Not only does this year’s Nissan Rogue have a new and stylish horizontal grille replacing years of its staid V-Motion design, it also adds some high-tech cameras that minimize or eliminate front-end damage.
The 2025 model also adds a new three-cylinder engine across its lineup that greatly improves fuel economy at the cost of mild acceleration. A new Rock Creek edition appeals to mild adventurists preferring the dirt road over pavement dwelling .
Part of a pricey Technology Package, new surround cameras display a 176-degree view seeing around garage pillars or parked vehicles. Its Invisible Hood View uses advanced image processing to project a view of the roadway under the engine bay to avoid hitting curbs as well as help in placing front wheels in a car wash track. Nice feature.
All Rogue trims include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, high beam assist and rear automatic braking.
Rogue is available in five trims: S, SV, Rock Creek, SL and Platinum with base prices ranging from the low $30s to $40s. Our decked-out Platinum tester stickered just under $50,000 pushing some buyers to high-end and more powerful sedans. The SL trim appears to be the best value in the high $30s with full leather, technology, driver assistance and infotainment system.
The new engine is rated at 201 horsepower sending 225 lb-ft of torque to its front wheels or optional all-wheel drive. In our independent testing, the new Rogue accelerated from zero to 60 miles per hour in 8.3 seconds, similar with last year’s four-cylinder powerplant featuring 181 ponies.
With improved driving dynamics, Nissan believes they have another hit since the popular compact model debuted in 2008. We agree but wish more oomph was under the hood to prop up mediocre acceleration.
Pros
Handsome looks
High tech interior
Roomy cabin
Cons
Upper trims pricey
Pokey
Noisy engine
Controls are intuitively placed and redundant manual knobs make radio tuning a breeze without drilling down in pull-downs. Connectivity is made easy with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Upper trim Rogues feature twin 12.3-inch digital screens, one featuring engine vitals while the center console touchscreen features Google’s built-in suite of applications like most smartphones on the market as well as a plethora of Nissan apps.
Our tester included a 10-speaker Bose premium sound system, heads-up display, panoramic moonroof, 19-inch alloy wheels, exterior ground lighting and interior accent lighting.
In highway travel, once up to speed, the Rogue offers a compliant ride with precise steering, firm braking and little body roll. While it lacks in passing power, the Rogue delivers a smooth ride with 19-inch alloys and suspension that absorbs most pavement irregularities.
Nissan’s Pro-Pilot Assist 2.1 combines numerous safety tech gear to keep you safe in most driving conditions although disclaimers keep the driver uppermost in control.
With the redesign, be sure to include the new Rogue in your short list of test drives along the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, VW Tiguan, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson.