2021 Nissan Rogue First Look: What to Expect

The Nissan Rogue has been the automaker’s bread-and-butter model in the U.S. for years, having surpassed the Altima sedan as the brand’s bestseller in 2016. It hasn’t been challenged as Nissan‘s sales volume leader since. So you know the Rogue is a hugely important model for Nissan, and any redesign thus carries tremendous expectations on its roof rack. The next-generation Nissan Rogue is expected to arrive soon for the 2021 model year, and although we don’t have many hard details or official images, we have a pretty good idea what it will look like thanks to a patent application and the skills of our illustrator.

Recently, a Nissan document filed with the Brazilian government and unearthed by Motor 1 revealed featureless design renderings (see them in our gallery) for an SUV that looks a lot like Nissan Rogue prototypes we’ve seen in spy shots. We asked our illustrator to take those renderings and bring them to life. As you can see, the 2021 Nissan Rogue‘s basic outline doesn’t change much, but the devil is in the details. The D-pillar is now significantly thicker, and the nose is more squared off (perhaps to satisfy pedestrian safety regulations in other markets). Changes to the front end are numerous, but overall the look is evolutionary. The V-motion grille is retained and is now wider than before. The light signature has also changed up front, with slender lamps placed high up that sweep back across the fenders. Test mules spotted in the wild appeared to have their headlights positioned beneath those top lamps, similar to the old Nissan Juke.

We expect the next-gen Rogue to ride on an updated version of the current model’s scalable CMF-C/D platform. Power will likely come from Nissan’s new 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which makes 182 or 188 horsepower and 178 or 180 lb-ft of torque in the Altima, depending on whether you opt for all-wheel drive. AWD will continue to be an option on the 2021 Nissan Rogue, and like many other Nissans, the transmission choice will be limited to a CVT. The Rogue could get a version of the VC-Turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder, the fancy variable-compression-ratio engine available in the Altima, where it makes 248 hp and 280 lb-ft. But since Nissan has never offered a Rogue with that much power before, such a model would be treading in uncharted waters. A Rogue hybrid model is rumored to return for the third generation.

Past spy shots have given us clues about the next-gen Rogue’s interior. We know a fully digital instrument cluster will be available, and the 9.0-inch touchscreen that just debuted in000 the refreshed Titan should also be an option. It’s hard to judge size from a rendering, but dimensions for the 2021 Nissan Rogue should increase slightly, which could grant more interior space for passengers and cargo. But even if interior volume does increase, we don’t expect the unpopular third-row option to make a comeback.

We expect the 2021 Nissan Rogue to make its debut sometime this year, and go on sale late in 2020 or early 2021. Given the current global health crisis, we’re leaning toward the latter. Pricing should remain similar to the current Nissan Rogue, which starts at $26,395, but will likely increase slightly being the first of a new generation.

We hope to learn the official details about the 2021 Nissan Rogue soon, so stay tuned.