First Drive Review
The Rogue moniker might conjure images of reprobate political figures and the status of ladies’ undergarments in some quarters, but the badge has been no barrier to sales success. Here in the U.S., the compact crossover is Nissan’s second-bestselling model, slugging it out in showrooms with popular players such as the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4.
For 2014, Nissan introduces the second generation of the vehicle with this name, redone in part to use the new Common Module Family architecture, which is shared with Renault. Nissan will continue to sell the old version of the Rogue (some 650,000 have been produced since 2008), so you’ll be able to compare the new and old versions side by side come this January. The old version, to be dubbed Rogue Select, will carry a sub-$20,000 base price. That model is assembled in Japan; the new Rogues will be manufactured in Smyrna, Tennessee.
A quick body scan of the 2014 Rogue reveals an evolutionary shape with a cleaner front, thanks to swept-back headlights and a more prominent and upscale-looking grille. LED daytime running lights are a tip of the hat to current fashion. The detailing around the greenhouse windows is crisper, the wheel arches show more muscle, and the taillights again wrap around the side but now have more character.
The 2014 Rogue provides a larger canvas for these styling details, as it’s 1.0 inch longer, 1.5 inches wider, and 1.0 inch taller. The wheelbase is stretched by 0.6 inch. Creeping mass is kept in check, however, with elements such as an aluminum hood and a composite rear hatch. Underbody aero work, including a spoiler-type element mounted beneath the muffler, is claimed to reduce drag and increase the distance between fill-ups.
Shining from Within
Although the exterior changes are minor, the interior takes a big step uptown. For the first time, the Rogue is available in a seven-passenger configuration, although the teensy third-row split-bench seats are rated PG-13. More important, the Rogue’s second-row seats slide fore-and-aft nine inches, and all seatbacks fold flat save the driver’s, enabling a wide range of cargo- and passenger-hauling combinations. Also new on five-seaters is the Divide-N-Hide cargo system that, once learned, does a reasonable job of keeping your stuff in the way back in place and/or hidden.
The previous-gen Rogue’s cabin kit looked lifted from an economy car; however, the new design is anything but déclassé. There are large, easy-to-read gauges ahead and a center console that appears integrated from its horizontal vents up top to convenient climate-control switchgear below. Centered between them, depending on options, is a five- or seven-inch color display, the latter of the touch-screen variety.
Nissan sticks with its QR25DE engine in the 2014 model, a 2.5-liter twin-cam four rated at 170 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque. The automaker is also remaining faithful to the continuously variable transmission, in the interest of fuel economy—the Rogue comes in at 26 mpg city/33 mpg highway with front-wheel drive, 25/32 in all-wheel-drive versions. Those estimates are impressive compared with much of the competition but are only 1 mpg better on the highway than Mazda’s CX-5 with a more-enthusiast-friendly six-speed automatic.
