Redesigned for 2021 model year, the Rogue is up for a mid-cycle refresh. Our spy photographers have recently captured a lightly camouflaged prototype sporting minor visual changes, the biggest update being the Android Automotive infotainment system.
First and foremost, what's Android Automotive? Simply put, a platform developed by Google for automotive infotainment. Google – officially known as Alphabet since 2015 – permits automakers like Nissan to alter the AAOS to their own requirements.
We also have to highlight that Android Automotive is a full operating system, whereas Android Auto is a smartphone app that mirrors certain phone apps on the vehicle's touchscreen display. The Polestar 2 electric liftback is the first production car to feature AAOS. Back in September 2018, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance pompously announced a partnership with Google to integrate AAOS in their future vehicles. What makes AAOS a good system?
In a nutshell, the straightforward access to the Play Store's app catalog. The switch to Android Automotive results in a larger screen for the mid-cycle refresh of the Rogue. It's reassuring that Nissan offers a dial for controlling the volume. Lower down the dashboard, you will further notice physical dials and buttons for the heating and ventilation system.
Larger than the outgoing 8.0-inch touchscreen, the new setup does have ginormous bezels. The area just below the screen also happens to feature way too much gloss-black plastic, which is the cheapest way possible to make a car's interior look premium. Zooming in on the interior shots also reveals a digital instrument cluster instead of a small display flanked by a tachometer and a speedo, a setup that's also found in the pre-facelift 2021 – 2023 Nissan Rogue.
Photo: Baldauf
We're 99 days away from New Year's Eve, and given the light camouflage of this prototype, we'd bet on a late 2023 debut for the 2024 model year. Small tweaks to the front and rear ends are easily noticeable through said camouflage. The Rogue is further expected to solider on with the 1.5-liter VC Turbo engine of the 2023 model, a three-cylinder lump that puts out 201 ponies and 225 pound-feet (305 Nm).
Nissan rarely mentions three cylinders in advertising materials for the Rogue, which is a bit uncanny because 225 pound-feet for three pots and 1.5 liters doesn't spell reliability in the long term. The VC in VC Turbo stands for variable compression, with said engine automatically changing the compression ratio for either fuel efficiency or maximum power and torque. As expected of Nissan, a lethargic continuously variable tranny will have to make do.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the front-wheel-drive Rogue is good for up to 33 miles per gallon (make that 7.1 liters per 100 kilometers) on the combined test cycle. Gas mileage drops to 32 for the better-equipped SL and Platinum trim levels. Opting for all-wheel drive results in a further drop to 31 miles per gallon for all grades.
Due to the stylistic and infotainment updates we talked about earlier, there's no denying that Nissan will charge a few more bucks for the 2024 model. For future reference, the 2023 Rogue is currently available to configure at $27,910 (excluding destination charge) for the S FWD specification.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News