Nissan, it seems, believes in show, not tell. The automaker will formally unveil its next-generation Rogue crossover on Monday morning and opted to give us a reasonably good look at what’s coming – but isn’t ready to tell us anything about the new CUV.
What we see is in line with the spy shots that have been making the rounds in recent months. And the teaser image shows that other shots leaked out recently were equally spot on.
Originally launched in 2007, the Rogue has become one of the single most important product lines in the Nissan portfolio, so there’s a good reason why the Japanese automaker has put so much work into readying this third-generation offering – which will target a broad range of buyers, from young families to budget-minded empty nesters.
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Careful editing of this teaser image means we can’t be sure of all of the details but it appears the 2021 Nissan Rogue will lift from the concept X-Motion we saw a few years ago. It makes use of the latest take on Nissan’s now-familiar V-Motion grille and front-end design language, the grille growing a bit larger here. There are thin LED DRLS just under the hood, with high and low beam headlamps stacked below.
The overall look appears to be a bit more boxy than the outgoing Nissan Rogue, picking up on the latest trend away from soft, squishy crossovers first highlighted by products like the original Nissan Murano.
Don’t take this teaser image too literally, as we have to question what Nissan really has done with the 2021 Rogue’s door handles.
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The overall body takes on a bit less creased shape, but it has the seemingly de rigueur cladding around the back wheels.
Inside, we’re also expecting to see some significant changes. Nissan, like competitors Hyundai and Subaru, has been trying to move its line-up more upmarket. While there could still be a basic entry model of the new Rogue, we’re anticipating that higher trim levels also will come with more sophisticated cabin layouts and materials.
And we can be sure that, considering the emphasis on Gen-Y and millennials, that the new Rogue will be loaded with high-tech touches. That likely will include an updated infotainment system with such niceties as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
An emphasis on safety should be likely considering the Rogue’s roll as a small family vehicle. So, look for an array of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and, perhaps, even a version of the Nissan ProPilot technology.
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As for powertrains, the current 2.5-liter inline-four and CVT transmission pairing is likely to carry over. Could we also see a hybrid or a more powerful option package? We hope to learn more when the 2021 Nissan Rogue gets its official debut next Monday morning.
