturally aspirated unit – will reportedly soldier on as standard. Forced induction is also on the menu in the guise of the VC-Turbo we know from the Infiniti QX50 compact crossover and Nissan Altima mid-size sedan. However, the VC-Turbo isn’t available with all-wheel drive.
That’s somewhat of a problem for the Japanese automaker if you look at the numbers. 4WD is outselling 2WD these days in the United States, and even Toyota has adapted the all-wheel-drive system from the RAV4 for the Camry and Avalon in a bid to ride the hype train while it’s still hot.
“What about the Rogue Hybrid, then?” Nissan axed it for 2020 over sluggish sales and a peculiar reason. To the point, the $2,800 difference over the non-hybrid Rogue doesn’t make much sense unless you plan on driving the hybrid for 14 years based on the EPA’s estimated yearly fuel savings of around $200.
However, Nissan needs more than good looks to steal customers from the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Better materials for the cabin are mandatory, and let’s not forget how often Rogue owners complain about the substandard CVT.
For the 2019 model year with front-wheel drive, an owner told the National Highway Traffic Administration that the continuously variable transmission “has been slipping from the moment I received it in late May 2019.” After replacing the control box, “my car continues to have trouble accelerating.” Another owner claims that his vehicle “hesitates or jerks at low speeds” because of the CVT.
Nevertheless, Nissan will stick to its guns with the Xtronic we all love to hate for good reasons. The 2.5-liter engine – a naturally aspirated unit – will reportedly soldier on as standard. Forced induction is also on the menu in the guise of the VC-Turbo we know from the Infiniti QX50 compact crossover and Nissan Altima mid-size sedan. However, the VC-Turbo isn’t available with all-wheel drive.
That’s somewhat of a problem for the Japanese automaker if you look at the numbers. 4WD is outselling 2WD these days in the United States, and even Toyota has adapted the all-wheel-drive system from the RAV4 for the Camry and Avalon in a bid to ride the hype train while it’s still hot.
“What about the Rogue Hybrid, then?” Nissan axed it for 2020 over sluggish sales and a peculiar reason. To the point, the $2,800 difference over the non-hybrid Rogue doesn’t make much sense unless you plan on driving the hybrid for 14 years based on the EPA’s estimated yearly fuel savings of around $200.
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