The All-New 2021 Nissan Rogue Is A Roomy, Clever Compact SUV With An Edgy Face

Nissan’s brand new Rogue / X-Trail crossover promises to be safer and more practical than ever before, building on an already successful recipe. The old model actually stood as America’s third best-selling crossover last year in its segment.

Still, Nissan knew they couldn’t just do more of the same with this new generation, and they decided to give it a more distinct appearance while also improving interior comfort and modern on-board technology.

In terms of design, we already showed you what the 2021 Rogue would look like last week. As expected it comes with a more characterful, less bland exterior that sports a double V-Motion grille flanked by split headlights, a “floating” roof that can be had in a contrasting black shade, and door mounted mirrors.

It has a slightly smaller footprint

What we didn’t know is that the new Rogue is actually more compact now with a 0.1-inch (2.54 mm) shorter wheelbase, a 2.1 inch (53.3 mm) shorter roof and bumpers that are closer together by 1.7 inches (43.2 mm).

Based on a revamped version of Nissan’s CMF-C/D architecture, the new Rogue is clearly more about attracting families than individual drivers that happen to fancy compact crossovers.

Still, the 2021 Rogue should feel more engaging to drive than its predecessor, seen as how the steering ratio has been quickened and the powertrain/suspension cradle’s four rubber-isolated mounts were replaced by six rigid ones. The carmaker also revised the rear multi-link suspension.

But is more compact good?

On the outside, yes. Despite its shorter wheelbase, the 2021 Rogue is roomier in the back, featuring an extra 0.6-inches of legroom and 0.7 inches of headroom. What you don’t have anymore is a third seating row, which means you also don’t have the old model’s second row sliding-seat function.

Even though you get less cargo room now (36.5 cu.ft instead of 39.3), you also get more space with the rear seats folded (74.1 cu.ft instead of 70 cu.ft), while the tailgate opening is larger and more square than with its predecessor.

Here are some exact interior dimensions for a base model 2021 Rogue: front headroom (41.1 in), front hip room (54.1 in), front leg room (41.5 in), front shoulder room (57.1 in), rear headroom (39.2 in), rear hip room (53.4 in), rear leg room (38.5 in), rear shoulder room (55.9 in), front passenger space (56.4 cu.ft), rear passenger space (48.9 cu.ft) and total passenger space (105.2 cu.ft).

Also, with the seats up or down, the 2021 Rogue offers the third-best cargo capacity in its segment behind the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4.

Smarter and safer than ever

You can have a standard 8-inch infotainment screen on your all-new Rogue with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while a higher-res 9-inch display is available as an optional extra. The latter features built-in sat-nav and can be had with the SL Premium package and the Platinum trim.

There is also a bigger gauge cluster as standard – now 7 inches instead of 5, while the 12.3-inch fully digital cockpit is reserved for Platinum models, just like the 10.8 inch color head-up display. Meanwhile, the center console houses a small electronic shifter, where you’ll also find USB-A and USB-C ports.

If you want the best Rogue money can buy, go for the new flagship Platinum spec, with its semi-aniline leather, diamond quilting and exclusive tan color. It also comes with ProPilot Assist with Navi-Link, wireless Apple CarPlay, a Qi wireless charging pad, 10-speaker Bose system, ambient lighting and more.

Lower grades such as the SL and SV get 19-inch wheels, leather seats, panoramic roof and hands-free tailgate as standard (in the former), and 18-inch wheels with a more basic ProPilot Assist for the latter.

Speaking of the latest ProPilot Assist system, it comes with a longer-range radar and wider field-of-view camera. It can also detect pedestrians and improve the car’s on-center feel thanks to its updated lane-following assist function.

Also new is the Vehicle Motion Control system, which works in conjunction with the available enhanced AWD system and Drive Mode selector to provide four-wheel individual control – thus enhancing cornering capability.

“This is technology that does what a human can’t,” said Nissan USA R&D exec Chris Reed. “The all-new Vehicle Motion Control predicts what the driver is trying to do to do by monitoring steering, acceleration and braking. It can then step in and help to smooth things out.”

What about performance?

Maybe performance isn’t the proper term here. Power comes from Nissan’s new PR25DD naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-pot mated to a CVT that was introduced in the 2019 Altima. It produces 181 HP and 181 lb-ft of torque, offering an EPA city/highway/combined fuel economy of 26-27/34-35/29-30 mpg (8.7-9/6.7-6.9/7.8-8.1 l/100 km) for FWD models and 25-26/32-33/28-29 mpg (9-9.4/7.1-7.3/8.1-8.4 l/100 km) for AWD variants.

According to MotorTrend, the 2021 Rogue offers the worst towing capacity in its class, rated at 1,350 lbs (612 kg).

The 2021 Nissan Rogue goes on sale at Nissan dealerships nationwide this fall, boasting a wide range of color combinations, including five two-tone combos.