PRESS RELEASE
When the carmaker began designing the 2021 Nissan Rogue, the company focused on delivering functionality, flexibility, technology and safety. It’s an ideal combination of attributes for the carmaker’s best-selling segment.
The recently released Rogue crossover is the first of five new or redesigned Nissan models that will enter production in the next year. It follows Altima, Versa, Sentra and TITAN, all recently redesigned.
Every 2021 Nissan Rogue features a standard 2.5-liter DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine with Nissan’s Direct Injection Gasoline system. Horsepower is rated at 181, an increase of 11 hp. Torque is increased by 6 lb.-ft. to 181 lb.-ft. The new engine includes mirror bore coating, a variable displacement oil pump, and an integrated exhaust manifold and e-VTC intake valve among other refinements.
The 2021 Nissan Rogue also features a new Rack Electric Power Steering with a quick gear ratio, helping minimize steering corrections. The new suspension design features a rigid mount (six mounting points) and a new multi-link rear. Braking is provided by standard 4-wheel disc brakes with Anti-lock Braking System.
The Rogue has the most standard safety technologies in its class. It’s the latest Nissan model to feature Nissan Safety Shield 360 standard across the entire lineup.
Nissan Safety Shield 360 technologies include Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and Rear Automatic Braking.
The 2021 Nissan Rogue also offers 10 standard supplemental air bags and extended crumple zones to help protect occupants.
In addition to Safety Shield 360, the new Rogue also offers Nissan’s innovative Intelligent Driver Alertness technology and Rear Door Alert as standard equipment on all grade levels. Blind Spot Intervention and Traffic Sign Recognition is also available. Intelligent Cruise Control is included as part of the available ProPILOT Assist system.
The interior of the 2021 Nissan Rogue is a “family hub.” It’s designed to provide comfort and utility for everyone in the front and rear seats.
For example, vehicle access with the Nissan Intelligent Key has been expanded to the rear doors, as well as the front. A driver or passenger can unlock a rear door with a touch of a button on the rear door handle (or unlock all doors by pressing twice). There’s no need to unlock the rear doors with front door handle buttons.
2021 Nissan Rogue: Strong entrance, exit
The rear doors are extra-wide open nearly 90 degrees, making it easier to get a child seat in or out. Ingress and egress. The rear seat offers flexible and convenient child seat installation in all three seating positions. Adults or older children can sit on either side of a center-positioned child seat.
The new Rogue “butterfly” opening front center console allows for easy “pass-back” access to the second row. With the available Remote Engine Start2 with Intelligent Climate Control, parents can heat or cool the interior before placing a young child in a cold or hot vehicle.
Rear seat comfort features include standard reclining NASA-inspired Zero Gravity low-fatigue spinal support seating and available heated seats.
For the first time, the Rogue is equipped with available class-exclusive Tri-Zone Climate Control. Rear seat occupants can control their temperature separate from the front driver and passenger control. Both rear doors also feature available class-exclusive pull-up sunshades to remove unwanted direct sunlight.
The rear cargo area is accessible through the newly available motion-activated tailgate. Inside, the Rogue’s redesigned Divide-n-Hide system can provide hidden and secure storage for essential gear. The inner right side of the cargo area (behind the wheel arch) is intended for securing wider items or groceries like a gallon of milk.
Nissan believes technology should make life better, easier and more fun.
Drivers can enjoy the ease of connecting without cords. Rogue also offers available wireless Apple CarPlay, which will be available shortly after launch. It allows the driver or passenger to initiate CarPlay while leaving their iPhone in their pocket, purse or bag. The driver and passengers can seamlessly transfer their music from their phone to the vehicle.
A new wireless smartphone charger allows phones with a range of charge power applications (15-watt maximum) to be charged while driving. The charger platform is located on the center console, in front of the electronic shifter lever and twin cupholders. The console also houses both USB Type-C and Type-A charging ports.
Getting vehicle information is also easy, thanks to the 2021 Rogue’s digital display integration featuring three high-tech displays.
The combination of a full-color 10.8-inch head-up display, 12.3-inch “Digital Dashboard” gauge cluster and large, floating 9.0-inch touch screen display allows Rogue drivers to customize and enhance the driving experience.
The head-up display, another first for Rogue, is designed to help reduce the driver’s workload and stress – keeping surroundings and the road ahead in sight while accessing a range of vehicle information. At 10.8 inches, it is one of the largest head-up displays in the segment.
Below the head-up display in the instrument panel is an available advanced fully digital meter display, measuring 12.3 inches wide (a 7.0-inch center display replaces the previous 5.0-inch display on lower grades). Using specially designed background graphics, image quality and contrast has been greatly enhanced. Both the 12.3-inch and 7.0-inch meter displays are fully customizable, allowing drivers to personalize the information and appearance to their preferences.
The third of three Rogue digital displays is located in the center of the wide instrument panel. There, an available 9.0-inch “floating” touchscreen provides crisp, clear images for navigation, audio display, climate information, RearView Monitor and available enhanced Intelligent Around View® Monitor. The 9.0-inch screen is the largest infotainment screen in its class.1
The Rogue also offers Google Maps and Waze, with voice commands to help the driver switch between apps to access their preferred view of route conditions or to avoid construction zones.
Rogue was one of the first vehicles to offer Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist, a hands-on, driver-assist technology that reduces the hassle of stop-and-go highway driving and makes long drives on the open highway easier. ProPILOT Assist combines steering assist and Intelligent Cruise Control to help control acceleration, braking and steering in both heavy traffic and on the open highway.
The 2021 Rogue adopts signature Nissan design elements such as the floating roof and an evolved V-motion grille as well as headlight shape and “U-shape” bodyside highlights.
New multi-level LED headlights with an expanded illumination area are standard on all 2021 Rogue grade levels and accent the powerful front grille design. LED fog lights are standard on SL and Platinum grades.
The body measures 1.5 inches shorter and 0.2 inches lower than the previous generation Rogue, adding to the look of strength while also enhancing driving maneuverability. Key aerodynamic features include “3D” tire deflectors in the lower front fascia, an active grille shutter to control airflow into the engine compartment, special A-pillar shaping, underbody covers to manage air flow under the vehicle and an “air curtain” that precisely directs airflow from the front to the sides of the Rogue.
The 2021 Rogue will be offered in a wide range of color combinations, including – for the first time – five two-tone combinations.
Five drive modes are available with Rogue All-Wheel Drive models – Off-road, Snow, Standard, Eco and Sport – engaged by the driver through a drive-mode selector mounted on the center console.
While engaged at all times, the Vehicle Motion Control system is particularly advantageous when driving on snowy slopes, deep snow, snow flat turning and off-road driving (such as beach or dirt trails).
As in previous generations, Rogue will be offered in well-equipped S, SV and SL grade levels. For 2021, a new Platinum grade is added, featuring quilted semi-aniline leather-appointed seating, the full 12.3-inch Digital Dashboard meter display, head-up display, heated rear seats, ambient lighting, wireless charging pad, ProPILOT Assist with Navi-link, Bose Premium Audio System, Nissan Door-to-Door Navigation and more.
RELATED CONTENT
2020 Nissan Titan: New, Improved, Still Struggling
2017 Nissan Rogue: Nice try, can’t match SUV stars
2020 Nissan Sentra: A New Hipster Nearing 40
Article Last Updated: December 9, 2020.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
