Experienced by Adrian McQueen
Photography by Adrenaline Lifestyles
The winter season is upon us and snow has entered the forecast. What a time for the 2021 Nissan Rogue SL AWD to land in my driveway. The Nissan Rogue is a compact crossover that made its debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 7, 2007. The Rogue has been paralleled with the X-Trail sold outside North America. The Rogue is manufactured at the Nissan Smyrna Assembly Plant in Tennessee.
Upon first look you notice the new exterior design. The front end is a bit boxier now and there are LED lighting signatures such as the LED low and high beam headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED turn signals, LED taillights and the LED fog lights. You will also see the addition of a rear spoiler, power panoramic moon roof and roof rails. The model that we received came in a solid grey hue. Nissan has definitely increased curb appeal of the Rogue.
The interior has received some nice changes as well. The 2021 Rogue has a digital instrument panel, ambient lighting, heated leather wrapped steering wheel and quilted leather seats with two rows of seating and room for five people. The additional space for small items and larger door pockets has improved the cargo space in the Rogue.I really enjoyed the quiet cabin. This is due to the increased dashboard insulation that helps reduce the engine noise along with the acoustic front glass that reduces wind noise.
I enjoyed the infotainment system in the Rogue. The model that we reviewed came with the 9-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, navigation, Sirius XM, top-down parking camera, a 10.8-inch head-up display. The Rogue also comes with a BOSE premium audio system with a dual driver subwoofer.
The Rogue has a 2.5L DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine that kicks out 181 hp and 181 lb-ft torque. The XTRONIC continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) is used to send power to the front wheels. Luckily we were loaned the AWD model because the snow began to fall soon after our review period began. I felt increased acceleration and noticed good fuel mileage with the Rogue. The Rogue got 25 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway and 28 mpg combined.
Safety is important to Nissan. The Rogue comes equipped with Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 suite of driving aids Blind-Spot Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Rear Automatic Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning and automatic front and rear automatic braking. The Rogue also comes with ProPILOT Assist with Navi-link, which adds adaptive cruise control and automatic lane centering to it. The Navi-link edition is even cooler. If the navigation system knows there is an exit coming or sharp turn in the road, it will adjust the cruise control speed to safely adjust to the change in direction. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration gave the Rogue an overall Rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
The 2021 Nissan Rogue is in a competitive class going up against the the Honda CR-V, Toyota Rav4 Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson. It is currently Nissan’s best-selling vehicle in the United States it’s also one of the most popular small SUVs on the market. The model that we tested comes in at $37,575.00 . The Rogue ranks high for its utility, performance and comfort. With a fresh new look, improved rear-seat comfort, and a bundle of new technologies it is sure to catch the eye of many. Please enjoy the photo gallery.