Nissan has been an active player in the SUV market with models like Pathfinder, Xterra and Armada.This will be Nissan's first entry in the crowded small crossover SUV field. It will be in direct competition with the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. Its counterpart called the Quashqai has already been introduced in Europe in early 2007.First exhibited at the Detroit Auto Show the Rogue is built on the same 'C' platform as Nissan's Sentra. The Global 'C' architecture has been developed jointly by Nissan and Renault.
Both the base Rogue and the upgraded Rogue SL have a 2.4 liter four cylinder engine matched with Nissan's trademark continuously variable transmission (CVT) producing 170 horsepower. The Rogue's engine gives it more power than most of its competitors.
The Rogue also offers a long list of standard safety features including front seat mounted side impact supplemental air bags and roof mounted curtain supplemental air bags. Electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes are also there.
The Rogue offers many high tech options like heated leather seats, keyless ignition, Bluetooth phone connectivity, Bose audio system, malfunction trip computer and Xenon headlights. These options will take your cost closer to $25,000 from the base price offer of $20,000.
"With Rogue, we have targeted drivers in their early thirties, whose responsibilities and functional needs have changed but who don't want to leave behind the person they've always been-someone who enjoys driving, who values style and design and who wants to retain his or her individuality", said Bill Bosley, Vice President and General Manager, Nissan Division. "The Rogue name was chosen to reflect its positioning, though we certainly believe that all buyers, regardless of age of life stage, will positively respond to Rogue's fun to drive, all climate performance and aggressive styling".
How the Rogue will impact the market is tough to guess. Experts feel that though it is a good car it is a latecomer to this segment and without any standout quality it will find it tough to beat the competition.
