2021 Nissan Rogue First Look: What to Expect

Update: Nissan has released a teaser image of the 2021 Rogue ahead of its debut on June 15.

The Nissan Rogue has been the automaker’s bread-and-butter model in the United States for years, having surpassed the Altima sedan as the brand’s bestseller in 2016. As such, the Rogue is a hugely important model for Nissan, and any redesign thus carries tremendous expectations on its roof racks. The next-generation Nissan Rogue will arrive for the 2021 model year, and we have a pretty good idea of what it will look like thanks to a patent application, a new teaser image, 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 the images in our gallery) for a crossover SUV that looks a lot like the Nissan Rogue prototypes we’ve seen in spy shots. We asked our illustrator to take those renderings and bring the new Rogue 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 wider than before. The front light signature has also changed, with slender lamps placed high up that sweep back across the fenders. Test mules spotted in the wild appeared to have headlights positioned beneath those top lamps, similar to that of 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 pound-feet of torque in the Altima, depending on whether you opt for all-wheel drive. Front-wheel drive will continue to come standard on the 2021 Rogue, and like many other Nissans, the transmission choice will be limited to a continuously variable unit. The Rogue could get a version of the brand’s fancy variable compression turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, as an option. In the Altima, this unit makes 248 hp and 280 lb-ft of twist. But since Nissan has never offered a Rogue with that much power before, such a model would be treading in uncharted waters. The Rogue Hybrid is rumored to return.

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

The 2021 Nissan Rogue debuts on June 15, 2020. The model should 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 model, which starts at $26,395.